diff --git a/spacy/pipeline/attributeruler.py b/spacy/pipeline/attributeruler.py
index d93afc642..4d1816238 100644
--- a/spacy/pipeline/attributeruler.py
+++ b/spacy/pipeline/attributeruler.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class AttributeRuler(Pipe):
 
         DOCS: https://spacy.io/api/attributeruler#call
         """
-        matches = self.matcher(doc)
+        matches = sorted(self.matcher(doc))
 
         for match_id, start, end in matches:
             span = Span(doc, start, end, label=match_id)
@@ -230,10 +230,7 @@ class AttributeRuler(Pipe):
         """
         serialize = {}
         serialize["vocab"] = self.vocab.to_bytes
-        patterns = {k: self.matcher.get(k)[1] for k in range(len(self.attrs))}
-        serialize["patterns"] = lambda: srsly.msgpack_dumps(patterns)
-        serialize["attrs"] = lambda: srsly.msgpack_dumps(self.attrs)
-        serialize["indices"] = lambda: srsly.msgpack_dumps(self.indices)
+        serialize["patterns"] = lambda: srsly.msgpack_dumps(self.patterns)
         return util.to_bytes(serialize, exclude)
 
     def from_bytes(self, bytes_data: bytes, exclude: Iterable[str] = tuple()):
@@ -245,31 +242,15 @@ class AttributeRuler(Pipe):
 
         DOCS: https://spacy.io/api/attributeruler#from_bytes
         """
-        data = {"patterns": b""}
-
         def load_patterns(b):
-            data["patterns"] = srsly.msgpack_loads(b)
-
-        def load_attrs(b):
-            self.attrs = srsly.msgpack_loads(b)
-
-        def load_indices(b):
-            self.indices = srsly.msgpack_loads(b)
+            self.add_patterns(srsly.msgpack_loads(b))
 
         deserialize = {
             "vocab": lambda b: self.vocab.from_bytes(b),
             "patterns": load_patterns,
-            "attrs": load_attrs,
-            "indices": load_indices,
         }
         util.from_bytes(bytes_data, deserialize, exclude)
 
-        if data["patterns"]:
-            for key, pattern in data["patterns"].items():
-                self.matcher.add(key, pattern)
-            assert len(self.attrs) == len(data["patterns"])
-            assert len(self.indices) == len(data["patterns"])
-
         return self
 
     def to_disk(self, path: Union[Path, str], exclude: Iterable[str] = tuple()) -> None:
@@ -279,12 +260,9 @@ class AttributeRuler(Pipe):
         exclude (Iterable[str]): String names of serialization fields to exclude.
         DOCS: https://spacy.io/api/attributeruler#to_disk
         """
-        patterns = {k: self.matcher.get(k)[1] for k in range(len(self.attrs))}
         serialize = {
             "vocab": lambda p: self.vocab.to_disk(p),
-            "patterns": lambda p: srsly.write_msgpack(p, patterns),
-            "attrs": lambda p: srsly.write_msgpack(p, self.attrs),
-            "indices": lambda p: srsly.write_msgpack(p, self.indices),
+            "patterns": lambda p: srsly.write_msgpack(p, self.patterns),
         }
         util.to_disk(path, serialize, exclude)
 
@@ -297,31 +275,15 @@ class AttributeRuler(Pipe):
         exclude (Iterable[str]): String names of serialization fields to exclude.
         DOCS: https://spacy.io/api/attributeruler#from_disk
         """
-        data = {"patterns": b""}
-
         def load_patterns(p):
-            data["patterns"] = srsly.read_msgpack(p)
-
-        def load_attrs(p):
-            self.attrs = srsly.read_msgpack(p)
-
-        def load_indices(p):
-            self.indices = srsly.read_msgpack(p)
+            self.add_patterns(srsly.read_msgpack(p))
 
         deserialize = {
             "vocab": lambda p: self.vocab.from_disk(p),
             "patterns": load_patterns,
-            "attrs": load_attrs,
-            "indices": load_indices,
         }
         util.from_disk(path, deserialize, exclude)
 
-        if data["patterns"]:
-            for key, pattern in data["patterns"].items():
-                self.matcher.add(key, pattern)
-            assert len(self.attrs) == len(data["patterns"])
-            assert len(self.indices) == len(data["patterns"])
-
         return self
 
 
diff --git a/spacy/tests/pipeline/test_attributeruler.py b/spacy/tests/pipeline/test_attributeruler.py
index d9a492580..5fc6faaf0 100644
--- a/spacy/tests/pipeline/test_attributeruler.py
+++ b/spacy/tests/pipeline/test_attributeruler.py
@@ -112,6 +112,28 @@ def test_attributeruler_score(nlp, pattern_dicts):
     assert scores["morph_acc"] == pytest.approx(0.6)
 
 
+def test_attributeruler_rule_order(nlp):
+    a = AttributeRuler(nlp.vocab)
+    patterns = [
+        {
+            "patterns": [[{"TAG": "VBZ"}]],
+            "attrs": {"POS": "VERB"},
+        },
+        {
+            "patterns": [[{"TAG": "VBZ"}]],
+            "attrs": {"POS": "NOUN"},
+        },
+    ]
+    a.add_patterns(patterns)
+    doc = get_doc(
+        nlp.vocab,
+        words=["This", "is", "a", "test", "."],
+        tags=["DT", "VBZ", "DT", "NN", "."]
+    )
+    doc = a(doc)
+    assert doc[1].pos_ == "NOUN"
+
+
 def test_attributeruler_tag_map(nlp, tag_map):
     a = AttributeRuler(nlp.vocab)
     a.load_from_tag_map(tag_map)
@@ -215,6 +237,7 @@ def test_attributeruler_serialize(nlp, pattern_dicts):
     assert a.to_bytes() == a_reloaded.to_bytes()
     doc1 = a_reloaded(nlp.make_doc(text))
     numpy.array_equal(doc.to_array(attrs), doc1.to_array(attrs))
+    assert a.patterns == a_reloaded.patterns
 
     # disk roundtrip
     with make_tempdir() as tmp_dir:
@@ -223,3 +246,4 @@ def test_attributeruler_serialize(nlp, pattern_dicts):
         doc2 = nlp2(text)
         assert nlp2.get_pipe("attribute_ruler").to_bytes() == a.to_bytes()
         assert numpy.array_equal(doc.to_array(attrs), doc2.to_array(attrs))
+        assert a.patterns == nlp2.get_pipe("attribute_ruler").patterns