diff --git a/sftp.c b/sftp.c
index 248d45210..fb3c08d19 100644
--- a/sftp.c
+++ b/sftp.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $OpenBSD: sftp.c,v 1.205 2020/12/04 02:41:10 djm Exp $ */
+/* $OpenBSD: sftp.c,v 1.206 2021/01/08 02:44:14 djm Exp $ */
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2001-2004 Damien Miller <djm@openbsd.org>
  *
@@ -891,7 +891,10 @@ sglob_comp(const void *aa, const void *bb)
 		return (rmul * strcmp(ap, bp));
 	else if (sort_flag & LS_TIME_SORT) {
 #if defined(HAVE_STRUCT_STAT_ST_MTIM)
-		return (rmul * timespeccmp(&as->st_mtim, &bs->st_mtim, <));
+		if (timespeccmp(&as->st_mtim, &bs->st_mtim, ==))
+			return 0;
+		return timespeccmp(&as->st_mtim, &bs->st_mtim, <) ?
+		    rmul : -rmul;
 #elif defined(HAVE_STRUCT_STAT_ST_MTIME)
 		return (rmul * NCMP(as->st_mtime, bs->st_mtime));
 #else