diff --git a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V1/ItemListsV1.node.ts b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V1/ItemListsV1.node.ts
index 1684b71642..1630756e2b 100644
--- a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V1/ItemListsV1.node.ts
+++ b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V1/ItemListsV1.node.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-import type { NodeVMOptions } from 'vm2';
-import { NodeVM } from 'vm2';
-
 import type {
 	IDataObject,
 	IExecuteFunctions,
@@ -61,6 +58,7 @@ const shuffleArray = (array: any[]) => {
 };
 
 import * as summarize from './summarize.operation';
+import { sortByCode } from '../V3/helpers/utils';
 
 export class ItemListsV1 implements INodeType {
 	description: INodeTypeDescription;
@@ -1369,36 +1367,7 @@ return 0;`,
 						return result;
 					});
 				} else {
-					const code = this.getNodeParameter('code', 0) as string;
-					const regexCheck = /\breturn\b/g.exec(code);
-
-					if (regexCheck?.length) {
-						const sandbox = {
-							newItems,
-						};
-						const mode = this.getMode();
-						const options = {
-							console: mode === 'manual' ? 'redirect' : 'inherit',
-							sandbox,
-						};
-						const vm = new NodeVM(options as unknown as NodeVMOptions);
-
-						newItems = await vm.run(
-							`
-						module.exports = async function() {
-							newItems.sort( (a,b) => {
-								${code}
-							})
-							return newItems;
-						}()`,
-							__dirname,
-						);
-					} else {
-						throw new NodeOperationError(
-							this.getNode(),
-							"Sort code doesn't return. Please add a 'return' statement to your code",
-						);
-					}
+					newItems = sortByCode.call(this, newItems);
 				}
 				return this.prepareOutputData(newItems);
 			} else if (operation === 'limit') {
diff --git a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V2/ItemListsV2.node.ts b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V2/ItemListsV2.node.ts
index d2d952218f..23c14a156f 100644
--- a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V2/ItemListsV2.node.ts
+++ b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V2/ItemListsV2.node.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-import type { NodeVMOptions } from 'vm2';
-import { NodeVM } from 'vm2';
-
 import type {
 	IDataObject,
 	IExecuteFunctions,
@@ -61,6 +58,7 @@ const shuffleArray = (array: any[]) => {
 };
 
 import * as summarize from './summarize.operation';
+import { sortByCode } from '../V3/helpers/utils';
 
 export class ItemListsV2 implements INodeType {
 	description: INodeTypeDescription;
@@ -1409,36 +1407,7 @@ return 0;`,
 						return result;
 					});
 				} else {
-					const code = this.getNodeParameter('code', 0) as string;
-					const regexCheck = /\breturn\b/g.exec(code);
-
-					if (regexCheck?.length) {
-						const sandbox = {
-							newItems,
-						};
-						const mode = this.getMode();
-						const options = {
-							console: mode === 'manual' ? 'redirect' : 'inherit',
-							sandbox,
-						};
-						const vm = new NodeVM(options as unknown as NodeVMOptions);
-
-						newItems = await vm.run(
-							`
-						module.exports = async function() {
-							newItems.sort( (a,b) => {
-								${code}
-							})
-							return newItems;
-						}()`,
-							__dirname,
-						);
-					} else {
-						throw new NodeOperationError(
-							this.getNode(),
-							"Sort code doesn't return. Please add a 'return' statement to your code",
-						);
-					}
+					newItems = sortByCode.call(this, newItems);
 				}
 				return this.prepareOutputData(newItems);
 			} else if (operation === 'limit') {
diff --git a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V3/actions/itemList/sort.operation.ts b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V3/actions/itemList/sort.operation.ts
index 6d497253d8..fc67372aa3 100644
--- a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V3/actions/itemList/sort.operation.ts
+++ b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V3/actions/itemList/sort.operation.ts
@@ -7,15 +7,12 @@ import type {
 import { NodeOperationError } from 'n8n-workflow';
 import { updateDisplayOptions } from '@utils/utilities';
 
-import type { NodeVMOptions } from 'vm2';
-import { NodeVM } from 'vm2';
-
 import get from 'lodash/get';
 
 import isEqual from 'lodash/isEqual';
 import lt from 'lodash/lt';
 
-import { shuffleArray } from '../../helpers/utils';
+import { shuffleArray, sortByCode } from '../../helpers/utils';
 import { disableDotNotationBoolean } from '../common.descriptions';
 
 const properties: INodeProperties[] = [
@@ -272,36 +269,7 @@ export async function execute(
 			return result;
 		});
 	} else {
-		const code = this.getNodeParameter('code', 0) as string;
-		const regexCheck = /\breturn\b/g.exec(code);
-
-		if (regexCheck?.length) {
-			const sandbox = {
-				newItems: returnData,
-			};
-			const mode = this.getMode();
-			const options = {
-				console: mode === 'manual' ? 'redirect' : 'inherit',
-				sandbox,
-			};
-			const vm = new NodeVM(options as unknown as NodeVMOptions);
-
-			returnData = await vm.run(
-				`
-			module.exports = async function() {
-				newItems.sort( (a,b) => {
-					${code}
-				})
-				return newItems;
-			}()`,
-				__dirname,
-			);
-		} else {
-			throw new NodeOperationError(
-				this.getNode(),
-				"Sort code doesn't return. Please add a 'return' statement to your code",
-			);
-		}
+		returnData = sortByCode.call(this, returnData);
 	}
 	return returnData;
 }
diff --git a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V3/helpers/utils.ts b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V3/helpers/utils.ts
index 60600eb8d6..500cbc3840 100644
--- a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V3/helpers/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/ItemLists/V3/helpers/utils.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-import type { IDataObject, INode, INodeExecutionData } from 'n8n-workflow';
+import { NodeVM } from 'vm2';
+import {
+	NodeOperationError,
+	type IDataObject,
+	type IExecuteFunctions,
+	type INode,
+	type INodeExecutionData,
+} from 'n8n-workflow';
 
 import get from 'lodash/get';
 import isEqual from 'lodash/isEqual';
@@ -57,3 +64,26 @@ export const prepareFieldsArray = (fields: string | string[], fieldName = 'Field
 		`The \'${fieldName}\' parameter must be a string of fields separated by commas or an array of strings.`,
 	);
 };
+
+const returnRegExp = /\breturn\b/g;
+
+export function sortByCode(
+	this: IExecuteFunctions,
+	items: INodeExecutionData[],
+): INodeExecutionData[] {
+	const code = this.getNodeParameter('code', 0) as string;
+	if (!returnRegExp.test(code)) {
+		throw new NodeOperationError(
+			this.getNode(),
+			"Sort code doesn't return. Please add a 'return' statement to your code",
+		);
+	}
+
+	const mode = this.getMode();
+	const vm = new NodeVM({
+		console: mode === 'manual' ? 'redirect' : 'inherit',
+		sandbox: { items },
+	});
+
+	return vm.run(`module.exports = items.sort((a, b) => { ${code} })`);
+}