diff --git a/IkiWiki.pm b/IkiWiki.pm
index cd4ac815d..49ac97196 100644
--- a/IkiWiki.pm
+++ b/IkiWiki.pm
@@ -2460,6 +2460,19 @@ sub pagespec_match ($$;@) {
 	return $sub->($page, @params);
 }
 
+# e.g. @pages = sort_pages("title", \@pages, reverse => "yes")
+#
+# Not exported yet, but could be in future if it is generally useful.
+# Note that this signature is not the same as IkiWiki::SortSpec::sort_pages,
+# which is "more internal".
+sub sort_pages ($$;@) {
+	my $sort = shift;
+	my $list = shift;
+	my %params = @_;
+	$sort = sortspec_translate($sort, $params{reverse});
+	return IkiWiki::SortSpec::sort_pages($sort, @$list);
+}
+
 sub pagespec_match_list ($$;@) {
 	my $page=shift;
 	my $pagespec=shift;
diff --git a/IkiWiki/Plugin/trail.pm b/IkiWiki/Plugin/trail.pm
index d5fb2b5d6..476db4dcb 100644
--- a/IkiWiki/Plugin/trail.pm
+++ b/IkiWiki/Plugin/trail.pm
@@ -319,10 +319,9 @@ sub prerender {
 		}
 
 		if (defined $pagestate{$trail}{trail}{sort}) {
-			# re-sort
-			@$members = pagespec_match_list($trail, 'internal(*)',
-				list => $members,
-				sort => $pagestate{$trail}{trail}{sort});
+			@$members = IkiWiki::sort_pages(
+				$pagestate{$trail}{trail}{sort},
+				$members);
 		}
 
 		if (IkiWiki::yesno $pagestate{$trail}{trail}{reverse}) {