diff --git a/gno.land/pkg/sdk/vm/keeper.go b/gno.land/pkg/sdk/vm/keeper.go
index 54f424ee058..67710be620c 100644
--- a/gno.land/pkg/sdk/vm/keeper.go
+++ b/gno.land/pkg/sdk/vm/keeper.go
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ func (vm *VMKeeper) AddPackage(ctx sdk.Context, msg MsgAddPackage) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	// Parse and run the files, construct *PV.
 	msgCtx := stdlibs.ExecContext{
 		ChainID:       ctx.ChainID(),
diff --git a/tm2/pkg/std/memfile.go b/tm2/pkg/std/memfile.go
index 599e9a59cc5..5935428ac28 100644
--- a/tm2/pkg/std/memfile.go
+++ b/tm2/pkg/std/memfile.go
@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@ package std
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/gnolang/gno/tm2/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 type MemFile struct {
@@ -50,22 +49,39 @@ var (
 // file names must contain dots.
 // NOTE: this is to prevent conflicts with nested paths.
 func (mempkg *MemPackage) Validate() error {
+	// add assertion that MemPkg contains at least 1 file
+	if len(mempkg.Files) <= 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("no files found within package %q", mempkg.Name)
+	}
+
 	if !rePkgName.MatchString(mempkg.Name) {
-		return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("invalid package name %q, failed to match %q", mempkg.Name, rePkgName))
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid package name %q, failed to match %q", mempkg.Name, rePkgName)
 	}
 	if !rePkgOrRlmPath.MatchString(mempkg.Path) {
-		return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("invalid package/realm path %q, failed to match %q", mempkg.Path, rePkgOrRlmPath))
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid package/realm path %q, failed to match %q", mempkg.Path, rePkgOrRlmPath)
 	}
-	fnames := map[string]struct{}{}
-	for _, memfile := range mempkg.Files {
-		if !reFileName.MatchString(memfile.Name) {
-			return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("invalid file name %q, failed to match %q", memfile.Name, reFileName))
+	// enforce sorting files based on Go conventions for predictability
+	sorted := sort.SliceIsSorted(
+		mempkg.Files,
+		func(i, j int) bool {
+			return mempkg.Files[i].Name < mempkg.Files[j].Name
+		},
+	)
+	if !sorted {
+		return fmt.Errorf("mempackage %q has unsorted files", mempkg.Path)
+	}
+
+	var prev string
+	for i, file := range mempkg.Files {
+		if !reFileName.MatchString(file.Name) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid file name %q, failed to match %q", file.Name, reFileName)
 		}
-		if _, exists := fnames[memfile.Name]; exists {
-			return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("duplicate file name %q", memfile.Name))
+		if i > 0 && prev == file.Name {
+			return fmt.Errorf("duplicate file name %q", file.Name)
 		}
-		fnames[memfile.Name] = struct{}{}
+		prev = file.Name
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/tm2/pkg/std/memfile_test.go b/tm2/pkg/std/memfile_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..44031cd1b8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tm2/pkg/std/memfile_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package std
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestMemPackage_Validate(t *testing.T) {
+	tt := []struct {
+		name        string
+		mpkg        *MemPackage
+		errContains string
+	}{
+		{
+			"Correct",
+			&MemPackage{
+				Name:  "hey",
+				Path:  "gno.land/r/demo/hey",
+				Files: []*MemFile{{Name: "a.gno"}},
+			},
+			"",
+		},
+		{
+			"Unsorted",
+			&MemPackage{
+				Name:  "hey",
+				Path:  "gno.land/r/demo/hey",
+				Files: []*MemFile{{Name: "b.gno"}, {Name: "a.gno"}},
+			},
+			`mempackage "gno.land/r/demo/hey" has unsorted files`,
+		},
+		{
+			"Duplicate",
+			&MemPackage{
+				Name:  "hey",
+				Path:  "gno.land/r/demo/hey",
+				Files: []*MemFile{{Name: "a.gno"}, {Name: "a.gno"}},
+			},
+			`duplicate file name "a.gno"`,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tt {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := tc.mpkg.Validate()
+			if tc.errContains == "" {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+			} else {
+				assert.ErrorContains(t, err, tc.errContains)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}