diff --git a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
index 7be551d..6a76caa 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
+++ b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
@@ -167,8 +167,7 @@ struct pkgconf_pkg_ {
 	pkgconf_tuple_t *prefix;
 
 	uint64_t serial;
-
-	size_t hits;
+	uint64_t identifier;
 };
 
 typedef bool (*pkgconf_pkg_iteration_func_t)(const pkgconf_pkg_t *pkg, void *data);
@@ -204,6 +203,7 @@ struct pkgconf_client_ {
 	bool already_sent_notice;
 
 	uint64_t serial;
+	uint64_t identifier;
 
 	pkgconf_pkg_t **cache_table;
 	size_t cache_count;
diff --git a/libpkgconf/pkg.c b/libpkgconf/pkg.c
index 40565a4..1897600 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/pkg.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/pkg.c
@@ -1494,7 +1494,7 @@ pkgconf_pkg_walk_list(pkgconf_client_t *client,
 
 		if (pkgdep->serial == client->serial && !(parent->flags & PKGCONF_PKG_PROPF_VIRTUAL))
 		{
-			pkgdep->hits++;
+			pkgdep->identifier = ++client->identifier;
 
 			/* In this case we have a circular reference.
 			 * We break that by deleteing the circular node from the
@@ -1523,7 +1523,7 @@ pkgconf_pkg_walk_list(pkgconf_client_t *client,
 
 		pkgconf_audit_log_dependency(client, pkgdep, depnode);
 
-		pkgdep->hits++;
+		pkgdep->identifier = ++client->identifier;
 		pkgdep->serial = client->serial;
 		eflags |= pkgconf_pkg_traverse_main(client, pkgdep, func, data, depth - 1, skip_flags);
 next:
diff --git a/libpkgconf/queue.c b/libpkgconf/queue.c
index d7c768b..3e515ff 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/queue.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/queue.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ dep_sort_cmp(const void *a, const void *b)
 	const pkgconf_dependency_t *depA = *(void **) a;
 	const pkgconf_dependency_t *depB = *(void **) b;
 
-	return depB->match->hits - depA->match->hits;
+	return depB->match->identifier - depA->match->identifier;
 }
 
 static inline void
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ next:
 		memset(&dep->iter, '\0', sizeof (dep->iter));
 		pkgconf_node_insert(&dep->iter, dep, list);
 
-		PKGCONF_TRACE(client, "slot "SIZE_FMT_SPECIFIER": dep %s matched to %p<%s> hits "SIZE_FMT_SPECIFIER, i, dep->package, dep->match, dep->match->id, dep->match->hits);
+		PKGCONF_TRACE(client, "slot "SIZE_FMT_SPECIFIER": dep %s matched to %p<%s> id "SIZE_FMT_SPECIFIER, i, dep->package, dep->match, dep->match->id, dep->match->identifier);
 	}
 
 	free(deps);