diff --git a/scripts/prt-auf b/scripts/prt-auf
index 10bf4ba..064b286 100755
--- a/scripts/prt-auf
+++ b/scripts/prt-auf
@@ -83,13 +83,13 @@ if ($action eq "path") { @results = find_port_by_name($query[0],1,1,0);
 $strf = "%s\n";
 if (($action =~ /^(listinst|listorphans)/)
    or (($action eq "dependent") and ($odepends{all}==0))) {
-    foreach my $result (@results) {
+    foreach my $result (sort @results) {
    $result .= " $V_INST{$result}" if $osearch{verbose}==1;
    $result .= " $V_INST{$result}\n$DESC{$result}\n" if $osearch{verbose}>1;
         printf $strf, $result;
     }
 } elsif ($action =~ /^(list|search|dsearch|path|dependent)/) {
-    foreach my $result (@results) {
+    foreach my $result (sort @results) {
    next if ((! $result) or ($result =~ /^\s*$/));
    $result =~ s/.*\/(.*)$/$1/ if (($action ne "path") and ($osearch{path}==0));
    $result .= " $V_REPO{$result}" if (($osearch{verbose}==1) and ($action ne "path"));
@@ -508,22 +508,25 @@ sub list_ports {
   } elsif ($subset eq "inst") { @found = keys %V_INST;
   } elsif ($subset eq "locked") { @found=@LOCKED;
   } elsif ($subset =~ /^(orphans|dependent)$/) {
-    my $seed=shift;
+    my $seed=shift if ($subset eq "dependent");
     if (($subset eq "dependent") and (! find_port_by_name($seed,1,1,0))) {
 	    print "$seed not found in the ports tree.\n"; return;
     }
-    $seed =~ s/\+/\\\+/g; # workaround for any port with a plus sign in its name
+
+    # workaround for any port with a plus sign in its name
+    $seed =~ s/\+/\\\+/g if ($subset eq "dependent");
 
     our @searchspace=(($subset eq "orphans") or ($odepends{all}==0)) ?
       keys %V_INST : keys %DEPENDS;
     @searchspace = grep { defined $DEPENDS{$_} } @searchspace;
 
     if ($subset eq "orphans") {
-        my $inst_deps="";
+        my %not_orphans = map { $_ => 0 } keys %V_INST; my @ndd;
         foreach my $port (@searchspace) {
-	    $inst_deps .= " $DEPENDS{$port} " if ($DEPENDS{$port});
+	    @ndd=split(/ /, $DEPENDS{$port});
+	    map { $not_orphans{$_} = 1 } @ndd;
         }
-	@found = grep { $inst_deps !~ / $_ / } @searchspace;
+	@found = grep { $not_orphans{$_} eq 0 } keys %V_INST;
     } elsif (($subset eq "dependent") and ($odepends{recursive}==0)) {
 	@found = grep { " $DEPENDS{$_} " =~ / $seed / } @searchspace;
     } elsif (($subset eq "dependent") and ($odepends{recursive}==1)) {