diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/widgets/traces.py b/src/spikeinterface/widgets/traces.py
index 2783b6a369..802f90c62a 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/widgets/traces.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/widgets/traces.py
@@ -88,6 +88,26 @@ def __init__(
         else:
             raise ValueError("plot_traces recording must be recording or dict or list")
 
+        if "location" in rec0.get_property_keys():
+            channel_locations = rec0.get_channel_locations()
+        else:
+            channel_locations = None
+
+        if order_channel_by_depth and channel_locations is not None:
+            from ..preprocessing import depth_order
+            rec0 = depth_order(rec0)
+            recordings = {k: depth_order(rec) for k, rec in recordings.items()}
+
+            if channel_ids is not None:
+                # ensure that channel_ids are in the good order
+                channel_ids_ = list(rec0.channel_ids)
+                order = np.argsort([channel_ids_.index(c) for c in channel_ids])
+                channel_ids = list(np.array(channel_ids)[order])
+
+        if channel_ids is None:
+            channel_ids = rec0.channel_ids
+
+
         layer_keys = list(recordings.keys())
 
         if segment_index is None:
@@ -95,19 +115,6 @@ def __init__(
                 raise ValueError("You must provide segment_index=...")
             segment_index = 0
 
-        if channel_ids is None:
-            channel_ids = rec0.channel_ids
-
-        if "location" in rec0.get_property_keys():
-            channel_locations = rec0.get_channel_locations()
-        else:
-            channel_locations = None
-
-        if order_channel_by_depth:
-            if channel_locations is not None:
-                order, _ = order_channels_by_depth(rec0, channel_ids)
-        else:
-            order = None
 
         fs = rec0.get_sampling_frequency()
         if time_range is None:
@@ -124,7 +131,7 @@ def __init__(
         cmap = cmap
 
         times, list_traces, frame_range, channel_ids = _get_trace_list(
-            recordings, channel_ids, time_range, segment_index, order, return_scaled
+            recordings, channel_ids, time_range, segment_index, return_scaled=return_scaled
         )
 
         # stat for auto scaling done on the first layer
@@ -202,7 +209,6 @@ def __init__(
             show_channel_ids=show_channel_ids,
             add_legend=add_legend,
             order_channel_by_depth=order_channel_by_depth,
-            order=order,
             tile_size=tile_size,
             num_timepoints_per_row=int(seconds_per_row * fs),
             return_scaled=return_scaled,
@@ -337,7 +343,7 @@ def plot_ipywidgets(self, data_plot, **backend_kwargs):
         )
         self.scaler = ScaleWidget()
         self.channel_selector = ChannelSelector(self.rec0.channel_ids)
-        self.channel_selector.value = data_plot["channel_ids"]
+        self.channel_selector.value = list(data_plot["channel_ids"])
 
         left_sidebar = W.VBox(
             children=[
@@ -400,17 +406,17 @@ def _mode_changed(self, change=None):
     def _retrieve_traces(self, change=None):
         channel_ids = np.array(self.channel_selector.value)
 
-        if self.data_plot["order_channel_by_depth"]:
-            order, _ = order_channels_by_depth(self.rec0, channel_ids)
-        else:
-            order = None
+        # if self.data_plot["order_channel_by_depth"]:
+        #     order, _ = order_channels_by_depth(self.rec0, channel_ids)
+        # else:
+        #     order = None
 
         start_frame, end_frame, segment_index = self.time_slider.value
         time_range = np.array([start_frame, end_frame]) / self.rec0.sampling_frequency
 
         self._selected_recordings = {k: self.recordings[k] for k in self._get_layers()}
         times, list_traces, frame_range, channel_ids = _get_trace_list(
-            self._selected_recordings, channel_ids, time_range, segment_index, order, self.return_scaled
+            self._selected_recordings, channel_ids, time_range, segment_index, return_scaled=self.return_scaled
         )
 
         self._channel_ids = channel_ids
@@ -525,7 +531,7 @@ def plot_ephyviewer(self, data_plot, **backend_kwargs):
         app.exec()
 
 
-def _get_trace_list(recordings, channel_ids, time_range, segment_index, order=None, return_scaled=False):
+def _get_trace_list(recordings, channel_ids, time_range, segment_index, return_scaled=False):
     # function also used in ipywidgets plotter
     k0 = list(recordings.keys())[0]
     rec0 = recordings[k0]
@@ -552,11 +558,11 @@ def _get_trace_list(recordings, channel_ids, time_range, segment_index, order=No
             return_scaled=return_scaled,
         )
 
-        if order is not None:
-            traces = traces[:, order]
+        # if order is not None:
+        #     traces = traces[:, order]
         list_traces.append(traces)
 
-    if order is not None:
-        channel_ids = np.array(channel_ids)[order]
+    # if order is not None:
+    #     channel_ids = np.array(channel_ids)[order]
 
     return times, list_traces, frame_range, channel_ids