diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
index 4dec3951dc..c20e4ce089 100644
--- a/builtin/worktree.c
+++ b/builtin/worktree.c
@@ -694,6 +694,23 @@ static void measure_widths(struct worktree **wt, int *abbrev, int *maxlen)
 	}
 }
 
+static int pathcmp(const void *a_, const void *b_)
+{
+	const struct worktree *const *a = a_;
+	const struct worktree *const *b = b_;
+	return fspathcmp((*a)->path, (*b)->path);
+}
+
+static void pathsort(struct worktree **wt)
+{
+	int n = 0;
+	struct worktree **p = wt;
+
+	while (*p++)
+		n++;
+	QSORT(wt, n, pathcmp);
+}
+
 static int list(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int porcelain = 0;
@@ -707,9 +724,12 @@ static int list(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 	if (ac)
 		usage_with_options(worktree_usage, options);
 	else {
-		struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees(GWT_SORT_LINKED);
+		struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
 		int path_maxlen = 0, abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV, i;
 
+		/* sort worktrees by path but keep main worktree at top */
+		pathsort(worktrees + 1);
+
 		if (!porcelain)
 			measure_widths(worktrees, &abbrev, &path_maxlen);
 
diff --git a/worktree.c b/worktree.c
index eba4fd3a03..42cabc5403 100644
--- a/worktree.c
+++ b/worktree.c
@@ -123,13 +123,6 @@ static void mark_current_worktree(struct worktree **worktrees)
 	free(git_dir);
 }
 
-static int compare_worktree(const void *a_, const void *b_)
-{
-	const struct worktree *const *a = a_;
-	const struct worktree *const *b = b_;
-	return fspathcmp((*a)->path, (*b)->path);
-}
-
 struct worktree **get_worktrees(unsigned flags)
 {
 	struct worktree **list = NULL;
@@ -161,13 +154,6 @@ struct worktree **get_worktrees(unsigned flags)
 	ALLOC_GROW(list, counter + 1, alloc);
 	list[counter] = NULL;
 
-	if (flags & GWT_SORT_LINKED)
-		/*
-		 * don't sort the first item (main worktree), which will
-		 * always be the first
-		 */
-		QSORT(list + 1, counter - 1, compare_worktree);
-
 	mark_current_worktree(list);
 	return list;
 }
diff --git a/worktree.h b/worktree.h
index d242a6e71c..bd2235abe0 100644
--- a/worktree.h
+++ b/worktree.h
@@ -18,17 +18,12 @@ struct worktree {
 	int lock_reason_valid; /* private */
 };
 
-/* Functions for acting on the information about worktrees. */
-
-#define GWT_SORT_LINKED (1 << 0) /* keeps linked worktrees sorted */
-
 /*
  * Get the worktrees.  The primary worktree will always be the first returned,
- * and linked worktrees will be pointed to by 'next' in each subsequent
- * worktree.  No specific ordering is done on the linked worktrees.
+ * and linked worktrees will follow in no particular order.
  *
  * The caller is responsible for freeing the memory from the returned
- * worktree(s).
+ * worktrees by calling free_worktrees().
  */
 struct worktree **get_worktrees(unsigned flags);