diff --git a/starling/src/starling/display/DisplayObject.as b/starling/src/starling/display/DisplayObject.as
index bbc4b655b..9392d260d 100755
--- a/starling/src/starling/display/DisplayObject.as
+++ b/starling/src/starling/display/DisplayObject.as
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ package starling.display
         private var _orientationChanged:Boolean;
         private var _is3D:Boolean;
         private var _maskee:DisplayObject;
+        private var _sort:uint;
 
         // internal members (for fast access on rendering)
 
@@ -1149,6 +1150,10 @@ package starling.display
             }
         }
 
+        
+        public function get sort():uint { return _sort; }
+        public function set sort(value:uint):void { _sort = value;}
+
         /** The display object container that contains this display object. */
         public function get parent():DisplayObjectContainer { return _parent; }
         
diff --git a/starling/src/starling/display/DisplayObjectContainer.as b/starling/src/starling/display/DisplayObjectContainer.as
index e5d718f70..11a3e8dda 100644
--- a/starling/src/starling/display/DisplayObjectContainer.as
+++ b/starling/src/starling/display/DisplayObjectContainer.as
@@ -263,7 +263,11 @@ package starling.display
         public function sortChildren(compareFunction:Function):void
         {
             sSortBuffer.length = _children.length;
-            mergeSort(_children, compareFunction, 0, _children.length, sSortBuffer);
+            if (compareFunction) {
+	            mergeSort(_children, compareFunction, 0, _children.length, sSortBuffer);
+	        } else {
+	            mergeSortNoFunction(_children, 0, _children.length, sSortBuffer);
+	        }
             sSortBuffer.length = 0;
             setRequiresRedraw();
         }
@@ -493,6 +497,39 @@ package starling.display
             }
         }
 
+        private static function mergeSortNoFunction(input:Vector.<DisplayObject>, 
+                                          startIndex:int, length:int, 
+                                          buffer:Vector.<DisplayObject>):void {
+            
+            if (length > 1) {
+                var i:int;
+                var endIndex:int = startIndex + length;
+                var halfLength:int = length / 2;
+                var l:int = startIndex;
+                var r:int = startIndex + halfLength;
+                
+                mergeSortNoFunction(input, startIndex, halfLength, buffer);
+                mergeSortNoFunction(input, startIndex + halfLength, length - halfLength, buffer);
+                
+                for (i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+                    if (l < startIndex + halfLength && 
+                        (r == endIndex || input[l].sort <= input[r].sort))
+                    {
+                        buffer[i] = input[l];
+                        l++;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        buffer[i] = input[r];
+                        r++;
+                    }
+                }
+                
+                for(i = startIndex; i < endIndex; i++)
+                    input[i] = buffer[int(i - startIndex)];
+            }
+        }
+
         /** @private */
         internal function getChildEventListeners(object:DisplayObject, eventType:String, 
                                                  listeners:Vector.<DisplayObject>):void