diff -rup a/elf/dl-close.c b/elf/dl-close.c
--- a/elf/dl-close.c	2012-01-19 12:59:42.759484350 -0700
+++ b/elf/dl-close.c	2012-01-19 14:10:20.439263806 -0700
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ _dl_close_worker (struct link_map *map)
     }
 
   /* Sort the entries.  */
-  _dl_sort_fini (ns->_ns_loaded, maps, nloaded, used, nsid);
+  _dl_sort_fini (maps, nloaded, used, nsid);
 
   /* Call all termination functions at once.  */
 #ifdef SHARED
diff -rup a/elf/dl-deps.c b/elf/dl-deps.c
--- a/elf/dl-deps.c	2012-01-19 12:59:42.716484301 -0700
+++ b/elf/dl-deps.c	2012-01-19 13:52:35.223720556 -0700
@@ -614,51 +614,67 @@ Filters not supported with LD_TRACE_PREL
 	map->l_searchlist.r_list[i]->l_reserved = 0;
     }
 
-  /* Now determine the order in which the initialization has to happen.  */
+  /* Sort the initializer list to take dependencies into account.  The binary
+     itself will always be initialize last.  */
   memcpy (l_initfini, map->l_searchlist.r_list,
 	  nlist * sizeof (struct link_map *));
-  /* We can skip looking for the binary itself which is at the front
-     of the search list.  Look through the list backward so that circular
-     dependencies are not changing the order.  */
-  for (i = 1; i < nlist; ++i)
+  if (__builtin_expect (nlist > 1, 1))
     {
-      struct link_map *l = map->l_searchlist.r_list[i];
-      unsigned int j;
-      unsigned int k;
-
-      /* Find the place in the initfini list where the map is currently
-	 located.  */
-      for (j = 1; l_initfini[j] != l; ++j)
-	;
-
-      /* Find all object for which the current one is a dependency and
-	 move the found object (if necessary) in front.  */
-      for (k = j + 1; k < nlist; ++k)
+      /* We can skip looking for the binary itself which is at the front
+	 of the search list.  */
+      i = 1;
+      unsigned int seen[nlist];
+      memset (seen, 0, nlist * sizeof (seen[0]));
+      while (1)
 	{
-	  struct link_map **runp;
-
-	  runp = l_initfini[k]->l_initfini;
-	  if (runp != NULL)
+	  /* Keep track of which object we looked at this round.  */
+	  ++seen[i];
+	  struct link_map *thisp = l_initfini[i];
+
+	  /* Find the last object in the list for which the current one is
+	     a dependency and move the current object behind the object
+	     with the dependency.  */
+	  unsigned int k = nlist - 1;
+	  while (k > i)
 	    {
-	      while (*runp != NULL)
-		if (__builtin_expect (*runp++ == l, 0))
-		  {
-		    struct link_map *here = l_initfini[k];
-
-		    /* Move it now.  */
-		    memmove (&l_initfini[j] + 1, &l_initfini[j],
-			     (k - j) * sizeof (struct link_map *));
-		    l_initfini[j] = here;
-
-		    /* Don't insert further matches before the last
-		       entry moved to the front.  */
-		    ++j;
+	      struct link_map **runp = l_initfini[k]->l_initfini;
+	      if (runp != NULL)
+		/* Look through the dependencies of the object.  */
+		while (*runp != NULL)
+		  if (__builtin_expect (*runp++ == thisp, 0))
+		    {
+		      /* Move the current object to the back past the last
+			 object with it as the dependency.  */
+		      memmove (&l_initfini[i], &l_initfini[i + 1],
+			       (k - i) * sizeof (l_initfini[0]));
+		      l_initfini[k] = thisp;
+
+		      if (seen[i + 1] > nlist - i - 2)
+			{
+			  ++i;
+			  goto next_clear;
+			}
+
+		      unsigned int this_seen = seen[i];
+		      memmove (&seen[i], &seen[i + 1],
+			       (k - i) * sizeof (seen[0]));
+		      seen[k] = this_seen;
+
+		      goto next;
+		    }
 
-		    break;
-		  }
+	      --k;
 	    }
+
+	  if (++i == nlist)
+	    break;
+	next_clear:
+	  memset (&seen[i], 0, (nlist - i) * sizeof (seen[0]));
+
+	next:;
 	}
     }
+
   /* Terminate the list of dependencies.  */
   l_initfini[nlist] = NULL;
   atomic_write_barrier ();
diff -rup a/elf/dl-fini.c b/elf/dl-fini.c
--- a/elf/dl-fini.c	2010-05-04 05:27:23.000000000 -0600
+++ b/elf/dl-fini.c	2012-01-19 13:56:38.653842046 -0700
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /* Call the termination functions of loaded shared objects.
-   Copyright (C) 1995,96,1998-2002,2004-2005,2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1995,96,1998-2002,2004-2005,2009,2011
+   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    This file is part of the GNU C Library.
 
    The GNU C Library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
@@ -29,89 +30,100 @@ typedef void (*fini_t) (void);
 
 void
 internal_function
-_dl_sort_fini (struct link_map *l, struct link_map **maps, size_t nmaps,
-	       char *used, Lmid_t ns)
+_dl_sort_fini (struct link_map **maps, size_t nmaps, char *used, Lmid_t ns)
 {
-  if (ns == LM_ID_BASE)
-    /* The main executable always comes first.  */
-    l = l->l_next;
-
-  for (; l != NULL; l = l->l_next)
-    /* Do not handle ld.so in secondary namespaces and object which
-       are not removed.  */
-    if (l == l->l_real && l->l_idx != -1)
-      {
-	/* Find the place in the 'maps' array.  */
-	unsigned int j;
-	for (j = ns == LM_ID_BASE ? 1 : 0; maps[j] != l; ++j)
-	  assert (j < nmaps);
-
-	/* Find all object for which the current one is a dependency
-	   and move the found object (if necessary) in front.  */
-	for (unsigned int k = j + 1; k < nmaps; ++k)
-	  {
-	    struct link_map **runp = maps[k]->l_initfini;
-	    if (runp != NULL)
-	      {
-		while (*runp != NULL)
-		  if (*runp == l)
-		    {
-		      struct link_map *here = maps[k];
+  /* A list of one element need not be sorted.  */
+  if (nmaps == 1)
+    return;
+
+  /* We can skip looking for the binary itself which is at the front
+     of the search list for the main namespace.  */
+  unsigned int i = ns == LM_ID_BASE;
+  unsigned int seen[nmaps];
+  memset (seen, 0, nmaps * sizeof (seen[0]));
+  while (1)
+    {
+      /* Keep track of which object we looked at this round.  */
+      ++seen[i];
+      struct link_map *thisp = maps[i];
+
+      /* Do not handle ld.so in secondary namespaces and object which
+	 are not removed.  */
+      if (thisp != thisp->l_real || thisp->l_idx == -1)
+	goto skip;
+
+      /* Find the last object in the list for which the current one is
+	 a dependency and move the current object behind the object
+	 with the dependency.  */
+      unsigned int k = nmaps - 1;
+      while (k > i)
+	{
+	  struct link_map **runp = maps[k]->l_initfini;
+	  if (runp != NULL)
+	    /* Look through the dependencies of the object.  */
+	    while (*runp != NULL)
+	      if (__builtin_expect (*runp++ == thisp, 0))
+		{
+		move:
+		  /* Move the current object to the back past the last
+		     object with it as the dependency.  */
+		  memmove (&maps[i], &maps[i + 1],
+			   (k - i) * sizeof (maps[0]));
+		  maps[k] = thisp;
 
-		      /* Move it now.  */
-		      memmove (&maps[j] + 1,
-			       &maps[j], (k - j) * sizeof (struct link_map *));
-		      maps[j] = here;
+		  if (used != NULL)
+		    {
+		      char here_used = used[i];
+		      memmove (&used[i], &used[i + 1],
+			       (k - i) * sizeof (used[0]));
+		      used[k] = here_used;
+		    }
 
-		      if (used != NULL)
-			{
-			  char here_used = used[k];
+		  if (seen[i + 1] > nmaps - i - 2)
+		    {
+		      ++i;
+		      goto next_clear;
+		    }
 
-			  memmove (&used[j] + 1,
-				   &used[j], (k - j) * sizeof (char));
-			  used[j] = here_used;
-			}
+		  unsigned int this_seen = seen[i];
+		  memmove (&seen[i], &seen[i + 1], (k - i) * sizeof (seen[0]));
+		  seen[k] = this_seen;
 
-		      ++j;
+		  goto next;
+		}
 
-		      break;
-		    }
-		  else
-		    ++runp;
-	      }
-
-	    if (__builtin_expect (maps[k]->l_reldeps != NULL, 0))
-	      {
-		unsigned int m = maps[k]->l_reldeps->act;
-		struct link_map **relmaps = &maps[k]->l_reldeps->list[0];
+	  if (__builtin_expect (maps[k]->l_reldeps != NULL, 0))
+	    {
+	      unsigned int m = maps[k]->l_reldeps->act;
+	      struct link_map **relmaps = &maps[k]->l_reldeps->list[0];
 
-		while (m-- > 0)
+	      /* Look through the relocation dependencies of the object.  */
+	      while (m-- > 0)
+		if (__builtin_expect (relmaps[m] == thisp, 0))
 		  {
-		    if (relmaps[m] == l)
-		      {
-			struct link_map *here = maps[k];
-
-			/* Move it now.  */
-			memmove (&maps[j] + 1,
-				 &maps[j],
-				 (k - j) * sizeof (struct link_map *));
-			maps[j] = here;
-
-			if (used != NULL)
-			  {
-			    char here_used = used[k];
-
-			    memmove (&used[j] + 1,
-				     &used[j], (k - j) * sizeof (char));
-			    used[j] = here_used;
-			  }
-
-			break;
-		      }
+		    /* If a cycle exists with a link time dependency,
+		       preserve the latter.  */
+		    struct link_map **runp = thisp->l_initfini;
+		    if (runp != NULL)
+		      while (*runp != NULL)
+			if (__builtin_expect (*runp++ == maps[k], 0))
+			  goto ignore;
+		    goto move;
 		  }
-	      }
-	  }
-      }
+	    ignore:;
+	    }
+
+	  --k;
+	}
+
+    skip:
+      if (++i == nmaps)
+	break;
+    next_clear:
+      memset (&seen[i], 0, (nmaps - i) * sizeof (seen[0]));
+
+    next:;
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -196,9 +208,8 @@ _dl_fini (void)
       assert (ns == LM_ID_BASE || i == nloaded || i == nloaded - 1);
       nmaps = i;
 
-      if (nmaps != 0)
-	/* Now we have to do the sorting.  */
-	_dl_sort_fini (GL(dl_ns)[ns]._ns_loaded, maps, nmaps, NULL, ns);
+      /* Now we have to do the sorting.  */
+      _dl_sort_fini (maps, nmaps, NULL, ns);
 
       /* We do not rely on the linked list of loaded object anymore from
 	 this point on.  We have our own list here (maps).  The various
diff -rup a/sysdeps/generic/ldsodefs.h b/sysdeps/generic/ldsodefs.h
--- a/sysdeps/generic/ldsodefs.h	2012-01-19 12:59:42.446483997 -0700
+++ b/sysdeps/generic/ldsodefs.h	2012-01-19 14:16:36.242453532 -0700
@@ -947,7 +947,7 @@ extern void _dl_init (struct link_map *m
 extern void _dl_fini (void) internal_function;
 
 /* Sort array MAPS according to dependencies of the contained objects.  */
-extern void _dl_sort_fini (struct link_map *l, struct link_map **maps,
+extern void _dl_sort_fini (struct link_map **maps,
 			   size_t nmaps, char *used, Lmid_t ns)
      internal_function;