diff --git a/apps/filetree.c b/apps/filetree.c
index 7ab0e6d0cf..fc5e4d3934 100644
--- a/apps/filetree.c
+++ b/apps/filetree.c
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@
 
 #include "backdrop.h"
 
+static int compare_sort_dir; /* qsort key for sorting directories */
+
 int ft_build_playlist(struct tree_context* c, int start_index)
 {
     int i;
@@ -189,13 +191,13 @@ static int compare(const void* p1, const void* p2)
 
     if (e1->attr & ATTR_DIRECTORY && e2->attr & ATTR_DIRECTORY)
     {   /* two directories */
-        criteria = global_settings.sort_dir;
+        criteria = compare_sort_dir;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MULTIVOLUME
         if (e1->attr & ATTR_VOLUME || e2->attr & ATTR_VOLUME)
         {   /* a volume identifier is involved */
             if (e1->attr & ATTR_VOLUME && e2->attr & ATTR_VOLUME)
-                criteria = 0; /* two volumes: sort alphabetically */
+                criteria = SORT_ALPHA; /* two volumes: sort alphabetically */
             else /* only one is a volume: volume first */
                 return (e2->attr & ATTR_VOLUME) - (e1->attr & ATTR_VOLUME);
         }
@@ -207,11 +209,12 @@ static int compare(const void* p1, const void* p2)
         criteria = global_settings.sort_file;
     }
     else /* dir and file, dir goes first */
-        return ( e2->attr & ATTR_DIRECTORY ) - ( e1->attr & ATTR_DIRECTORY );
+        return (e2->attr & ATTR_DIRECTORY) - (e1->attr & ATTR_DIRECTORY);
 
     switch(criteria)
     {
-        case 3: /* sort type */
+        case SORT_TYPE:
+        case SORT_TYPE_REVERSED:
         {
             int t1 = e1->attr & FILE_ATTR_MASK;
             int t2 = e2->attr & FILE_ATTR_MASK;
@@ -221,27 +224,31 @@ static int compare(const void* p1, const void* p2)
             if (!t2) /* unknown type */
                 t2 = INT_MAX; /* gets a high number, to sort after known */
 
-            if (t1 - t2) /* if different */
-                return t1 - t2;
+            if (t1 != t2) /* if different */
+                return (t1 - t2) * (criteria == SORT_TYPE_REVERSED ? -1 : 1);
             /* else fall through to alphabetical sorting */
         }
-        case 0: /* sort alphabetically asc */
+
+        case SORT_DATE:
+        case SORT_DATE_REVERSED:
+            /* Ignore SORT_TYPE */
+            if (criteria == SORT_DATE || criteria == SORT_DATE_REVERSED)
+            {
+                if (e1->time_write != e2->time_write)
+                    return (e1->time_write - e2->time_write)
+                           * (criteria == SORT_DATE_REVERSED ? -1 : 1);
+                /* else fall through to alphabetical sorting */
+            }
+
+        case SORT_ALPHA:
+        case SORT_ALPHA_REVERSED:
             if (global_settings.sort_case)
-                return strncmp(e1->name, e2->name, MAX_PATH);
+                return strncmp(e1->name, e2->name, MAX_PATH)
+                       * (criteria == SORT_ALPHA_REVERSED ? -1 : 1);
             else
-                return strncasecmp(e1->name, e2->name, MAX_PATH);
+                return strncasecmp(e1->name, e2->name, MAX_PATH)
+                       * (criteria == SORT_ALPHA_REVERSED ? -1 : 1);
 
-        case 4: /* sort alphabetically desc */
-            if (global_settings.sort_case)
-                return strncmp(e2->name, e1->name, MAX_PATH);
-            else
-                return strncasecmp(e2->name, e1->name, MAX_PATH);
-
-        case 1: /* sort date */
-            return e1->time_write - e2->time_write;
-
-        case 2: /* sort date, newest first */
-            return e2->time_write - e1->time_write;
     }
     return 0; /* never reached */
 }
@@ -345,6 +352,7 @@ int ft_load(struct tree_context* c, const char* tempdir)
     c->dirlength = i;
     closedir(dir);
 
+    compare_sort_dir = c->sort_dir;
     qsort(c->dircache,i,sizeof(struct entry),compare);
 
     /* If thumbnail talking is enabled, make an extra run to mark files with
diff --git a/apps/playlist.c b/apps/playlist.c
index 018a39ae41..6768ac8708 100644
--- a/apps/playlist.c
+++ b/apps/playlist.c
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ static int get_filename(struct playlist_info* playlist, int index, int seek,
 static int get_next_directory(char *dir);
 static int get_next_dir(char *dir, bool is_forward, bool recursion);
 static int get_previous_directory(char *dir);
-static int check_subdir_for_music(char *dir, char *subdir, bool recurse);
+static int check_subdir_for_music(char *dir, const char *subdir, bool recurse);
 static int format_track_path(char *dest, char *src, int buf_length, int max,
                              const char *dir);
 static void display_playlist_count(int count, const unsigned char *fmt,
@@ -1425,20 +1425,23 @@ static int get_next_dir(char *dir, bool is_forward, bool recursion)
 {
     struct playlist_info* playlist = &current_playlist;
     int result = -1;
-    int sort_dir = global_settings.sort_dir;
     char *start_dir = NULL;
     bool exit = false;
+    int i;
     struct tree_context* tc = tree_get_context();
-    int dirfilter = *(tc->dirfilter);
+    int saved_dirfilter = *(tc->dirfilter);
+
+    /* process random folder advance */
     if (global_settings.next_folder == FOLDER_ADVANCE_RANDOM)
     {
-        int fd = open(ROCKBOX_DIR "/folder_advance_list.dat",O_RDONLY);
-        char buffer[MAX_PATH];
-        int folder_count = 0,i;
-        srand(current_tick);
-        *(tc->dirfilter) = SHOW_MUSIC;
+        int fd = open(ROCKBOX_DIR "/folder_advance_list.dat", O_RDONLY);
         if (fd >= 0)
         {
+            char buffer[MAX_PATH];
+            int folder_count = 0;
+            srand(current_tick);
+            *(tc->dirfilter) = SHOW_MUSIC;
+            tc->sort_dir = global_settings.sort_dir;
             read(fd,&folder_count,sizeof(int));
             if (!folder_count)
                 exit = true;
@@ -1453,17 +1456,21 @@ static int get_next_dir(char *dir, bool is_forward, bool recursion)
             if (folder_count)
                 strcpy(dir,buffer);
             close(fd);
-            *(tc->dirfilter) = dirfilter;
+            *(tc->dirfilter) = saved_dirfilter;
+            tc->sort_dir = global_settings.sort_dir;
             reload_directory();
             return 0;
         }
     }
-    /* not random folder advance */
-    if (recursion){
+
+    /* not random folder advance (or random folder advance unavailable) */
+    if (recursion)
+    {
        /* start with root */
        dir[0] = '\0';
     }
-    else{
+    else
+    {
         /* start with current directory */
         strncpy(dir, playlist->filename, playlist->dirlen-1);
         dir[playlist->dirlen-1] = '\0';
@@ -1472,16 +1479,27 @@ static int get_next_dir(char *dir, bool is_forward, bool recursion)
     /* use the tree browser dircache to load files */
     *(tc->dirfilter) = SHOW_ALL;
 
-    /* sort in another direction if previous dir is requested */
-    if(!is_forward){
-       if ((global_settings.sort_dir == 0) || (global_settings.sort_dir == 3))
-           global_settings.sort_dir = 4;
-       else if (global_settings.sort_dir == 1)
-           global_settings.sort_dir = 2;
-       else if (global_settings.sort_dir == 2)
-           global_settings.sort_dir = 1;
-       else if (global_settings.sort_dir == 4)
-           global_settings.sort_dir = 0;
+    /* set up sorting/direction */
+    tc->sort_dir = global_settings.sort_dir;
+    if (!is_forward)
+    {
+        /* Sort options, indices of forward/reverse options differ in bit 0 */
+        const int sortpairs[] = 
+        {
+            SORT_ALPHA, SORT_ALPHA_REVERSED,
+            SORT_DATE, SORT_DATE_REVERSED,
+            SORT_TYPE, SORT_TYPE_REVERSED,
+            -1
+        };
+
+        for (i = 0; sortpairs[i] >= 0; i++)
+        {
+            if (sortpairs[i] == global_settings.sort_dir)
+            {
+                tc->sort_dir = sortpairs[i^1];
+                break;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     while (!exit)
@@ -1492,7 +1510,6 @@ static int get_next_dir(char *dir, bool is_forward, bool recursion)
 
         if (ft_load(tc, (dir[0]=='\0')?"/":dir) < 0)
         {
-            splash(HZ*2, ID2P(LANG_PLAYLIST_DIRECTORY_ACCESS_ERROR));
             exit = true;
             result = -1;
             break;
@@ -1542,13 +1559,13 @@ static int get_next_dir(char *dir, bool is_forward, bool recursion)
         }
     }
 
-    /* restore dirfilter & sort_dir */
-    *(tc->dirfilter) = dirfilter;
-    global_settings.sort_dir = sort_dir;
+    /* restore dirfilter */
+    *(tc->dirfilter) = saved_dirfilter;
+    tc->sort_dir = global_settings.sort_dir;
 
     /* special case if nothing found: try start searching again from root */
     if (result == -1 && !recursion){
-        result = get_next_dir(dir,is_forward, true);
+        result = get_next_dir(dir, is_forward, true);
     }
 
     return result;
@@ -1558,7 +1575,7 @@ static int get_next_dir(char *dir, bool is_forward, bool recursion)
  * Checks if there are any music files in the dir or any of its
  * subdirectories.  May be called recursively.
  */
-static int check_subdir_for_music(char *dir, char *subdir, bool recurse)
+static int check_subdir_for_music(char *dir, const char *subdir, bool recurse)
 {
     int result = -1;
     int dirlen = strlen(dir);
@@ -1573,7 +1590,6 @@ static int check_subdir_for_music(char *dir, char *subdir, bool recurse)
     
     if (ft_load(tc, dir) < 0)
     {
-        splash(HZ*2, ID2P(LANG_PLAYLIST_DIRECTORY_ACCESS_ERROR));
         return -2;
     }
     
diff --git a/apps/settings.h b/apps/settings.h
index f1fd7cc2c4..9ba4396f9d 100644
--- a/apps/settings.h
+++ b/apps/settings.h
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ enum { SHOW_ALL, SHOW_SUPPORTED, SHOW_MUSIC, SHOW_PLAYLIST, SHOW_ID3DB,
        NUM_FILTER_MODES,
        SHOW_WPS, SHOW_RWPS, SHOW_FMR, SHOW_CFG, SHOW_LNG, SHOW_MOD, SHOW_FONT, SHOW_PLUGINS};
 
+/* file and dir sort options */
+enum { SORT_ALPHA, SORT_DATE, SORT_DATE_REVERSED, SORT_TYPE, /* available as settings */
+       SORT_ALPHA_REVERSED, SORT_TYPE_REVERSED };            /* internal use only */
+
 /* recursive dir insert options */
 enum { RECURSE_OFF, RECURSE_ON, RECURSE_ASK };
 
diff --git a/apps/tree.c b/apps/tree.c
index 3e469247c8..768223ec4d 100644
--- a/apps/tree.c
+++ b/apps/tree.c
@@ -900,6 +900,7 @@ int rockbox_browse(const char *root, int dirfilter)
     int ret_val = 0;
     int *last_filter = tc.dirfilter;
     tc.dirfilter = &dirfilter;
+    tc.sort_dir = global_settings.sort_dir;
     
     reload_dir = true;
     if (dirfilter >= NUM_FILTER_MODES)
@@ -940,6 +941,7 @@ void tree_mem_init(void)
     /* initialize tree context struct */
     memset(&tc, 0, sizeof(tc));
     tc.dirfilter = &global_settings.dirfilter;
+    tc.sort_dir = global_settings.sort_dir;
 
     tc.name_buffer_size = AVERAGE_FILENAME_LENGTH * max_files;
     tc.name_buffer = buffer_alloc(tc.name_buffer_size);
diff --git a/apps/tree.h b/apps/tree.h
index 5cf743c2f8..a4f36d96fa 100644
--- a/apps/tree.h
+++ b/apps/tree.h
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ struct tree_context {
     int name_buffer_size;
     int dentry_size;
     bool dirfull;
+    int sort_dir; /* directory sort order */
 };
 
 void tree_mem_init(void);