diff --git a/thicket/tests/conftest.py b/thicket/tests/conftest.py
index 5c216dd0..8255a8d9 100644
--- a/thicket/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/thicket/tests/conftest.py
@@ -79,14 +79,14 @@ def stats_thicket_axis_columns(
     """
     th_cuda128_1 = Thicket.from_caliperreader(
         rajaperf_cuda_block128_1M_cali[0:4],
-        node_ordering=True,
+        node_ordering=False,
         intersection=intersection,
         fill_perfdata=fill_perfdata,
         disable_tqdm=True,
     )
     th_cuda128_2 = Thicket.from_caliperreader(
         rajaperf_cuda_block128_1M_cali[5:9],
-        node_ordering=True,
+        node_ordering=False,
         intersection=intersection,
         fill_perfdata=fill_perfdata,
         disable_tqdm=True,
diff --git a/thicket/tests/test_caliperreader.py b/thicket/tests/test_caliperreader.py
index 747319cd..97cc7941 100644
--- a/thicket/tests/test_caliperreader.py
+++ b/thicket/tests/test_caliperreader.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ def test_node_ordering_from_caliper(caliper_ordered, intersection, fill_perfdata
 
     tk = Thicket.from_caliperreader(
         caliper_ordered[0],
+        node_ordering=True,
         intersection=intersection,
         fill_perfdata=fill_perfdata,
         disable_tqdm=True,
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ def test_node_ordering_from_caliper(caliper_ordered, intersection, fill_perfdata
     # test node ordering True for multiple profiles
     tk_multi = Thicket.from_caliperreader(
         caliper_ordered,
+        node_ordering=True,
         intersection=intersection,
         fill_perfdata=fill_perfdata,
         disable_tqdm=True,
diff --git a/thicket/thicket.py b/thicket/thicket.py
index c47e887c..e277de43 100644
--- a/thicket/thicket.py
+++ b/thicket/thicket.py
@@ -443,6 +443,7 @@ def from_caliperreader(
         intersection=False,
         fill_perfdata=True,
         disable_tqdm=False,
+        node_ordering=False,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         """Helper function to read one caliper file.
@@ -453,6 +454,7 @@ def from_caliperreader(
             intersection (bool): whether to perform intersection or union (default)
             fill_perfdata (bool): whether to fill missing performance data with NaNs
             disable_tqdm (bool): whether to display tqdm progress bar
+            node_ordering (bool): whether to apply node ordering to the graph
         """
         return Thicket.reader_dispatch(
             GraphFrame.from_caliperreader,
@@ -460,6 +462,7 @@ def from_caliperreader(
             fill_perfdata,
             disable_tqdm,
             filename_or_caliperreader,
+            node_ordering=node_ordering,
             **kwargs,
         )