diff --git a/datajoint/autopopulate.py b/datajoint/autopopulate.py
index 8efdcb37b..c910925e6 100644
--- a/datajoint/autopopulate.py
+++ b/datajoint/autopopulate.py
@@ -85,10 +85,13 @@ def populate(self, restriction=None, suppress_errors=False,
         table_name = self.target.table_name
         keys = (todo - self.target.project()).fetch.keys()
         if order == "reverse":
-            keys = list(keys).reverse()
+            keys = list(keys)
+            keys.reverse()
         elif order == "random":
             keys = list(keys)
             random.shuffle(keys)
+        elif order != "original":
+            raise DataJointError('Invalid order specification')
 
         for key in keys:
             if not reserve_jobs or jobs.reserve(table_name, key):
diff --git a/datajoint/base_relation.py b/datajoint/base_relation.py
index 5b3ffffd0..4920307dd 100644
--- a/datajoint/base_relation.py
+++ b/datajoint/base_relation.py
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ def insert(self, rows, replace=False, ignore_errors=False, skip_duplicates=False
 
         """
         heading = self.heading
-        field_list = None
+        field_list = None  # ensures that all rows have the same attributes in the same order as the first row.
 
         def make_row_to_insert(row):
             """
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ def make_row_to_insert(row):
 
             def make_placeholder(name, value):
                 """
-                For a given attribute `name` with `value, return its processed value or value placeholder
-                as a string to be included in the query and the value, if any to be submitted for
+                For a given attribute `name` with `value`, return its processed value or value placeholder
+                as a string to be included in the query and the value, if any, to be submitted for
                 processing by mysql API.
                 :param name:
                 :param value:
@@ -237,13 +237,8 @@ def check_fields(fields):
                     for field in fields:
                         if field not in heading:
                             raise KeyError(u'{0:s} is not in the attribute list'.format(field))
-                else:
-                    if len(fields) < len(field_list):
-                        raise KeyError('Inserted row is missing some attributes.')
-                    for field in fields:
-                        if field not in field_list:
-                            raise KeyError(
-                                u'{0:s} is not found among the attributes of the first inserted row'.format(field))
+                elif set(field_list) != set(fields):
+                    raise DataJointError('Attempt to insert rows with different fields')
 
             if isinstance(row, np.void):  # np.array
                 check_fields(row.dtype.fields)
@@ -269,9 +264,15 @@ def check_fields(fields):
             row_to_insert = dict(zip(('names', 'placeholders', 'values'), zip(*attributes)))
             nonlocal field_list
             if field_list is None:
+                # first row sets the composition of the field list
                 field_list = row_to_insert['names']
-            elif set(field_list) != set(row_to_insert['names']):
-                raise DataJointError('Attempt to insert rows with different fields')
+            else:
+                #  reorder attributes in row_to_insert to match field_list
+                order = list(row_to_insert['names'].index(field) for field in field_list)
+                row_to_insert['names'] = list(row_to_insert['names'][i] for i in order)
+                row_to_insert['placeholders'] = list(row_to_insert['placeholders'][i] for i in order)
+                row_to_insert['values'] = list(row_to_insert['values'][i] for i in order)
+
             return row_to_insert
 
         def row_exists(row):
diff --git a/datajoint/user_relations.py b/datajoint/user_relations.py
index 34c676c36..139bd2fda 100644
--- a/datajoint/user_relations.py
+++ b/datajoint/user_relations.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class Lookup(UserRelation):
     """
 
     _prefix = '#'
-    _regexp = r'(?P<lookup>' +  _prefix + _base_regexp.replace('TIER', 'lookup') + ')'
+    _regexp = r'(?P<lookup>' + _prefix + _base_regexp.replace('TIER', 'lookup') + ')'
 
     @classproperty
     def table_name(cls):
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class Part(BaseRelation):
     """
 
     _regexp = r'(?P<master>' + '|'.join([c._regexp for c in [Manual, Imported, Computed, Lookup]]) + r'){1,1}' \
-              +  '__' + r'(?P<part>' + _base_regexp + ')'
+              + '__' + r'(?P<part>' + _base_regexp + ')'
 
     _master = None