diff --git a/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroAbstractOrder.java b/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroAbstractOrder.java
index b1456cf70..613ff48fe 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroAbstractOrder.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroAbstractOrder.java
@@ -63,25 +63,13 @@ public abstract class kelondroAbstractOrder implements kelondroOrder {
         return cardinal(key) / d;
     }
     
-    public int compareI(byte[] a, byte[] b) {
-        if (zero == null) return compare(a, b);
-        // we have an artificial start point. check all combinations
-        int az = compare(a, zero); // -1 if a < z; 0 if a == z; 1 if a > z
-        int bz = compare(b, zero); // -1 if b < z; 0 if b == z; 1 if b > z
-        if ((az ==  0) && (bz ==  0)) return 0;
-        if  (az ==  0) return -1;
-        if  (bz ==  0) return  1;
-        if  (az == bz) return compare(a, b);
-        return bz;
-    }
-
     public int compare(Object a, Object b) {
         if ((a instanceof byte[]) && (b instanceof byte[])) {
-            return compareI((byte[]) a, (byte[]) b);
+            return compare((byte[]) a, (byte[]) b);
         } else if ((a instanceof Node) && (b instanceof Node)) {
-            return compareI(((Node) a).getKey(), ((Node) b).getKey());
+            return compare(((Node) a).getKey(), ((Node) b).getKey());
         } else if ((a instanceof String) && (b instanceof String)) {
-            return compareI(((String) a).getBytes(), ((String) b).getBytes());
+            return compare(((String) a).getBytes(), ((String) b).getBytes());
         } else
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Object type or Object type combination not supported: a=" + a + ", b=" + b);
     }
diff --git a/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroBase64Order.java b/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroBase64Order.java
index 66dd13117..2d94e6af5 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroBase64Order.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroBase64Order.java
@@ -244,15 +244,31 @@ public class kelondroBase64Order extends kelondroAbstractOrder implements kelond
         if (keyCardinal > zeroCardinal) return keyCardinal - zeroCardinal;
         return Long.MAX_VALUE - keyCardinal + zeroCardinal + 1;
     }
-
+    
     public int compare(byte[] a, byte[] b) {
+        return (asc) ? compare0(a, b) : compare0(b, a);
+    }
+
+    public int compare0(byte[] a, byte[] b) {
+        if (zero == null) return compares(a, b);
+        // we have an artificial start point. check all combinations
+        int az = compares(a, zero); // -1 if a < z; 0 if a == z; 1 if a > z
+        int bz = compares(b, zero); // -1 if b < z; 0 if b == z; 1 if b > z
+        if ((az ==  0) && (bz ==  0)) return 0;
+        if  (az ==  0) return -1;
+        if  (bz ==  0) return  1;
+        if  (az == bz) return compares(a, b);
+        return bz;
+    }
+    
+    public int compares(byte[] a, byte[] b) {
         int i = 0;
         final int al = a.length;
         final int bl = b.length;
         final int len = (al > bl) ? bl : al;
         while (i < len) {
-            if (ahpla[a[i]] > ahpla[b[i]]) return (asc) ? 1 : -1;
-            if (ahpla[a[i]] < ahpla[b[i]]) return (asc) ? -1 : 1;
+            if (ahpla[a[i]] > ahpla[b[i]]) return 1;
+            if (ahpla[a[i]] < ahpla[b[i]]) return -1;
             // else the bytes are equal and it may go on yet undecided
             i++;
         }
@@ -260,8 +276,8 @@ public class kelondroBase64Order extends kelondroAbstractOrder implements kelond
         if ((i == al) && (i < bl) && (b[i] == 0)) return 0;
         if ((i == bl) && (i < al) && (a[i] == 0)) return 0;
         // no, decide by length
-        if (al > bl) return (asc) ? 1 : -1;
-        if (al < bl) return (asc) ? -1 : 1;
+        if (al > bl) return 1;
+        if (al < bl) return -1;
         // no, they are equal
         return 0;
     }
diff --git a/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroNaturalOrder.java b/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroNaturalOrder.java
index 0b60d7e46..c7c12e075 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroNaturalOrder.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/kelondro/kelondroNaturalOrder.java
@@ -115,19 +115,29 @@ public class kelondroNaturalOrder extends kelondroAbstractOrder implements kelon
     // two arrays are also equal if one array is a subset of the other's array
     // with filled-up char(0)-values
     public int compare(byte[] a, byte[] b) {
-        return (asc) ? compares(a, b) : compares(b, a);
+        return (asc) ? compare0(a, b) : compare0(b, a);
     }
 
+    public int compare0(byte[] a, byte[] b) {
+        if (zero == null) return compares(a, b);
+        // we have an artificial start point. check all combinations
+        int az = compares(a, zero); // -1 if a < z; 0 if a == z; 1 if a > z
+        int bz = compares(b, zero); // -1 if b < z; 0 if b == z; 1 if b > z
+        if ((az ==  0) && (bz ==  0)) return 0;
+        if  (az ==  0) return -1;
+        if  (bz ==  0) return  1;
+        if  (az == bz) return compares(a, b);
+        return bz;
+    }
+    
     public static final int compares(byte[] a, byte[] b) {
         int i = 0;
         final int al = a.length;
         final int bl = b.length;
         final int len = (al > bl) ? bl : al;
         while (i < len) {
-            if (a[i] > b[i])
-                return 1;
-            if (a[i] < b[i])
-                return -1;
+            if (a[i] > b[i]) return 1;
+            if (a[i] < b[i]) return -1;
             // else the bytes are equal and it may go on yet undecided
             i++;
         }