diff --git a/pelican/generators.py b/pelican/generators.py
index 86e48eb8..9647d397 100644
--- a/pelican/generators.py
+++ b/pelican/generators.py
@@ -303,10 +303,12 @@ class ArticlesGenerator(Generator):
 
         # order the categories per name
         self.categories = list(self.categories.items())
-        self.categories.sort(reverse=self.settings['REVERSE_CATEGORY_ORDER'])
+        self.categories.sort(
+                key=lambda item: item[0].name,
+                reverse=self.settings['REVERSE_CATEGORY_ORDER'])
 
         self.authors = list(self.authors.items())
-        self.authors.sort()
+        self.authors.sort(key=lambda item: item[0].name)
 
         self._update_context(('articles', 'dates', 'tags', 'categories',
                               'tag_cloud', 'authors'))
diff --git a/tests/test_generators.py b/tests/test_generators.py
index ecaacfcd..e8ce4e21 100644
--- a/tests/test_generators.py
+++ b/tests/test_generators.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 from mock import MagicMock
 import os
 import re
-import subprocess
 
 from pelican.generators import ArticlesGenerator, LessCSSGenerator
 from pelican.settings import _DEFAULT_CONFIG
@@ -11,6 +10,7 @@ from .support import unittest, temporary_folder, skipIfNoExecutable
 
 CUR_DIR = os.path.dirname(__file__)
 
+
 class TestArticlesGenerator(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_generate_feeds(self):
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ class TestArticlesGenerator(unittest.TestCase):
             elif relfilepath == "article_without_category.rst":
                 self.assertEquals(article.category.name, 'Default')
 
+        categories = [cat.name for cat, _ in generator.categories]
+        # assert that the categories are ordered as expected
+        self.assertEquals(
+                categories, ['Default', 'TestCategory', 'Yeah', 'test',
+                             'yeah'])
+
 
 class TestLessCSSGenerator(unittest.TestCase):