diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/for_each_subdir_name.h b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/for_each_subdir_name.h
index 3a300f33bd..be20df8676 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/for_each_subdir_name.h
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/for_each_subdir_name.h
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@
 
 /* Genode includes */
 #include <os/vfs.h>
-
-/* local includes */
-#include <sorted_for_each.h>
+#include <util/dictionary.h>
 
 namespace Genode {
 
@@ -31,43 +29,35 @@ template <typename FN>
 static void Genode::for_each_subdir_name(Allocator &alloc, Directory const &dir,
                                          FN const &fn)
 {
-	using Dirname = Directory::Entry::Name;
+	using Name = Directory::Entry::Name;
 
-	struct Name : Interface, private Dirname
+	struct Dirname : Dictionary<Dirname, Name>::Element
 	{
-		using Dirname::string;
-
-		Name(Dirname const &name) : Dirname(name) { }
-
-		bool higher(Name const &other) const
-		{
-			return (strcmp(other.string(), string()) > 0);
-		}
+		Dirname(Dictionary<Dirname, Name> & dict, Name const & name)
+		: Dictionary<Dirname, Name>::Element(dict, name)
+		{ }
 	};
 
-	/* obtain list of sub directory names */
-	Registry<Registered<Name>> names { };
+	/* obtain dictionary of sub directory names */
+	Dictionary<Dirname, Name> names { };
 	dir.for_each_entry([&] (Directory::Entry const &entry) {
 		if (entry.dir())
-			new (alloc) Registered<Name>(names, entry.name()); });
+			new (alloc) Dirname(names, entry.name()); });
 
-	auto destroy_names = [&] ()
-	{
-		names.for_each([&] (Registered<Name> &name) {
-			destroy(alloc, &name); });
-	};
+	auto destroy_element = [&] (Dirname &element) {
+		destroy(alloc, &element); };
 
-	/* iterate over sorted list */
+	/* iterate over dictionary */
 	try {
-		sorted_for_each(alloc, names, [&] (Name const &name) {
-			fn(name.string()); });
+		names.for_each([&] (Dirname const &element) {
+			fn(element.name.string()); });
 	}
 	catch (...) {
-		destroy_names();
+		while (names.with_any_element(destroy_element)) { }
 		throw;
 	}
 
-	destroy_names();
+	while (names.with_any_element(destroy_element)) { }
 }
 
 #endif /* _FOR_EACH_SUBDIR_NAME_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/main.cc b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/main.cc
index 0d23332a93..2438c2484c 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/main.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/main.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <os/vfs.h>
 
 /* local includes */
+#include <sorted_for_each.h>
 #include <for_each_subdir_name.h>
 
 namespace Fs_query {
@@ -39,10 +40,9 @@ struct Fs_query::Watched_file
 	/**
 	 * Support for 'sorted_for_each'
 	 */
-	bool higher(Watched_file const &other) const
-	{
-		return (strcmp(other._name.string(), _name.string()) > 0);
-	}
+	using Name = File_content::Path;
+
+	Name const &name() const { return _name; }
 
 	Node_rwx const _rwx;
 
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/sorted_for_each.h b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/sorted_for_each.h
index a4f4c5dd05..ce27eae757 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/sorted_for_each.h
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/sorted_for_each.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #include <base/registry.h>
 #include <base/allocator.h>
+#include <util/dictionary.h>
 
 namespace Genode {
 	template <typename T, typename FN>
@@ -26,55 +27,52 @@ namespace Genode {
 /**
  * Execute 'fn' for each registry element
  *
- * The type T must be equipped with a method that defines the sort criterion:
+ * The type T must be equipped with a method name() and a type Name:
  *
- *   bool higher(T const &other) const
+ *   const & Name name() const
  *
- * It must implement a strict order over all registry elements. E.g., if the
- * registry contains a set of names, no name must occur twice. The allocator
- * passed as 'alloc' is used to for temporary allocations.
+ * The allocator passed as 'alloc' is used to for temporary allocations.
  */
 template <typename T, typename FN>
 static inline void Genode::sorted_for_each(Allocator         &alloc,
                                            Registry<T> const &registry,
                                            FN          const &fn)
 {
-	struct Sorted_item : Avl_node<Sorted_item>
+	using Name = T::Name;
+	struct SortedItem : Dictionary<SortedItem, Name>::Element
 	{
 		T const &element;
 
-		Sorted_item(T const &element) : element(element) { }
-
-		bool higher(Sorted_item const *item) const
-		{
-			return item ? element.higher(item->element) : false;
-		}
+		SortedItem(Dictionary<SortedItem, Name> & dict, Name const & name, T const & element)
+		: Dictionary<SortedItem, Name>::Element(dict, name),
+		  element(element)
+		{ }
 	};
 
-	/* build temporary AVL tree of sorted elements */
-	Avl_tree<Sorted_item> sorted { };
+	/* build temporary Dictionary of sorted and unique elements */
+	using Dict = Dictionary<SortedItem, Name>;
+	Dict sorted { };
 	registry.for_each([&] (T const &element) {
-		sorted.insert(new (alloc) Sorted_item(element)); });
+		/* skip duplicates */
+		if (sorted.exists(element.name())) return;
 
-	auto destroy_sorted = [&] ()
-	{
-		while (Sorted_item *item = sorted.first()) {
-			sorted.remove(item);
-			destroy(alloc, item);
-		}
-	};
+		new (alloc) SortedItem(sorted, element.name(), element);
+	});
+
+	auto destroy_element = [&] (SortedItem &item) {
+		destroy(alloc, &item); };
 
 	/* iterate over sorted elements, 'fn' may throw */
 	try {
-		sorted.for_each([&] (Sorted_item const &item) {
+		sorted.for_each([&] (SortedItem const &item) {
 			fn(item.element); });
 	}
 	catch (...) {
-		destroy_sorted();
+		while (sorted.with_any_element(destroy_element)) { }
 		throw;
 	}
 
-	destroy_sorted();
+	while (sorted.with_any_element(destroy_element)) { }
 }
 
 #endif /* _SORTED_FOR_EACH_H_ */