diff --git a/netjsonconfig/backends/base/converter.py b/netjsonconfig/backends/base/converter.py
index 6dd651a19..ed3bc84c5 100644
--- a/netjsonconfig/backends/base/converter.py
+++ b/netjsonconfig/backends/base/converter.py
@@ -88,12 +88,13 @@ def to_intermediate_loop(self, block, result, index=None):  # pragma: nocover
 
     def to_netjson(self, remove_block=True):
         """
-        Converts the intermediate data structure (``self.intermediate_datra``)
+        Converts the intermediate data structure (``self.intermediate_data``)
         to a NetJSON configuration dictionary (``self.config``)
         """
         result = OrderedDict()
-        # Clean intermediate data
-        intermediate_data = self.clean_intermediate_data(list(self.intermediate_data[self.intermediate_key]))
+        # clean intermediate data
+        intermediate_data = self.to_netjson_clean(self.intermediate_data[self.intermediate_key])
+        # intermediate_data = list(self.intermediate_data[self.intermediate_key])
         # iterate over copied intermediate data structure
         for index, block in enumerate(intermediate_data):
             if self.should_skip_block(block):
@@ -109,18 +110,13 @@ def to_netjson(self, remove_block=True):
         # return result, expects dict
         return result
 
-    def clean_intermediate_data(self, intermediate_data):
-        """
-        Utility method called to clean data for backend in ``to_netjson``
-        """
-        clean_intermediate_data, appendto_clean_intermediate_data = [], []
-        for block in intermediate_data:
-            if '.type' in block and block['.type'] == 'switch_vlan':
-                appendto_clean_intermediate_data.append(block)
-            else:
-                clean_intermediate_data.append(block)
-        clean_intermediate_data.extend(appendto_clean_intermediate_data)
-        return clean_intermediate_data
+    def to_netjson_clean(self, intermediate_data):
+        """
+        Utility method called to pre-process the intermediate data structure
+        during backward conversion (``to_netjson``)
+        """
+        # returns a copy in order to avoid modifying the original structure
+        return list(intermediate_data)
 
     def to_netjson_loop(self, block, result, index=None):  # pragma: nocover
         """
diff --git a/netjsonconfig/backends/openwrt/converters/switch.py b/netjsonconfig/backends/openwrt/converters/switch.py
index 723fec453..c1e650966 100644
--- a/netjsonconfig/backends/openwrt/converters/switch.py
+++ b/netjsonconfig/backends/openwrt/converters/switch.py
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ def to_intermediate_loop(self, block, result, index=None):
         result['network'] += switch_vlan
         return result
 
+    def to_netjson_clean(self, intermediate_data):
+        reordered_data, last_items = [], []
+        for block in super().to_netjson_clean(intermediate_data):
+            if '.type' in block and block['.type'] == 'switch_vlan':
+                last_items.append(block)
+            else:
+                reordered_data.append(block)
+        reordered_data.extend(last_items)
+        return reordered_data
+
     def __intermediate_switch(self, switch):
         switch.update({
             '.type': 'switch',