diff --git a/basis/sorting/slots/slots-tests.factor b/basis/sorting/slots/slots-tests.factor
index 2b56d5dfe8..72b6481c45 100644
--- a/basis/sorting/slots/slots-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/sorting/slots/slots-tests.factor
@@ -93,3 +93,8 @@ TUPLE: tuple2 d ;
     { { 3 { 2 4 } } { 1 { 2 0 0 0 } } { 0 { 1 } } { 1 { 1 } } }
     { length-test<=> <=> } sort-values-by
 ] unit-test
+
+{ { { "apples" 1 } { "bananas" 2 } { "cherries" 3 } } } [
+    H{ { "apples" 1 } { "bananas" 2 } { "cherries" 3 } }
+    { { sequences:length <=> } } sort-keys-by
+] unit-test
diff --git a/basis/sorting/slots/slots.factor b/basis/sorting/slots/slots.factor
index 2ef95afa1b..05333935d1 100644
--- a/basis/sorting/slots/slots.factor
+++ b/basis/sorting/slots/slots.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2009 Slava Pestov, Doug Coleman.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
-USING: arrays fry kernel math.order sequences sorting ;
+USING: arrays assocs fry kernel math.order sequences sorting ;
 IN: sorting.slots
 
 : execute-comparator ( obj1 obj2 word -- <=>/f )
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ IN: sorting.slots
 
 : sort-by ( seq sort-specs -- seq' ) [ ] sort-by-with ;
 
-: sort-keys-by ( seq sort-seq -- seq' ) [ first ] sort-by-with ;
+: sort-keys-by ( alist sort-seq -- seq' )
+    [ >alist ] dip [ first ] sort-by-with ;
 
-: sort-values-by ( seq sort-seq -- seq' ) [ second ] sort-by-with ;
+: sort-values-by ( seq sort-seq -- seq' )
+    [ >alist ] dip [ second ] sort-by-with ;