diff --git a/pubsub/subscription.go b/pubsub/subscription.go
index d228ed12c33..5fa080724a3 100644
--- a/pubsub/subscription.go
+++ b/pubsub/subscription.go
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ type Subscription struct {
 	mu            sync.Mutex
 	receiveActive bool
 
-	once           sync.Once
 	enableOrdering bool
 }
 
@@ -785,6 +784,8 @@ func (s *Subscription) Receive(ctx context.Context, f func(context.Context, *Mes
 	s.mu.Unlock()
 	defer func() { s.mu.Lock(); s.receiveActive = false; s.mu.Unlock() }()
 
+	s.checkOrdering()
+
 	maxCount := s.ReceiveSettings.MaxOutstandingMessages
 	if maxCount == 0 {
 		maxCount = DefaultReceiveSettings.MaxOutstandingMessages
@@ -897,9 +898,6 @@ func (s *Subscription) Receive(ctx context.Context, f func(context.Context, *Mes
 				}
 				for i, msg := range msgs {
 					msg := msg
-					if msg.OrderingKey != "" {
-						s.once.Do(s.checkOrdering)
-					}
 					// TODO(jba): call acquire closer to when the message is allocated.
 					if err := fc.acquire(ctx, len(msg.Data)); err != nil {
 						// TODO(jba): test that these "orphaned" messages are nacked immediately when ctx is done.