diff --git a/src/env_file_helper.py b/src/env_file_helper.py
index 80f4d31..5c9440d 100644
--- a/src/env_file_helper.py
+++ b/src/env_file_helper.py
@@ -18,34 +18,39 @@ class DependencyRule(NamedTuple):
     dependency: str
 
 
-def _is_rule_satisfied(in_list: list, rule: DependencyRule) -> tuple[bool, int]:
-    child_indices = [index for index, element in enumerate(in_list) if element.env_type == rule.child]
+def _get_indices_with_string(in_list: list[EnvFile], string: str) -> list[int]:
+    return [index for index, element in enumerate(in_list) if element.env_type == string]
+
+
+def _swap_item_with_previous(in_list: list[EnvFile], index: int):
+    """swaps item at index N with item at index N-1"""
+    assert index > 0, "cannot swap with negative index"
+    in_list[index], in_list[index - 1] = in_list[index - 1], in_list[index]
+
+
+def _is_rule_satisfied(in_list: list[EnvFile], rule: DependencyRule) -> bool:
+    child_indices = _get_indices_with_string(in_list, rule.child)
+    parent_indices = _get_indices_with_string(in_list, rule.dependency)
     child_index = min(child_indices)
-    # child_index = in_list.index(rule.child)
-    parent_indices = [index for index, element in enumerate(in_list) if element.env_type == rule.dependency]
-    parent_index = max(parent_indices)
-    # parent_index = in_list.index(rule.dependency)
-    return parent_index < child_index, parent_index
+    results: list[bool] = []
+    for child_index in child_indices:
+        for parent_index in parent_indices:
+            if parent_index < child_index:
+                results.append(True)
+            else:
+                _swap_item_with_previous(in_list, parent_index)
+                results.append(False)
+    return all(results)
 
 
 def sort_env_files_by_rule(env_list: list[EnvFile], rules: list[DependencyRule]) -> list[EnvFile]:
     in_list = env_list.copy()
 
-    def swap_item_with_previous(in_list: list[EnvFile], index: int):
-        """swaps item at index N with item at index N-1"""
-        assert index > 0, "cannot swap with negative index"
-        in_list[index], in_list[index - 1] = in_list[index - 1], in_list[index]
-
     for _ in range(10_000):
         rule_satisfied: list[bool] = []
         for rule in rules:
-            is_rule_satisfied, parent_index = _is_rule_satisfied(in_list, rule)
-            if is_rule_satisfied:
-                rule_satisfied.append(True)
-            else:
-                rule_satisfied.append(False)
-                # parent_index = in_list.index(rule.dependency)
-                swap_item_with_previous(in_list, parent_index)
+            rule_satisfied.append(_is_rule_satisfied(in_list, rule))
+
         if all(rule_satisfied):
             return in_list
     logger.error("could not find order that satisfys all rules")