diff --git a/repos/gems/run/fs_query.run b/repos/gems/run/fs_query.run
index e0f8336938..791e3cbc48 100644
--- a/repos/gems/run/fs_query.run
+++ b/repos/gems/run/fs_query.run
@@ -202,10 +202,10 @@ regsub {.*report 'fs_query -> listing'} $output {} output
 compare_output_to {
 [init -> report_rom]   <listing>
 [init -> report_rom]   	<dir path="/fs/items">
-[init -> report_rom]   		<file name="4" writeable="yes">fourth</file>
 [init -> report_rom]   		<file name="1" writeable="yes">first</file>
 [init -> report_rom]   		<file name="3" writeable="yes">updated
 [init -> report_rom]   </file>
+[init -> report_rom]   		<file name="4" writeable="yes">fourth</file>
 [init -> report_rom]   	</dir>
 [init -> report_rom]   </listing>
 }
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
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a300f33bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/for_each_subdir_name.h
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Utility for iterating over subdirectory names
+ * \author Norman Feske
+ * \date   2021-03-19
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _FOR_EACH_SUBDIR_NAME_H_
+#define _FOR_EACH_SUBDIR_NAME_H_
+
+/* Genode includes */
+#include <os/vfs.h>
+
+/* local includes */
+#include <sorted_for_each.h>
+
+namespace Genode {
+
+	template <typename FN>
+	static void for_each_subdir_name(Allocator &, Directory const &, FN const &);
+}
+
+
+template <typename FN>
+static void Genode::for_each_subdir_name(Allocator &alloc, Directory const &dir,
+                                         FN const &fn)
+{
+	using Dirname = Directory::Entry::Name;
+
+	struct Name : Interface, private Dirname
+	{
+		using Dirname::string;
+
+		Name(Dirname const &name) : Dirname(name) { }
+
+		bool higher(Name const &other) const
+		{
+			return (strcmp(other.string(), string()) > 0);
+		}
+	};
+
+	/* obtain list of sub directory names */
+	Registry<Registered<Name>> names { };
+	dir.for_each_entry([&] (Directory::Entry const &entry) {
+		if (entry.dir())
+			new (alloc) Registered<Name>(names, entry.name()); });
+
+	auto destroy_names = [&] ()
+	{
+		names.for_each([&] (Registered<Name> &name) {
+			destroy(alloc, &name); });
+	};
+
+	/* iterate over sorted list */
+	try {
+		sorted_for_each(alloc, names, [&] (Name const &name) {
+			fn(name.string()); });
+	}
+	catch (...) {
+		destroy_names();
+		throw;
+	}
+
+	destroy_names();
+}
+
+#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 598e31264e..a3e204d711 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/main.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/main.cc
@@ -16,9 +16,13 @@
 #include <base/component.h>
 #include <base/heap.h>
 #include <base/attached_rom_dataspace.h>
+#include <util/avl_tree.h>
 #include <os/reporter.h>
 #include <os/vfs.h>
 
+/* local includes */
+#include <for_each_subdir_name.h>
+
 namespace Fs_query {
 	using namespace Genode;
 	struct Watched_file;
@@ -32,6 +36,14 @@ struct Fs_query::Watched_file
 {
 	File_content::Path const _name;
 
+	/**
+	 * Support for 'sorted_for_each'
+	 */
+	bool higher(Watched_file const &other) const
+	{
+		return (strcmp(other._name.string(), _name.string()) > 0);
+	}
+
 	Node_rwx const _rwx;
 
 	Watcher _watcher;
@@ -136,12 +148,11 @@ struct Fs_query::Watched_directory
 		xml.node("dir", [&] () {
 			xml.attribute("path", _rel_path);
 
-			_dir.for_each_entry([&] (Directory::Entry const &entry) {
-				if (entry.dir())
-					xml.node("dir", [&] () {
-						xml.attribute("name", entry.name()); }); });
+			for_each_subdir_name(_alloc, _dir, [&] (Directory::Entry::Name const &name) {
+				xml.node("dir", [&] () {
+					xml.attribute("name", name); }); });
 
-			_files.for_each([&] (Watched_file const &file) {
+			sorted_for_each(_alloc, _files, [&] (Watched_file const &file) {
 				file.gen_query_response(xml, query, _alloc, _dir); });
 		});
 	}
@@ -172,9 +183,9 @@ struct Fs_query::Main : Vfs::Watch_response_handler
 
 		Vfs_env(Main &main) : _main(main) { }
 
-		Genode::Env                 &env()           override { return _main._env; }
-		Allocator                   &alloc()         override { return _main._heap; }
-		Vfs::File_system            &root_dir()      override { return _main._root_dir_fs; }
+		Genode::Env      &env()      override { return _main._env; }
+		Allocator        &alloc()    override { return _main._heap; }
+		Vfs::File_system &root_dir() override { return _main._root_dir_fs; }
 
 	} _vfs_env { *this };
 
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/sorted_for_each.h b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/sorted_for_each.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a4f4c5dd05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/sorted_for_each.h
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Utility for accessing registry elements in a sorted order
+ * \author Norman Feske
+ * \date   2021-03-19
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _SORTED_FOR_EACH_H_
+#define _SORTED_FOR_EACH_H_
+
+#include <base/registry.h>
+#include <base/allocator.h>
+
+namespace Genode {
+	template <typename T, typename FN>
+	static inline void sorted_for_each(Allocator &, Registry<T> const &, FN const &);
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Execute 'fn' for each registry element
+ *
+ * The type T must be equipped with a method that defines the sort criterion:
+ *
+ *   bool higher(T const &other) 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.
+ */
+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>
+	{
+		T const &element;
+
+		Sorted_item(T const &element) : element(element) { }
+
+		bool higher(Sorted_item const *item) const
+		{
+			return item ? element.higher(item->element) : false;
+		}
+	};
+
+	/* build temporary AVL tree of sorted elements */
+	Avl_tree<Sorted_item> sorted { };
+	registry.for_each([&] (T const &element) {
+		sorted.insert(new (alloc) Sorted_item(element)); });
+
+	auto destroy_sorted = [&] ()
+	{
+		while (Sorted_item *item = sorted.first()) {
+			sorted.remove(item);
+			destroy(alloc, item);
+		}
+	};
+
+	/* iterate over sorted elements, 'fn' may throw */
+	try {
+		sorted.for_each([&] (Sorted_item const &item) {
+			fn(item.element); });
+	}
+	catch (...) {
+		destroy_sorted();
+		throw;
+	}
+
+	destroy_sorted();
+}
+
+#endif /* _SORTED_FOR_EACH_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/target.mk b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/target.mk
index 73cde1a240..d747c2f0e3 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/target.mk
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/fs_query/target.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
-TARGET = fs_query
-SRC_CC = main.cc
-LIBS  += base vfs
+TARGET  := fs_query
+SRC_CC  := main.cc
+LIBS    += base vfs
+INC_DIR += $(PRG_DIR)