diff --git a/db/version_set.cc b/db/version_set.cc
index a97686cda..bda1b56ab 100644
--- a/db/version_set.cc
+++ b/db/version_set.cc
@@ -430,17 +430,30 @@ static bool SaveValue(void* arg, const ParsedInternalKey& parsed_key,
   return false;
 }
 
-static bool NewestFirst(FileMetaData* a, FileMetaData* b) {
+namespace {
+bool NewestFirst(FileMetaData* a, FileMetaData* b) {
   return a->number > b->number;
 }
-static bool NewestFirstBySeqNo(FileMetaData* a, FileMetaData* b) {
-  if (a->smallest_seqno > b->smallest_seqno) {
-    assert(a->largest_seqno > b->largest_seqno);
-    return true;
+bool NewestFirstBySeqNo(FileMetaData* a, FileMetaData* b) {
+  if (a->smallest_seqno != b->smallest_seqno) {
+    return a->smallest_seqno > b->smallest_seqno;
   }
-  assert(a->largest_seqno <= b->largest_seqno);
-  return false;
+  if (a->largest_seqno != b->largest_seqno) {
+    return a->largest_seqno > b->largest_seqno;
+  }
+  // Break ties by file number
+  return NewestFirst(a, b);
 }
+bool BySmallestKey(FileMetaData* a, FileMetaData* b,
+                   const InternalKeyComparator* cmp) {
+  int r = cmp->Compare(a->smallest, b->smallest);
+  if (r != 0) {
+    return (r < 0);
+  }
+  // Break ties by file number
+  return (a->number < b->number);
+}
+}  // anonymous namespace
 
 Version::Version(VersionSet* vset, uint64_t version_number)
     : vset_(vset),
@@ -1172,22 +1185,32 @@ struct VersionSet::ManifestWriter {
 // Versions that contain full copies of the intermediate state.
 class VersionSet::Builder {
  private:
-  // Helper to sort by v->files_[file_number].smallest
-  struct BySmallestKey {
+  // Helper to sort v->files_
+  // kLevel0LevelCompaction -- NewestFirst
+  // kLevel0UniversalCompaction -- NewestFirstBySeqNo
+  // kLevelNon0 -- BySmallestKey
+  struct FileComparator {
+    enum SortMethod {
+      kLevel0LevelCompaction = 0,
+      kLevel0UniversalCompaction = 1,
+      kLevelNon0 = 2,
+    } sort_method;
     const InternalKeyComparator* internal_comparator;
 
     bool operator()(FileMetaData* f1, FileMetaData* f2) const {
-      int r = internal_comparator->Compare(f1->smallest, f2->smallest);
-      if (r != 0) {
-        return (r < 0);
-      } else {
-        // Break ties by file number
-        return (f1->number < f2->number);
+      switch (sort_method) {
+        case kLevel0LevelCompaction:
+          return NewestFirst(f1, f2);
+        case kLevel0UniversalCompaction:
+          return NewestFirstBySeqNo(f1, f2);
+        case kLevelNon0:
+          return BySmallestKey(f1, f2, internal_comparator);
       }
+      assert(false);
     }
   };
 
-  typedef std::set<FileMetaData*, BySmallestKey> FileSet;
+  typedef std::set<FileMetaData*, FileComparator> FileSet;
   struct LevelState {
     std::set<uint64_t> deleted_files;
     FileSet* added_files;
@@ -1196,16 +1219,24 @@ class VersionSet::Builder {
   VersionSet* vset_;
   Version* base_;
   LevelState* levels_;
+  FileComparator level_zero_cmp_;
+  FileComparator level_nonzero_cmp_;
 
  public:
   // Initialize a builder with the files from *base and other info from *vset
   Builder(VersionSet* vset, Version* base) : vset_(vset), base_(base) {
     base_->Ref();
     levels_ = new LevelState[base->NumberLevels()];
-    BySmallestKey cmp;
-    cmp.internal_comparator = &vset_->icmp_;
-    for (int level = 0; level < base->NumberLevels(); level++) {
-      levels_[level].added_files = new FileSet(cmp);
+    level_zero_cmp_.sort_method =
+        (vset_->options_->compaction_style == kCompactionStyleUniversal)
+            ? FileComparator::kLevel0UniversalCompaction
+            : FileComparator::kLevel0LevelCompaction;
+    level_nonzero_cmp_.sort_method = FileComparator::kLevelNon0;
+    level_nonzero_cmp_.internal_comparator = &vset_->icmp_;
+
+    levels_[0].added_files = new FileSet(level_zero_cmp_);
+    for (int level = 1; level < base->NumberLevels(); level++) {
+        levels_[level].added_files = new FileSet(level_nonzero_cmp_);
     }
   }
 
@@ -1239,16 +1270,24 @@ class VersionSet::Builder {
 
   void CheckConsistency(Version* v) {
 #ifndef NDEBUG
+    // make sure the files are sorted correctly
     for (int level = 0; level < v->NumberLevels(); level++) {
-      // Make sure there is no overlap in levels > 0
-      if (level > 0) {
-        for (uint32_t i = 1; i < v->files_[level].size(); i++) {
-          const InternalKey& prev_end = v->files_[level][i-1]->largest;
-          const InternalKey& this_begin = v->files_[level][i]->smallest;
-          if (vset_->icmp_.Compare(prev_end, this_begin) >= 0) {
+      for (size_t i = 1; i < v->files_[level].size(); i++) {
+        auto f1 = v->files_[level][i - 1];
+        auto f2 = v->files_[level][i];
+        if (level == 0) {
+          assert(level_zero_cmp_(f1, f2));
+          if (vset_->options_->compaction_style == kCompactionStyleUniversal) {
+            assert(f1->largest_seqno > f2->largest_seqno);
+          }
+        } else {
+          assert(level_nonzero_cmp_(f1, f2));
+
+          // Make sure there is no overlap in levels > 0
+          if (vset_->icmp_.Compare(f1->largest, f2->smallest) >= 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "overlapping ranges in same level %s vs. %s\n",
-                    prev_end.DebugString().c_str(),
-                    this_begin.DebugString().c_str());
+                    (f1->largest).DebugString().c_str(),
+                    (f2->smallest).DebugString().c_str());
             abort();
           }
         }
@@ -1347,9 +1386,8 @@ class VersionSet::Builder {
   void SaveTo(Version* v) {
     CheckConsistency(base_);
     CheckConsistency(v);
-    BySmallestKey cmp;
-    cmp.internal_comparator = &vset_->icmp_;
     for (int level = 0; level < base_->NumberLevels(); level++) {
+      const auto& cmp = (level == 0) ? level_zero_cmp_ : level_nonzero_cmp_;
       // Merge the set of added files with the set of pre-existing files.
       // Drop any deleted files.  Store the result in *v.
       const auto& base_files = base_->files_[level];
@@ -1375,13 +1413,6 @@ class VersionSet::Builder {
       }
     }
 
-    // TODO(icanadi) do it in the loop above, which already sorts the files
-    // Pre-sort level0 for Get()
-    if (v->vset_->options_->compaction_style == kCompactionStyleUniversal) {
-      std::sort(v->files_[0].begin(), v->files_[0].end(), NewestFirstBySeqNo);
-    } else {
-      std::sort(v->files_[0].begin(), v->files_[0].end(), NewestFirst);
-    }
     CheckConsistency(v);
   }