diff --git a/panel-plugin/datetime.c b/panel-plugin/datetime.c
index 181c273..c75ca64 100644
--- a/panel-plugin/datetime.c
+++ b/panel-plugin/datetime.c
@@ -605,16 +605,24 @@ static void datetime_set_orientation(XfcePanelPlugin *plugin, GtkOrientation ori
     xfce_hvbox_set_orientation(XFCE_HVBOX(datetime->box), GTK_ORIENTATION_HORIZONTAL);
     gtk_label_set_angle(GTK_LABEL(datetime->time_label), -90);
     gtk_label_set_angle(GTK_LABEL(datetime->date_label), -90);
-    gtk_box_reorder_child(GTK_BOX(datetime->box), datetime->time_label, 0);
-    gtk_box_reorder_child(GTK_BOX(datetime->box), datetime->date_label, 1);
   }
   else
   {
     xfce_hvbox_set_orientation(XFCE_HVBOX(datetime->box), GTK_ORIENTATION_VERTICAL);
     gtk_label_set_angle(GTK_LABEL(datetime->time_label), 0);
     gtk_label_set_angle(GTK_LABEL(datetime->date_label), 0);
-    gtk_box_reorder_child(GTK_BOX(datetime->box), datetime->date_label, 0);
-    gtk_box_reorder_child(GTK_BOX(datetime->box), datetime->time_label, 1);
+  }
+  /* set order based on layout-selection */
+  switch(datetime->layout)
+  {
+    case LAYOUT_TIME_DATE:
+      gtk_box_reorder_child(GTK_BOX(datetime->box), datetime->time_label, 0);
+      gtk_box_reorder_child(GTK_BOX(datetime->box), datetime->date_label, 1);
+      break;
+
+    default:
+      gtk_box_reorder_child(GTK_BOX(datetime->box), datetime->time_label, 1);
+      gtk_box_reorder_child(GTK_BOX(datetime->box), datetime->date_label, 0);
   }
 }
 
@@ -623,9 +631,6 @@ static void datetime_set_orientation(XfcePanelPlugin *plugin, GtkOrientation ori
  */
 static void datetime_create_widget(t_datetime * datetime)
 {
-  GtkOrientation orientation;
-  orientation = xfce_panel_plugin_get_orientation(datetime->plugin);
-
   /* create button */
   datetime->button = xfce_create_panel_toggle_button();
   gtk_widget_show(datetime->button);
@@ -651,13 +656,6 @@ static void datetime_create_widget(t_datetime * datetime)
   /* connect widget signals to functions */
   g_signal_connect(datetime->button, "button-press-event",
       G_CALLBACK(datetime_clicked), datetime);
-
-  /* set orientation according to the panel orientation */
-#ifdef HAS_PANEL_49
-  datetime_set_mode(datetime->plugin, orientation, datetime);
-#else
-  datetime_set_orientation(datetime->plugin, orientation, datetime);
-#endif
 }
 
 /*
@@ -666,6 +664,7 @@ static void datetime_create_widget(t_datetime * datetime)
 static t_datetime * datetime_new(XfcePanelPlugin *plugin)
 {
   t_datetime * datetime;
+  GtkOrientation orientation;
 
   DBG("Starting datetime panel plugin");
 
@@ -681,6 +680,14 @@ static t_datetime * datetime_new(XfcePanelPlugin *plugin)
   /* load settings (default values if non-av) */
   datetime_read_rc_file(plugin, datetime);
 
+  /* set orientation according to the panel orientation */
+  orientation = xfce_panel_plugin_get_orientation(datetime->plugin);
+#ifdef HAS_PANEL_49
+  datetime_set_mode(datetime->plugin, orientation, datetime);
+#else
+  datetime_set_orientation(datetime->plugin, orientation, datetime);
+#endif
+
   /* set date and time labels */
   datetime_update(datetime);