diff --git a/src/test/bench/shootout-k-nucleotide-pipes.rs b/src/test/bench/shootout-k-nucleotide-pipes.rs
index dbdcf15db8a..21bed9f8790 100644
--- a/src/test/bench/shootout-k-nucleotide-pipes.rs
+++ b/src/test/bench/shootout-k-nucleotide-pipes.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ fn pct(xx: uint, yy: uint) -> float {
 
    // sort by key, then by value
    fn sortKV<TT: Copy Ord, UU: Copy Ord>(orig: ~[(TT,UU)]) -> ~[(TT,UU)] {
-      return sort::merge_sort(le_by_val, sort::merge_sort(le_by_key, orig));
+      return sort::merge_sort(sort::merge_sort(orig, le_by_key), le_by_val);
    }
 
    let mut pairs = ~[];
diff --git a/src/test/bench/shootout-k-nucleotide.rs b/src/test/bench/shootout-k-nucleotide.rs
index d9d5827c56d..d107db7e6b0 100644
--- a/src/test/bench/shootout-k-nucleotide.rs
+++ b/src/test/bench/shootout-k-nucleotide.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ fn pct(xx: uint, yy: uint) -> float {
 
    // sort by key, then by value
    fn sortKV<TT: Copy Ord, UU: Copy Ord>(orig: ~[(TT,UU)]) -> ~[(TT,UU)] {
-      return sort::merge_sort(le_by_val, sort::merge_sort(le_by_key, orig));
+      return sort::merge_sort(sort::merge_sort(orig, le_by_key), le_by_val);
    }
 
    let mut pairs = ~[];