1 files changed, 26 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/src/nvim/eval.c b/src/nvim/eval.c
index 28f16d0e92..0ae96365b2 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval.c
+++ b/src/nvim/eval.c
@@ -13461,15 +13461,36 @@ static int item_compare(const void *s1, const void *s2)
 {
   sortItem_T  *si1, *si2;
   char_u      *p1, *p2;
-  char_u      *tofree1, *tofree2;
+  char_u      *tofree1 = NULL, *tofree2 = NULL;
   int res;
   char_u numbuf1[NUMBUFLEN];
   char_u numbuf2[NUMBUFLEN];
 
   si1 = (sortItem_T *)s1;
   si2 = (sortItem_T *)s2;
-  p1 = tv2string(&si1->item->li_tv, &tofree1, numbuf1, 0);
-  p2 = tv2string(&si2->item->li_tv, &tofree2, numbuf2, 0);
+  typval_T *tv1 = &si1->item->li_tv;
+  typval_T *tv2 = &si2->item->li_tv;
+  // tv2string() puts quotes around a string and allocates memory.  Don't do
+  // that for string variables. Use a single quote when comparing with a
+  // non-string to do what the docs promise.
+  if (tv1->v_type == VAR_STRING) {
+    if (tv2->v_type != VAR_STRING || item_compare_numeric) {
+      p1 = (char_u *)"'";
+    } else {
+      p1 = tv1->vval.v_string;
+    }
+  } else {
+    p1 = tv2string(tv1, &tofree1, numbuf1, 0);
+  }
+  if (tv2->v_type == VAR_STRING) {
+    if (tv1->v_type != VAR_STRING || item_compare_numeric) {
+      p2 = (char_u *)"'";
+    } else {
+      p2 = tv2->vval.v_string;
+    }
+  } else {
+    p2 = tv2string(tv2, &tofree2, numbuf2, 0);
+  }
   if (p1 == NULL)
     p1 = (char_u *)"";
   if (p2 == NULL)
@@ -13487,8 +13508,8 @@ static int item_compare(const void *s1, const void *s2)
     res = n1 == n2 ? 0 : n1 > n2 ? 1 : -1;
   }
 
-  // When the result would be zero, compare the pointers themselves.  Makes
-  // the sort stable.
+  // When the result would be zero, compare the item indexes.  Makes the
+  // sort stable.
   if (res == 0 && !item_compare_keep_zero) {
     res = si1->idx > si2->idx ? 1 : -1;
   }