diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/AbstractGetCodeOwnersForPath.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/AbstractGetCodeOwnersForPath.java
index 3dd3ab9..7a010e7 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/AbstractGetCodeOwnersForPath.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/AbstractGetCodeOwnersForPath.java
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@
     parseHexOptions();
     validateLimit();
 
+    if (!seed.isPresent()) {
+      seed = getDefaultSeed(rsrc);
+    }
+
     // The distance that applies to code owners that are defined in the root code owner
     // configuration.
     int rootDistance = rsrc.getPath().getNameCount();
@@ -250,6 +254,18 @@
     return codeOwners;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the seed that should by default be used for sorting, if none was specified on the
+   * request.
+   *
+   * <p>If {@link Optional#empty()} is returned, a random seed will be used.
+   *
+   * @param rsrc resource on which the request is being performed
+   */
+  protected Optional<Long> getDefaultSeed(R rsrc) {
+    return Optional.empty();
+  }
+
   private Stream<CodeOwner> getVisibleCodeOwners(R rsrc, ImmutableSet<CodeOwner> allCodeOwners) {
     return allCodeOwners.stream()
         .filter(
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/GetCodeOwnersForPathInChange.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/GetCodeOwnersForPathInChange.java
index 0e6e2fa..784d42b 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/GetCodeOwnersForPathInChange.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/restapi/GetCodeOwnersForPathInChange.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.google.inject.Provider;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
@@ -78,6 +79,12 @@
   }
 
   @Override
+  protected Optional<Long> getDefaultSeed(CodeOwnersInChangeCollection.PathResource rsrc) {
+    // use the change number as seed so that the sort order for a change is always stable
+    return Optional.of(Long.valueOf(rsrc.getRevisionResource().getChange().getId().get()));
+  }
+
+  @Override
   protected Stream<CodeOwner> filterCodeOwners(
       CodeOwnersInChangeCollection.PathResource rsrc, Stream<CodeOwner> codeOwners) {
     return codeOwners.filter(filterOutChangeOwner(rsrc)).filter(filterOutServiceUsers());
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/AbstractGetCodeOwnersForPathIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/AbstractGetCodeOwnersForPathIT.java
index 6e14d21..b5d874f 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/AbstractGetCodeOwnersForPathIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/AbstractGetCodeOwnersForPathIT.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 import static com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend.REGISTERED_USERS;
 import static com.google.gerrit.testing.GerritJUnit.assertThrows;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toList;
-import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.TestAccount;
@@ -478,63 +477,6 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void getCodeOwnersOrderNotDefinedIfCodeOwnersHaveTheSameScoring() throws Exception {
-    TestAccount user2 = accountCreator.user2();
-    TestAccount user3 = accountCreator.create("user3", "user3@example.com", "User3", null);
-    TestAccount user4 = accountCreator.create("user4", "user4@example.com", "User4", null);
-
-    codeOwnerConfigOperations
-        .newCodeOwnerConfig()
-        .project(project)
-        .branch("master")
-        .folderPath("/")
-        .addCodeOwnerEmail(admin.email())
-        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user2.email())
-        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user3.email())
-        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user4.email())
-        .create();
-
-    codeOwnerConfigOperations
-        .newCodeOwnerConfig()
-        .project(project)
-        .branch("master")
-        .folderPath("/foo/")
-        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user.email())
-        .create();
-
-    List<CodeOwnerInfo> codeOwnerInfos = queryCodeOwners("/foo/bar.md");
-    assertThat(codeOwnerInfos)
-        .comparingElementsUsing(hasAccountId())
-        .containsExactly(admin.id(), user.id(), user2.id(), user3.id(), user4.id());
-
-    // The first code owner in the result should be user as user has the best distance score.
-    assertThatList(codeOwnerInfos).element(0).hasAccountIdThat().isEqualTo(user.id());
-
-    // The order of the other code owners is random since they have the same score.
-    // Check that the order of the code owners with the same score is different for further requests
-    // at least once.
-    List<Account.Id> accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1 =
-        codeOwnerInfos.stream().map(info -> Account.id(info.account._accountId)).collect(toList());
-    boolean foundOtherOrder = false;
-    for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
-      codeOwnerInfos = queryCodeOwners("/foo/bar.md");
-      List<Account.Id> accountIdsInRetrievedOrder2 =
-          codeOwnerInfos.stream()
-              .map(info -> Account.id(info.account._accountId))
-              .collect(toList());
-      if (!accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1.equals(accountIdsInRetrievedOrder2)) {
-        foundOtherOrder = true;
-        break;
-      }
-    }
-    if (!foundOtherOrder) {
-      fail(
-          String.format(
-              "expected different order, but order was always %s", accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1));
-    }
-  }
-
-  @Test
   public void getCodeOwnersIsLimitedByDefault() throws Exception {
     // Create a code owner config that has more code owners than the number of code owners which are
     // returned by default.
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/GetCodeOwnersForPathInBranchIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/GetCodeOwnersForPathInBranchIT.java
index 341beaf..2e14b98 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/GetCodeOwnersForPathInBranchIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/GetCodeOwnersForPathInBranchIT.java
@@ -15,13 +15,17 @@
 package com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.api;
 
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
+import static com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.testing.CodeOwnerInfoSubject.assertThatList;
 import static com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.testing.CodeOwnerInfoSubject.hasAccountId;
 import static com.google.gerrit.testing.GerritJUnit.assertThrows;
+import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toList;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.TestAccount;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.config.GerritConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.group.GroupOperations;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.project.ProjectOperations;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.Account;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.AccountGroup;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.RefNames;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.BadRequestException;
@@ -54,6 +58,63 @@
   }
 
   @Test
+  public void getCodeOwnersOrderNotDefinedIfCodeOwnersHaveTheSameScoring() throws Exception {
+    TestAccount user2 = accountCreator.user2();
+    TestAccount user3 = accountCreator.create("user3", "user3@example.com", "User3", null);
+    TestAccount user4 = accountCreator.create("user4", "user4@example.com", "User4", null);
+
+    codeOwnerConfigOperations
+        .newCodeOwnerConfig()
+        .project(project)
+        .branch("master")
+        .folderPath("/")
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(admin.email())
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user2.email())
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user3.email())
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user4.email())
+        .create();
+
+    codeOwnerConfigOperations
+        .newCodeOwnerConfig()
+        .project(project)
+        .branch("master")
+        .folderPath("/foo/")
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user.email())
+        .create();
+
+    List<CodeOwnerInfo> codeOwnerInfos = queryCodeOwners("/foo/bar.md");
+    assertThat(codeOwnerInfos)
+        .comparingElementsUsing(hasAccountId())
+        .containsExactly(admin.id(), user.id(), user2.id(), user3.id(), user4.id());
+
+    // The first code owner in the result should be user as user has the best distance score.
+    assertThatList(codeOwnerInfos).element(0).hasAccountIdThat().isEqualTo(user.id());
+
+    // The order of the other code owners is random since they have the same score.
+    // Check that the order of the code owners with the same score is different for further requests
+    // at least once.
+    List<Account.Id> accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1 =
+        codeOwnerInfos.stream().map(info -> Account.id(info.account._accountId)).collect(toList());
+    boolean foundOtherOrder = false;
+    for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+      codeOwnerInfos = queryCodeOwners("/foo/bar.md");
+      List<Account.Id> accountIdsInRetrievedOrder2 =
+          codeOwnerInfos.stream()
+              .map(info -> Account.id(info.account._accountId))
+              .collect(toList());
+      if (!accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1.equals(accountIdsInRetrievedOrder2)) {
+        foundOtherOrder = true;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    if (!foundOtherOrder) {
+      fail(
+          String.format(
+              "expected different order, but order was always %s", accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1));
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Test
   public void getCodeOwnersForRevision() throws Exception {
     // Create an initial code owner config that only has 'admin' as code owner.
     CodeOwnerConfig.Key codeOwnerConfigKey =
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/GetCodeOwnersForPathInChangeIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/GetCodeOwnersForPathInChangeIT.java
index 27587e2..b74df75 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/GetCodeOwnersForPathInChangeIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/GetCodeOwnersForPathInChangeIT.java
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@
 
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertWithMessage;
+import static com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.testing.CodeOwnerInfoSubject.assertThatList;
 import static com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.testing.CodeOwnerInfoSubject.hasAccountId;
 import static com.google.gerrit.testing.GerritJUnit.assertThrows;
+import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toList;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toMap;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.PushOneCommit;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.TestAccount;
@@ -26,6 +29,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.group.GroupOperations;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.project.ProjectOperations;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.request.RequestScopeOperations;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.Account;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.AccountGroup;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.BadRequestException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
@@ -97,6 +101,58 @@
   }
 
   @Test
+  public void getCodeOwnersOrderIsAlwaysTheSameIfCodeOwnersHaveTheSameScoring() throws Exception {
+    TestAccount user2 = accountCreator.user2();
+    TestAccount user3 = accountCreator.create("user3", "user3@example.com", "User3", null);
+    TestAccount user4 = accountCreator.create("user4", "user4@example.com", "User4", null);
+
+    codeOwnerConfigOperations
+        .newCodeOwnerConfig()
+        .project(project)
+        .branch("master")
+        .folderPath("/")
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(admin.email())
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user2.email())
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user3.email())
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user4.email())
+        .create();
+
+    codeOwnerConfigOperations
+        .newCodeOwnerConfig()
+        .project(project)
+        .branch("master")
+        .folderPath("/foo/")
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user.email())
+        .create();
+
+    List<CodeOwnerInfo> codeOwnerInfos = queryCodeOwners("/foo/bar.md");
+    assertThat(codeOwnerInfos)
+        .comparingElementsUsing(hasAccountId())
+        .containsExactly(admin.id(), user.id(), user2.id(), user3.id(), user4.id());
+
+    // The first code owner in the result should be user as user has the best distance score.
+    assertThatList(codeOwnerInfos).element(0).hasAccountIdThat().isEqualTo(user.id());
+
+    // The order of the other code owners is random since they have the same score.
+    // Check that the order of the code owners with the same score is the same for further requests.
+    List<Account.Id> accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1 =
+        codeOwnerInfos.stream().map(info -> Account.id(info.account._accountId)).collect(toList());
+    for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+      codeOwnerInfos = queryCodeOwners("/foo/bar.md");
+      List<Account.Id> accountIdsInRetrievedOrder2 =
+          codeOwnerInfos.stream()
+              .map(info -> Account.id(info.account._accountId))
+              .collect(toList());
+      if (!accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1.equals(accountIdsInRetrievedOrder2)) {
+        fail(
+            String.format(
+                "expected always the same order %s, but order was different %s",
+                accountIdsInRetrievedOrder1, accountIdsInRetrievedOrder2));
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Test
   public void getCodeOwnersForDeletedFile() throws Exception {
     codeOwnerConfigOperations
         .newCodeOwnerConfig()
diff --git a/resources/Documentation/rest-api.md b/resources/Documentation/rest-api.md
index c93adc0..f7b536a 100644
--- a/resources/Documentation/rest-api.md
+++ b/resources/Documentation/rest-api.md
@@ -568,6 +568,10 @@
 * service users (members of the `Service Users` group)
 * the change owner (since the change owner cannot be added as reviewer)
 
+In addition, by default the change number is used as seed if none was specified.
+This way the sort order on a change is always the same for files that have the
+exact same code owners (requires that the limit is the same on all requests).
+
 ### <a id="check-code-owner-config-files-in-revision">Check Code Owner Config Files In Revision
 _'POST /changes/[\{change-id}](../../../Documentation/rest-api-changes.html#change-id)/revisions/[\{revison-id\}](../../../Documentation/rest-api-changes.html#revision-id)/code_owners.check_config'_