diff --git a/lib/customisation.nix b/lib/customisation.nix
index 4de6f58a6aed..c233744e07ca 100644
--- a/lib/customisation.nix
+++ b/lib/customisation.nix
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ let
     intersectAttrs;
   inherit (lib)
     functionArgs isFunction mirrorFunctionArgs isAttrs setFunctionArgs
-    optionalAttrs attrNames filter elemAt concatStringsSep sort take length
+    optionalAttrs attrNames filter elemAt concatStringsSep sortOn take length
     filterAttrs optionalString flip pathIsDirectory head pipe isDerivation listToAttrs
     mapAttrs seq flatten deepSeq warnIf isInOldestRelease extends
     ;
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ rec {
         # levenshteinAtMost is only fast for 2 or less.
         (filter (levenshteinAtMost 2 arg))
         # Put strings with shorter distance first
-        (sort (x: y: levenshtein x arg < levenshtein y arg))
+        (sortOn (levenshtein arg))
         # Only take the first couple results
         (take 3)
         # Quote all entries
diff --git a/lib/default.nix b/lib/default.nix
index a2958e561cf3..35e31af364d8 100644
--- a/lib/default.nix
+++ b/lib/default.nix
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ let
     inherit (self.lists) singleton forEach foldr fold foldl foldl' imap0 imap1
       concatMap flatten remove findSingle findFirst any all count
       optional optionals toList range replicate partition zipListsWith zipLists
-      reverseList listDfs toposort sort naturalSort compareLists take
+      reverseList listDfs toposort sort sortOn naturalSort compareLists take
       drop sublist last init crossLists unique allUnique intersectLists
       subtractLists mutuallyExclusive groupBy groupBy';
     inherit (self.strings) concatStrings concatMapStrings concatImapStrings
diff --git a/lib/lists.nix b/lib/lists.nix
index a56667ec9c38..9397acf148fc 100644
--- a/lib/lists.nix
+++ b/lib/lists.nix
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ let
   inherit (lib.strings) toInt;
   inherit (lib.trivial) compare min id;
   inherit (lib.attrsets) mapAttrs;
+  inherit (lib.lists) sort;
 in
 rec {
 
@@ -591,9 +592,15 @@ rec {
      the second argument.  The returned list is sorted in an increasing
      order.  The implementation does a quick-sort.
 
+     See also [`sortOn`](#function-library-lib.lists.sortOn), which applies the
+     default comparison on a function-derived property, and may be more efficient.
+
      Example:
-       sort (a: b: a < b) [ 5 3 7 ]
+       sort (p: q: p < q) [ 5 3 7 ]
        => [ 3 5 7 ]
+
+     Type:
+       sort :: (a -> a -> Bool) -> [a] -> [a]
   */
   sort = builtins.sort or (
     strictLess: list:
@@ -612,6 +619,42 @@ rec {
       if len < 2 then list
       else (sort strictLess pivot.left) ++  [ first ] ++  (sort strictLess pivot.right));
 
+  /*
+    Sort a list based on the default comparison of a derived property `b`.
+
+    The items are returned in `b`-increasing order.
+
+    **Performance**:
+
+    The passed function `f` is only evaluated once per item,
+    unlike an unprepared [`sort`](#function-library-lib.lists.sort) using
+    `f p < f q`.
+
+    **Laws**:
+    ```nix
+    sortOn f == sort (p: q: f p < f q)
+    ```
+
+    Example:
+      sortOn stringLength [ "aa" "b" "cccc" ]
+      => [ "b" "aa" "cccc" ]
+
+    Type:
+      sortOn :: (a -> b) -> [a] -> [a], for comparable b
+  */
+  sortOn = f: list:
+    let
+      # Heterogenous list as pair may be ugly, but requires minimal allocations.
+      pairs = map (x: [(f x) x]) list;
+    in
+      map
+        (x: builtins.elemAt x 1)
+        (sort
+          # Compare the first element of the pairs
+          # Do not factor out the `<`, to avoid calls in hot code; duplicate instead.
+          (a: b: head a < head b)
+          pairs);
+
   /* Compare two lists element-by-element.
 
      Example:
diff --git a/lib/tests/misc.nix b/lib/tests/misc.nix
index 9f1fee2ba234..608af656d02c 100644
--- a/lib/tests/misc.nix
+++ b/lib/tests/misc.nix
@@ -650,6 +650,28 @@ runTests {
     expected = [2 30 40 42];
   };
 
+  testSortOn = {
+    expr = sortOn stringLength [ "aa" "b" "cccc" ];
+    expected = [ "b" "aa" "cccc" ];
+  };
+
+  testSortOnEmpty = {
+    expr = sortOn (throw "nope") [ ];
+    expected = [ ];
+  };
+
+  testSortOnIncomparable = {
+    expr =
+      map
+        (x: x.f x.ok)
+        (sortOn (x: x.ok) [
+          { ok = 1; f = x: x; }
+          { ok = 3; f = x: x + 3; }
+          { ok = 2; f = x: x; }
+        ]);
+    expected = [ 1 2 6 ];
+  };
+
   testReplicate = {
     expr = replicate 3 "a";
     expected = ["a" "a" "a"];
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/backup/btrbk.nix b/nixos/modules/services/backup/btrbk.nix
index 1e90ef54d33f..3cbbf0f1bd5c 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/backup/btrbk.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/backup/btrbk.nix
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ let
     mkIf
     mkOption
     optionalString
-    sort
+    sortOn
     types
     ;
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ let
   genConfig = set:
     let
       pairs = mapAttrsToList (name: value: { inherit name value; }) set;
-      sortedPairs = sort (a: b: prioOf a < prioOf b) pairs;
+      sortedPairs = sortOn prioOf pairs;
     in
       concatMap genPair sortedPairs;
   genSection = sec: secName: value: