diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Sync.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Sync.java
index cca99e460..e22e40e6d 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Sync.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Sync.java
@@ -240,9 +240,8 @@ public class Sync extends Task {
         // leaves before their parent nodes - thus making sure (well,
         // more likely) that the directories are empty when we try to
         // delete them.
-        Arrays.sort(dirs, Comparator.reverseOrder());
-        for (String dir : dirs) {
-            File f = new File(toDir, dir);
+        for (int i = dirs.length - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
+            File f = new File(toDir, dirs[i]);
             String[] children = f.list();
             if (children == null || children.length < 1) {
                 log("Removing orphan directory: " + f, Project.MSG_DEBUG);
@@ -257,9 +256,8 @@ public class Sync extends Task {
             fs.setDir(toDir);
             String[] preservedDirs =
                 fs.getDirectoryScanner(getProject()).getIncludedDirectories();
-            Arrays.sort(preservedDirs, Comparator.reverseOrder());
-            for (String dir : preservedDirs) {
-                preservedDirectories.add(new File(toDir, dir));
+            for (int i = preservedDirs.length - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
+                preservedDirectories.add(new File(toDir, preservedDirs[i]));
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
index b18878b96..4dfbce5c2 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTP.java
@@ -1808,8 +1808,8 @@ public class FTP extends Task implements FTPTaskConfig {
             if (action == RM_DIR) {
                 // to remove directories, start by the end of the list
                 // the trunk does not let itself be removed before the leaves
-                Arrays.sort(dsfiles, Comparator.reverseOrder());
-                for (final String dsfile : dsfiles) {
+                for (int i = dsfiles.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+                    final String dsfile = dsfiles[i];
                     executeRetryable(h, () -> rmDir(ftp, dsfile), dsfile);
                 }
             } else {
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTPTaskMirrorImpl.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTPTaskMirrorImpl.java
index 721b2e39b..f89d0f0d8 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTPTaskMirrorImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/net/FTPTaskMirrorImpl.java
@@ -1186,8 +1186,8 @@ public class FTPTaskMirrorImpl implements FTPTaskMirror {
             if (task.getAction() == FTPTask.RM_DIR) {
                 // to remove directories, start by the end of the list
                 // the trunk does not let itself be removed before the leaves
-                Arrays.sort(dsfiles, Comparator.reverseOrder());
-                for (final String dsfile : dsfiles) {
+                for (int i = dsfiles.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+                    final String dsfile = dsfiles[i];
                     executeRetryable(h, () -> rmDir(ftp, dsfile), dsfile);
                 }
             } else {