diff --git a/site_ansto/instrument/util/write_tree.tcl b/site_ansto/instrument/util/write_tree.tcl
index 75382d53..98a5db35 100644
--- a/site_ansto/instrument/util/write_tree.tcl
+++ b/site_ansto/instrument/util/write_tree.tcl
@@ -15,36 +15,36 @@
         } else {
           set line "$nam ([hinfo $tc_root]) = $val"
         }
+        clientput "$space* $line"
       } message ] {
         clientput "Error in writeNode/hinfo for $tc_root : $message"
-        return
       }
-      clientput "$space* $line"
       if {"[string tolower "$do_props"]" == "-prop"} {
         if [ catch {
-          set props [hlistprop $tc_root]
-        } message ] {
-          clientput "Error in writeNode/hlistprop for $tc_root : $message"
-          return
-        }
-        #clientput "<<$props>>"
-        foreach prop $props {
-          #clientput "prop: $prop"
-          set flds [split $prop "="]
-          #clientput "flds: $flds"
-          if {[llength $flds] > 1} {
-            set fld0 [lindex $flds 0]
-            #clientput "fld0: $fld0"
-            if {[hpropexists $tc_root $fld0]} {
-              set rst [hgetprop $tc_root $fld0]
-              set nam [lindex [split [lindex $rst 0] "."] 1]
-              set rst [join [lrange [split $rst " "] 1 end] " "]
-              clientput "$space    - $nam $rst"
+          set props [lsort [hlistprop $tc_root]]
+          #clientput "<<$props>>"
+          foreach prop $props {
+            if [ catch {
+              # guard against embedded spaces producing false properties
+              #clientput "prop: $prop"
+              set flds [split $prop "="]
+              #clientput "flds: $flds"
+              if {[llength $flds] > 1} {
+                set nam [lindex $flds 0]
+                if {[hpropexists $tc_root $nam]} {
+                  set rst [hgetpropval $tc_root $nam]
+                  clientput "$space    - $nam=$rst"
+                }
+              }
+            } message ] {
+              clientput "Error in writeNode/hlistprop for $tc_root : $message"
             }
           }
+        } message ] {
+          clientput "Error in writeNode/hlistprop for $tc_root : $message"
         }
       }
-      foreach node [hlist $tc_root] {
+      foreach node [lsort [hlist $tc_root]] {
         ::utility::writeNode $tc_root/$node "$do_props" [expr {$level + 1}]
       }
     } message ] {