diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index 2d9e7675a6..7095f78058 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ int replace_each_worktree_head_symref(const char *oldref, const char *newref,
 				      const char *logmsg)
 {
 	int ret = 0;
-	struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; worktrees[i]; i++) {
diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 99633ad004..e82301fb1b 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ static void print_current_branch_name(void)
 
 static void reject_rebase_or_bisect_branch(const char *target)
 {
-	struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; worktrees[i]; i++) {
diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index ee4aef6a35..5e39f61885 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ int cmd_config(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		given_config_source.file = git_pathdup("config");
 		given_config_source.scope = CONFIG_SCOPE_LOCAL;
 	} else if (use_worktree_config) {
-		struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+		struct worktree **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 		if (repository_format_worktree_config)
 			given_config_source.file = git_pathdup("config.worktree");
 		else if (worktrees[0] && worktrees[1])
diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index b2cef01389..37aa07da78 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ static void get_default_heads(void)
 
 	for_each_rawref(fsck_handle_ref, NULL);
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	for (p = worktrees; *p; p++) {
 		struct worktree *wt = *p;
 		struct strbuf ref = STRBUF_INIT;
diff --git a/builtin/reflog.c b/builtin/reflog.c
index 52ecf6d43c..ca1d8079f3 100644
--- a/builtin/reflog.c
+++ b/builtin/reflog.c
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ static int cmd_reflog_expire(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		int i;
 
 		memset(&collected, 0, sizeof(collected));
-		worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+		worktrees = get_worktrees();
 		for (p = worktrees; *p; p++) {
 			if (!all_worktrees && !(*p)->is_current)
 				continue;
diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
index 1238b6bab1..f0cbdef718 100644
--- a/builtin/worktree.c
+++ b/builtin/worktree.c
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ static int add_worktree(const char *path, const char *refname,
 	struct strbuf sb_name = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct worktree **worktrees;
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	check_candidate_path(path, opts->force, worktrees, "add");
 	free_worktrees(worktrees);
 	worktrees = NULL;
@@ -697,6 +697,23 @@ 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;
@@ -710,9 +727,12 @@ 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();
 		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);
 
@@ -741,7 +761,7 @@ static int lock_worktree(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 	if (ac != 1)
 		usage_with_options(worktree_usage, options);
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	wt = find_worktree(worktrees, prefix, av[0]);
 	if (!wt)
 		die(_("'%s' is not a working tree"), av[0]);
@@ -774,7 +794,7 @@ static int unlock_worktree(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 	if (ac != 1)
 		usage_with_options(worktree_usage, options);
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	wt = find_worktree(worktrees, prefix, av[0]);
 	if (!wt)
 		die(_("'%s' is not a working tree"), av[0]);
@@ -848,7 +868,7 @@ static int move_worktree(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 	strbuf_addstr(&dst, path);
 	free(path);
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	wt = find_worktree(worktrees, prefix, av[0]);
 	if (!wt)
 		die(_("'%s' is not a working tree"), av[0]);
@@ -974,7 +994,7 @@ static int remove_worktree(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 	if (ac != 1)
 		usage_with_options(worktree_usage, options);
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	wt = find_worktree(worktrees, prefix, av[0]);
 	if (!wt)
 		die(_("'%s' is not a working tree"), av[0]);
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index bf7b70299b..8447cb09be 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -1579,7 +1579,7 @@ static void lazy_init_worktree_map(void)
 	if (ref_to_worktree_map.worktrees)
 		return;
 
-	ref_to_worktree_map.worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	ref_to_worktree_map.worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	hashmap_init(&(ref_to_worktree_map.map), ref_to_worktree_map_cmpfnc, NULL, 0);
 	populate_worktree_map(&(ref_to_worktree_map.map), ref_to_worktree_map.worktrees);
 }
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 32be93f404..223e99db5d 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -1609,7 +1609,7 @@ static void add_other_reflogs_to_pending(struct all_refs_cb *cb)
 {
 	struct worktree **worktrees, **p;
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	for (p = worktrees; *p; p++) {
 		struct worktree *wt = *p;
 
@@ -1697,7 +1697,7 @@ void add_index_objects_to_pending(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int flags)
 	if (revs->single_worktree)
 		return;
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	for (p = worktrees; *p; p++) {
 		struct worktree *wt = *p;
 		struct index_state istate = { NULL };
diff --git a/t/helper/test-ref-store.c b/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
index 799fc00aa1..759e69dc54 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static const char **get_store(const char **argv, struct ref_store **refs)
 
 		*refs = get_submodule_ref_store(gitdir);
 	} else if (skip_prefix(argv[0], "worktree:", &gitdir)) {
-		struct worktree **p, **worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+		struct worktree **p, **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 
 		for (p = worktrees; *p; p++) {
 			struct worktree *wt = *p;
diff --git a/worktree.c b/worktree.c
index ee82235f26..ff9b7d847f 100644
--- a/worktree.c
+++ b/worktree.c
@@ -123,14 +123,7 @@ 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 **get_worktrees(void)
 {
 	struct worktree **list = NULL;
 	struct strbuf path = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -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;
 }
@@ -418,7 +404,7 @@ const struct worktree *find_shared_symref(const char *symref,
 
 	if (worktrees)
 		free_worktrees(worktrees);
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 
 	for (i = 0; worktrees[i]; i++) {
 		struct worktree *wt = worktrees[i];
@@ -577,7 +563,7 @@ int other_head_refs(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 	struct worktree **worktrees, **p;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	worktrees = get_worktrees(0);
+	worktrees = get_worktrees();
 	for (p = worktrees; *p; p++) {
 		struct worktree *wt = *p;
 		struct object_id oid;
diff --git a/worktree.h b/worktree.h
index d242a6e71c..516744c433 100644
--- a/worktree.h
+++ b/worktree.h
@@ -18,19 +18,14 @@ 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);
+struct worktree **get_worktrees(void);
 
 /*
  * Returns 1 if linked worktrees exist, 0 otherwise.