diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/pack/PackWriter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/pack/PackWriter.java
index 5986aca4e..17c5a12d4 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/pack/PackWriter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/pack/PackWriter.java
@@ -992,7 +992,10 @@ private ObjectWalk setUpWalker(
 
 		final ObjectWalk walker = new ObjectWalk(reader);
 		walker.setRetainBody(false);
-		walker.sort(RevSort.TOPO);
+		if (not.isEmpty())
+			walker.sort(RevSort.COMMIT_TIME_DESC);
+		else
+			walker.sort(RevSort.TOPO);
 		if (thin && !not.isEmpty())
 			walker.sort(RevSort.BOUNDARY, true);