diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/frontend_helpers.cpp b/src/frontends/controllers/frontend_helpers.cpp
index 22d1048a80..25c1434641 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/frontend_helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/frontend_helpers.cpp
@@ -1113,6 +1113,16 @@ public:
 	}
 };
 
+
+class ColorSorter
+{
+public:
+	bool operator()(Color::color const & lhs,
+			Color::color const & rhs) const {
+		return lcolor.getGUIName(lhs) < lcolor.getGUIName(rhs);
+	}
+};
+
 } // namespace anon
 
 
@@ -1147,6 +1157,14 @@ vector<LanguagePair> const getLanguageData(bool character_dlg)
 	return langs;
 }
 
+
+vector<Color_color> const getSortedColors(vector<Color_color> colors)
+{
+	// sort the colors
+	std::sort(colors.begin(), colors.end(), ColorSorter());
+	return colors;
+}
+
 } // namespace frontend
 
 using support::addName;
diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/frontend_helpers.h b/src/frontends/controllers/frontend_helpers.h
index ae3ce48de9..2d71a2668b 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/frontend_helpers.h
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/frontend_helpers.h
@@ -229,6 +229,8 @@ typedef std::pair<docstring, std::string> LanguagePair;
  *  to the vector.
  */
 std::vector<LanguagePair> const getLanguageData(bool character_dlg);
+/// sort colors for the gui
+std::vector<Color_color> const getSortedColors(std::vector<Color_color> colors);
 
 } // namespace frontend
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/QPrefs.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/QPrefs.cpp
index 3840f7e249..b7b446b1cb 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/QPrefs.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/QPrefs.cpp
@@ -534,9 +534,15 @@ PrefColors::PrefColors(QPrefs * form, QWidget * parent)
 			|| lc == Color::ignore) continue;
 
 		lcolors_.push_back(lc);
+	}
+	lcolors_ = frontend::getSortedColors(lcolors_);
+	vector<Color_color>::const_iterator cit = lcolors_.begin();
+	vector<Color_color>::const_iterator const end = lcolors_.end();
+	for (; cit != end; ++cit)
+	{
 		// This is not a memory leak:
 		/*QListWidgetItem * newItem =*/ new QListWidgetItem(QIcon(icon),
-			toqstr(lcolor.getGUIName(lc)), lyxObjectsLW);
+			toqstr(lcolor.getGUIName(*cit)), lyxObjectsLW);
 	}
 	curcolors_.resize(lcolors_.size());
 	newcolors_.resize(lcolors_.size());
diff --git a/status.15x b/status.15x
index fb5db1ca20..9c885db5e5 100644
--- a/status.15x
+++ b/status.15x
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ What's new
 - Fix bug with math-matrix dialog always producing 1x1 matrices on
   platforms lacking proper support for wide characters (bug 4076).
 
+- Sort colors in the Preferences dialog (bug 2571).
+
+
 * DOCUMENTATION