diff --git a/usr.bin/sort/file.c b/usr.bin/sort/file.c
index 339c9b8de270..4e6f2a7bf5aa 100644
--- a/usr.bin/sort/file.c
+++ b/usr.bin/sort/file.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ sort_list_add(struct sort_list *l, struct bwstring *str)
 		size_t indx = l->count;
 
 		if ((l->list == NULL) || (indx >= l->size)) {
-			size_t newsize = (l->size + 1) + 1024;
+			size_t newsize = (l->size + 1) * 2;
 
 			l->list = sort_realloc(l->list,
 			    sizeof(struct sort_list_item*) * newsize);
diff --git a/usr.bin/sort/radixsort.c b/usr.bin/sort/radixsort.c
index 5ee998500d30..9940edb8c93a 100644
--- a/usr.bin/sort/radixsort.c
+++ b/usr.bin/sort/radixsort.c
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ add_to_sublevel(struct sort_level *sl, struct sort_list_item *item, size_t indx)
 	}
 
 	if (++(ssl->tosort_num) > ssl->tosort_sz) {
-		ssl->tosort_sz = ssl->tosort_num + 128;
+		ssl->tosort_sz = ssl->tosort_num * 2;
 		ssl->tosort = sort_realloc(ssl->tosort,
 		    sizeof(struct sort_list_item*) * (ssl->tosort_sz));
 	}
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ add_leaf(struct sort_level *sl, struct sort_list_item *item)
 {
 
 	if (++(sl->leaves_num) > sl->leaves_sz) {
-		sl->leaves_sz = sl->leaves_num + 128;
+		sl->leaves_sz = sl->leaves_num * 2;
 		sl->leaves = sort_realloc(sl->leaves,
 		    (sizeof(struct sort_list_item*) * (sl->leaves_sz)));
 	}