diff --git a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-option.hpp b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-option.hpp
index 1677e7b5d2..414d7e39f9 100644
--- a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-option.hpp
+++ b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-option.hpp
@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@ private:
     GncOptionUIItemPtr m_ui_item{nullptr};
 };
 
+inline bool
+operator<(const GncOption& right, const GncOption& left)
+{
+    return right.get_key() < left.get_key();
+}
+
 inline std::ostream&
 operator<<(std::ostream& oss, const GncOption& opt)
 {
diff --git a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb-impl.hpp b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb-impl.hpp
index d06f4a4520..97885c0fec 100644
--- a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb-impl.hpp
+++ b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb-impl.hpp
@@ -63,6 +63,13 @@ public:
 };
 
 using GncOptionSectionPtr = std::shared_ptr<GncOptionSection>;
+
+inline bool
+operator<(const GncOptionSectionPtr& right, const GncOptionSectionPtr& left)
+{
+    return right->get_name() < left->get_name();
+}
+
 using GncOptionDBChangeCallback = void (*)(void* user_data);
 
 struct GncOptionDBCallback
diff --git a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.cpp b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.cpp
index 763e7ec78a..be005b1c10 100644
--- a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.cpp
+++ b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,9 @@ GncOptionSection::foreach_option(std::function<void(const GncOption&)> func) con
 void
 GncOptionSection::add_option(GncOption&& option)
 {
-    m_options.emplace_back(std::move(option));
+    m_options.push_back(std::move(option));
+    if (!std::is_sorted(m_options.begin(), m_options.end()))
+        std::sort(m_options.begin(), m_options.end());
 }
 
 void
@@ -176,8 +178,10 @@ GncOptionDB::register_option(const char* sectname, GncOption&& option)
         return;
     }
 
-    m_sections.emplace_back(std::make_shared<GncOptionSection>(sectname));
+    m_sections.push_back(std::make_shared<GncOptionSection>(sectname));
     m_sections.back()->add_option(std::move(option));
+    if (!std::is_sorted(m_sections.begin(), m_sections.end()))
+        std::sort(m_sections.begin(), m_sections.end());
 }
 
 void