diff --git a/command/jsonstate/state.go b/command/jsonstate/state.go
index eb356d602..bf9a6f872 100644
--- a/command/jsonstate/state.go
+++ b/command/jsonstate/state.go
@@ -212,8 +212,8 @@ func marshalRootModule(s *states.State, schemas *terraform.Schemas) (module, err
 	return ret, err
 }
 
-// marshalModules is an ungainly recursive function to build a module
-// structure out of a teraform state.
+// marshalModules is an ungainly recursive function to build a module structure
+// out of terraform state.
 func marshalModules(
 	s *states.State,
 	schemas *terraform.Schemas,
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@ func marshalModules(
 		ret = append(ret, cm)
 	}
 
+	// sort the child modules by address for consistency.
+	sort.Slice(ret, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return ret[i].Address < ret[j].Address
+	})
+
 	return ret, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/command/jsonstate/state_test.go b/command/jsonstate/state_test.go
index a6c70f3c3..ef8cb869c 100644
--- a/command/jsonstate/state_test.go
+++ b/command/jsonstate/state_test.go
@@ -436,6 +436,148 @@ func TestMarshalResources(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMarshalModules_basic(t *testing.T) {
+	childModule, _ := addrs.ParseModuleInstanceStr("module.child")
+	subModule, _ := addrs.ParseModuleInstanceStr("module.submodule")
+	testState := states.BuildState(func(s *states.SyncState) {
+		s.SetResourceInstanceCurrent(
+			addrs.Resource{
+				Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
+				Type: "test_instance",
+				Name: "foo",
+			}.Instance(addrs.NoKey).Absolute(addrs.RootModuleInstance),
+			&states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
+				AttrsJSON: []byte(`{"id":"bar","foo":"value","bar":"value"}`),
+				Status:    states.ObjectReady,
+			},
+			addrs.AbsProviderConfig{
+				Provider: addrs.NewLegacyProvider("test"),
+				Module:   addrs.RootModuleInstance,
+			},
+		)
+		s.SetResourceInstanceCurrent(
+			addrs.Resource{
+				Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
+				Type: "test_instance",
+				Name: "foo",
+			}.Instance(addrs.NoKey).Absolute(childModule),
+			&states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
+				AttrsJSON: []byte(`{"id":"foo","foo":"value","bar":"value"}`),
+				Status:    states.ObjectReady,
+			},
+			addrs.AbsProviderConfig{
+				Provider: addrs.NewLegacyProvider("test"),
+				Module:   childModule,
+			},
+		)
+		s.SetResourceInstanceCurrent(
+			addrs.Resource{
+				Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
+				Type: "test_instance",
+				Name: "foo",
+			}.Instance(addrs.NoKey).Absolute(subModule),
+			&states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
+				AttrsJSON: []byte(`{"id":"foo","foo":"value","bar":"value"}`),
+				Status:    states.ObjectReady,
+			},
+			addrs.AbsProviderConfig{
+				Provider: addrs.NewLegacyProvider("test"),
+				Module:   subModule,
+			},
+		)
+	})
+	moduleMap := make(map[string][]addrs.ModuleInstance)
+	moduleMap[""] = []addrs.ModuleInstance{childModule, subModule}
+
+	got, err := marshalModules(testState, testSchemas(), moduleMap[""], moduleMap)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if len(got) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("wrong result! got %d modules, expected 2", len(got))
+	}
+
+	if got[0].Address != "module.child" || got[1].Address != "module.submodule" {
+		t.Fatalf("wrong result! got %#v\n", got)
+	}
+
+}
+
+func TestMarshalModules_nested(t *testing.T) {
+	childModule, _ := addrs.ParseModuleInstanceStr("module.child")
+	subModule, _ := addrs.ParseModuleInstanceStr("module.child.module.submodule")
+	testState := states.BuildState(func(s *states.SyncState) {
+		s.SetResourceInstanceCurrent(
+			addrs.Resource{
+				Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
+				Type: "test_instance",
+				Name: "foo",
+			}.Instance(addrs.NoKey).Absolute(addrs.RootModuleInstance),
+			&states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
+				AttrsJSON: []byte(`{"id":"bar","foo":"value","bar":"value"}`),
+				Status:    states.ObjectReady,
+			},
+			addrs.AbsProviderConfig{
+				Provider: addrs.NewLegacyProvider("test"),
+				Module:   addrs.RootModuleInstance,
+			},
+		)
+		s.SetResourceInstanceCurrent(
+			addrs.Resource{
+				Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
+				Type: "test_instance",
+				Name: "foo",
+			}.Instance(addrs.NoKey).Absolute(childModule),
+			&states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
+				AttrsJSON: []byte(`{"id":"foo","foo":"value","bar":"value"}`),
+				Status:    states.ObjectReady,
+			},
+			addrs.AbsProviderConfig{
+				Provider: addrs.NewLegacyProvider("test"),
+				Module:   childModule,
+			},
+		)
+		s.SetResourceInstanceCurrent(
+			addrs.Resource{
+				Mode: addrs.ManagedResourceMode,
+				Type: "test_instance",
+				Name: "foo",
+			}.Instance(addrs.NoKey).Absolute(subModule),
+			&states.ResourceInstanceObjectSrc{
+				AttrsJSON: []byte(`{"id":"foo","foo":"value","bar":"value"}`),
+				Status:    states.ObjectReady,
+			},
+			addrs.AbsProviderConfig{
+				Provider: addrs.NewLegacyProvider("test"),
+				Module:   subModule,
+			},
+		)
+	})
+	moduleMap := make(map[string][]addrs.ModuleInstance)
+	moduleMap[""] = []addrs.ModuleInstance{childModule}
+	moduleMap[childModule.String()] = []addrs.ModuleInstance{subModule}
+
+	got, err := marshalModules(testState, testSchemas(), moduleMap[""], moduleMap)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if len(got) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("wrong result! got %d modules, expected 1", len(got))
+	}
+
+	if got[0].Address != "module.child" {
+		t.Fatalf("wrong result! got %#v\n", got)
+	}
+
+	if got[0].ChildModules[0].Address != "module.child.module.submodule" {
+		t.Fatalf("wrong result! got %#v\n", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func testSchemas() *terraform.Schemas {
 	return &terraform.Schemas{
 		Providers: map[addrs.Provider]*terraform.ProviderSchema{
@@ -447,6 +589,13 @@ func testSchemas() *terraform.Schemas {
 							"foozles": {Type: cty.String, Optional: true},
 						},
 					},
+					"test_instance": {
+						Attributes: map[string]*configschema.Attribute{
+							"id":  {Type: cty.String, Optional: true, Computed: true},
+							"foo": {Type: cty.String, Optional: true},
+							"bar": {Type: cty.String, Optional: true},
+						},
+					},
 				},
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/command/testdata/show-json-state/modules/output.json b/command/testdata/show-json-state/modules/output.json
index b5e1083d0..77d53b238 100644
--- a/command/testdata/show-json-state/modules/output.json
+++ b/command/testdata/show-json-state/modules/output.json
@@ -10,6 +10,23 @@
         },
         "root_module": {
             "child_modules": [
+                {
+                    "resources": [
+                        {
+                            "address": "module.module_test_bar.test_instance.example",
+                            "mode": "managed",
+                            "type": "test_instance",
+                            "name": "example",
+                            "provider_name": "test",
+                            "schema_version": 0,
+                            "values": {
+                                "ami": "bar-var",
+                                "id": null
+                            }
+                        }
+                    ],
+                    "address": "module.module_test_bar"
+                },
                 {
                     "resources": [
                         {
@@ -27,23 +44,6 @@
                         }
                     ],
                     "address": "module.module_test_foo"
-                },
-                {
-                    "resources": [
-                        {
-                            "address": "module.module_test_bar.test_instance.example",
-                            "mode": "managed",
-                            "type": "test_instance",
-                            "name": "example",
-                            "provider_name": "test",
-                            "schema_version": 0,
-                            "values": {
-                                "ami": "bar-var",
-                                "id": null
-                            }
-                        }
-                    ],
-                    "address": "module.module_test_bar"
                 }
             ]
         }