diff --git a/src/cgtop/cgtop.c b/src/cgtop/cgtop.c
index 9b56af7bebd..60d550c5190 100644
--- a/src/cgtop/cgtop.c
+++ b/src/cgtop/cgtop.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "process-util.h"
 #include "procfs-util.h"
 #include "sort-util.h"
+#include "string-table.h"
 #include "terminal-util.h"
 #include "time-util.h"
 #include "virt.h"
@@ -54,6 +55,16 @@ typedef enum PidsCount {
         COUNT_PIDS,                     /* most, requires pids controller */
 } PidsCount;
 
+typedef enum {
+        ORDER_PATH,
+        ORDER_TASKS,
+        ORDER_CPU,
+        ORDER_MEMORY,
+        ORDER_IO,
+        _ORDER_MAX,
+        _ORDER_INVALID = -EINVAL,
+} Order;
+
 static unsigned arg_depth = 3;
 static unsigned arg_iterations = UINT_MAX;
 static bool arg_batch = false;
@@ -63,22 +74,24 @@ static char* arg_machine = NULL;
 static char* arg_root = NULL;
 static bool arg_recursive = true;
 static bool arg_recursive_unset = false;
-
 static PidsCount arg_count = COUNT_PIDS;
-
-static enum {
-        ORDER_PATH,
-        ORDER_TASKS,
-        ORDER_CPU,
-        ORDER_MEMORY,
-        ORDER_IO,
-} arg_order = ORDER_CPU;
+static Order arg_order = ORDER_CPU;
 
 static enum {
         CPU_PERCENT,
         CPU_TIME,
 } arg_cpu_type = CPU_PERCENT;
 
+static const char *order_table[_ORDER_MAX] = {
+        [ORDER_PATH]   = "path",
+        [ORDER_TASKS]  = "tasks",
+        [ORDER_CPU]    = "cpu",
+        [ORDER_MEMORY] = "memory",
+        [ORDER_IO]     = "io",
+};
+
+DEFINE_PRIVATE_STRING_TABLE_LOOKUP_FROM_STRING(order, Order);
+
 static Group *group_free(Group *g) {
         if (!g)
                 return NULL;
@@ -557,6 +570,12 @@ static int group_compare(Group * const *a, Group * const *b) {
                         return -1;
                 else if (y->io_valid)
                         return 1;
+
+                break;
+
+        case _ORDER_MAX:
+        case _ORDER_INVALID:
+                assert_not_reached();
         }
 
         return path_compare(x->path, y->path);
@@ -810,18 +829,9 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         break;
 
                 case ARG_ORDER:
-                        if (streq(optarg, "path"))
-                                arg_order = ORDER_PATH;
-                        else if (streq(optarg, "tasks"))
-                                arg_order = ORDER_TASKS;
-                        else if (streq(optarg, "cpu"))
-                                arg_order = ORDER_CPU;
-                        else if (streq(optarg, "memory"))
-                                arg_order = ORDER_MEMORY;
-                        else if (streq(optarg, "io"))
-                                arg_order = ORDER_IO;
-                        else
-                                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
+                        arg_order = order_from_string(optarg);
+                        if (arg_order < 0)
+                                return log_error_errno(arg_order,
                                                        "Invalid argument to --order=: %s",
                                                        optarg);
                         break;