diff --git a/lib/git/repo_index.sh b/lib/git/repo_index.sh
index b197d49..3d2e9c7 100644
--- a/lib/git/repo_index.sh
+++ b/lib/git/repo_index.sh
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ function git_index() {
     elif [ "$1" = "--list" ] || [ "$1" = "-l" ]; then
       echo -e "$_bld_col$(_git_index_count)$_txt_col Git repositories in $_bld_col$GIT_REPO_DIR$_txt_col:\n"
       for repo in $(_git_index_dirs_without_home); do
-        echo $(basename $repo) : $repo
-      done | sort | column -t -s ':'
+        echo $(basename $repo | sed "s/ /_/g") : $repo
+      done | sort -t ":" -k1,1 | column -t -s ':'
     elif [ "$1" = "--count-by-host" ]; then
       echo -e "=== Producing a report of the number of repos per host...\n"
       _git_index_batch_cmd git remote -v | \grep "origin.*(fetch)" |
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ function _rebuild_git_index() {
   # Get repos from src dir and custom dirs, then sort by basename
   IFS=$'\n'
   for repo in $(echo -e "$(_find_git_repos)\n$(echo $GIT_REPOS | sed "s/:/\\\\n/g")"); do
-    echo $(basename $repo | sed "s/ /_/g") $repo
-  done | sort | cut -d " " -f2- >| "$GIT_REPO_DIR/.git_index"
+    echo $(basename $repo | sed "s/ /_/g"):$repo
+  done | sort -t ":" -k1,1 | cut -d ":" -f2- >| "$GIT_REPO_DIR/.git_index"
   unset IFS
 
   if [ "$1" != "--silent" ]; then
diff --git a/test/lib/git/repo_index_test.sh b/test/lib/git/repo_index_test.sh
index f7006ed..c2d2571 100755
--- a/test/lib/git/repo_index_test.sh
+++ b/test/lib/git/repo_index_test.sh
@@ -94,16 +94,19 @@ test_repo_index_command() {
   git_index --rebuild > /dev/null
 
   # Test that all repos are detected, and sorted alphabetically
-  assertIncludes "$(index_no_newlines)" "bitbucket.*\
-blue_submodule.*\
-github.*\
-green_submodule.*\
-red_submodule.*\
-source_forge.*\
-submodules_everywhere.*\
-test_repo_11.*\
-test_repo_1"
-
+  assertIncludes "$(index_no_newlines)" $(
+    cat <<EXPECT | sort -t "." -k1,1 | tr --delete '\n' | awk '{print ".*"$1}'
+bitbucket.*
+blue_submodule.*
+github.*
+green_submodule.*
+red_submodule.*
+source_forge.*
+submodules_everywhere.*
+test_repo_11.*
+test_repo_1.*
+EXPECT
+  )
 }
 
 test_check_git_index() {
@@ -141,7 +144,7 @@ test_git_index_changing_directory() {
   git_index "_submod";      assertEquals "$GIT_REPO_DIR/submodules_everywhere/very/nested/directory/blue_submodule" "$PWD"
   git_index "test_repo_1";  assertEquals "/tmp/test_repo_1" "$PWD"
   git_index "test_repo_11"; assertEquals "/tmp/test_repo_11" "$PWD"
-  git_index "test_repo_";   assertEquals "/tmp/test_repo_11" "$PWD"
+  git_index "test_repo_";   assertEquals "/tmp/test_repo_1" "$PWD"
   git_index "github/videos/octocat/live_action"; assertEquals "$GIT_REPO_DIR/github/videos/octocat/live_action" "$PWD"
 }