diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/BuildExecutor.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/BuildExecutor.java
index 41843ca71..ac3656052 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/BuildExecutor.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/BuildExecutor.java
@@ -337,12 +337,14 @@ class BuildExecutor implements Runnable {
                     }
                 } else {
                     if ( (allowed > 0) && (!wanted.isEmpty()) ) {
-                        Collections.shuffle(wanted, _context.random());
-                        try {
-                            Collections.sort(wanted, new TunnelPoolComparator());
-                        } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
-                            // Java 7 TimSort - see info in TunnelPoolComparator
-                            continue;
+                        if (wanted.size() > 1) {
+                            Collections.shuffle(wanted, _context.random());
+                            try {
+                                Collections.sort(wanted, new TunnelPoolComparator());
+                            } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
+                                // Java 7 TimSort - see info in TunnelPoolComparator
+                                continue;
+                            }
                         }
 
                         // force the loops to be short, since 3 consecutive tunnel build requests can take
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPool.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPool.java
index 69a9f6617..7257ad24f 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPool.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPool.java
@@ -674,11 +674,17 @@ public class TunnelPool {
                 if (rlen > 1 && llen <= 1)
                     return 1;
             }
-            byte lhsDelta[] = DataHelper.xor(lhs.getFarEnd().getData(), _base);
-            byte rhsDelta[] = DataHelper.xor(rhs.getFarEnd().getData(), _base);
-            int rv = DataHelper.compareTo(lhsDelta, rhsDelta);
-            if (rv != 0)
-                return rv;
+            // TODO don't prefer exact match for security?
+            byte lhsb[] = lhs.getFarEnd().getData();
+            byte rhsb[] = rhs.getFarEnd().getData();
+            for (int i = 0; i < _base.length; i++) {
+                int ld = (lhsb[i] ^ _base[i]) & 0xff;
+                int rd = (rhsb[i] ^ _base[i]) & 0xff;
+                if (ld < rd)
+                    return -1;
+                if (ld > rd)
+                    return 1;
+            }
             // latest-expiring first as a tie-breaker
             return (int) (rhs.getExpiration() - lhs.getExpiration());
         }