diff --git a/tool/abi_symbols b/tool/abi_symbols
index 5e6534755e..9867b70c06 100755
--- a/tool/abi_symbols
+++ b/tool/abi_symbols
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #
 
 # normalize sort order across platforms
-set env(LC_COLLATE) C
+set env(LC_ALL) C
 
 # obtain symbol information via 'nm'
 set symbols [exec nm --format posix --dynamic $argv | sort]
diff --git a/tool/builddir/build.mk b/tool/builddir/build.mk
index 6b6f2e2e54..f8f00f3596 100644
--- a/tool/builddir/build.mk
+++ b/tool/builddir/build.mk
@@ -67,9 +67,6 @@ export ECHO             ?= echo -e
 export CONTRIB_DIR
 export BOARD
 
-# Force stable sorting order
-export LC_COLLATE=C
-
 #
 # Convert user-defined directories to absolute directories
 #
diff --git a/tool/check_abi b/tool/check_abi
index 8b14537783..3c25f523ca 100755
--- a/tool/check_abi
+++ b/tool/check_abi
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #
 
 # normalize sort order across platforms
-set env(LC_COLLATE) C
+set env(LC_ALL) C
 
 set lib_path [lindex $argv 0]
 set abi_path [lindex $argv 1]
diff --git a/tool/depot/mk/common.inc b/tool/depot/mk/common.inc
index 71b3b41716..d77d89834a 100644
--- a/tool/depot/mk/common.inc
+++ b/tool/depot/mk/common.inc
@@ -32,4 +32,4 @@ EMPTY :=
 file_content = $(if $(wildcard $1),$(shell cat $1),)
 
 # Force stable sorting order
-export LC_COLLATE=C
+SORT := LC_ALL=C sort
diff --git a/tool/depot/mk/extract.inc b/tool/depot/mk/extract.inc
index 66b0032465..e2390e0a89 100644
--- a/tool/depot/mk/extract.inc
+++ b/tool/depot/mk/extract.inc
@@ -214,8 +214,8 @@ _check_hash: $(DEPOT_ARCHIVE_DIR).hash checked_recipe_hash_value_exists
 # command).
 #
 HASH_CMD := cd $(DEPOT_ARCHIVE_DIR); \
-            (find . -type f | sort; \
-             find . -type f | sort | xargs -d '\n' cat) \
+            (find . -type f | $(SORT); \
+             find . -type f | $(SORT) | xargs -d '\n' cat) \
             | $(HASHSUM) | sed "s/ .*//"
 
 #
diff --git a/tool/depot/mk/extract_post_dependencies.inc b/tool/depot/mk/extract_post_dependencies.inc
index d1f06e8234..8c43918687 100644
--- a/tool/depot/mk/extract_post_dependencies.inc
+++ b/tool/depot/mk/extract_post_dependencies.inc
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ endif
 #
 # \param $1  absolute file path
 #
-sorted_file_content = $(if $(wildcard $1),$(shell cat $1 | sort -u),\
+sorted_file_content = $(if $(wildcard $1),$(shell cat $1 | $(SORT) -u),\
                                           $(error Failed to read file $1))
 
 #
diff --git a/tool/ports/mk/common.inc b/tool/ports/mk/common.inc
index b4e420d85d..9c0a431b71 100644
--- a/tool/ports/mk/common.inc
+++ b/tool/ports/mk/common.inc
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@ MSG_GENERATE   := $(MSG_PREFIX)"generate "
 MSG_EXTRACT    := $(MSG_PREFIX)"extract "
 MSG_GIT        := $(MSG_PREFIX_TXT)git 
 
-# Force stable sorting order
-export LC_COLLATE=C
-
 #
 # Utility to check if a tool is installed
 #