diff --git a/src/pub_sub_stream/dc_stats.hh b/src/pub_sub_stream/dc_stats.hh
index db14b9a3f0872efe2b145198fa9816acdd6f41f9..35e342773508608fd8d63ec6039f9f964434d214 100644
--- a/src/pub_sub_stream/dc_stats.hh
+++ b/src/pub_sub_stream/dc_stats.hh
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@ public:
     }
 
 private:
+    /*!
+     * @brief sort the channels in a way that is compatible with daqd
+     */
+    void sort_channels( );
+
     dc_queue::value_type get_message( simple_pv_handle epics_server );
 
     int process_channel( int&              ini_file_dcu_id,