diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index df17991ebd..1b508e0666 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -502,7 +502,6 @@ func (db *DB) reload() (err error) {
 	sort.Slice(blocks, func(i, j int) bool {
 		return blocks[i].Meta().MinTime < blocks[j].Meta().MinTime
 	})
-
 	if err := validateBlockSequence(blocks); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "invalid block sequence")
 	}
@@ -597,10 +596,6 @@ func OverlappingBlocks(bm []BlockMeta) Overlaps {
 	if len(bm) <= 1 {
 		return nil
 	}
-	sort.Slice(bm, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return bm[i].MinTime < bm[j].MinTime
-	})
-
 	var (
 		overlaps [][]BlockMeta
 
diff --git a/db_test.go b/db_test.go
index 205b0f8440..698bf78b00 100644
--- a/db_test.go
+++ b/db_test.go
@@ -1025,33 +1025,41 @@ func TestOverlappingBlocksDetectsAllOverlaps(t *testing.T) {
 
 	testutil.Assert(t, len(OverlappingBlocks(metas)) == 0, "we found unexpected overlaps")
 
-	// Add overlapping blocks.
+	// Add overlapping blocks. We've to establish order again since we aren't interested
+	// in trivial overlaps caused by unorderedness.
+	add := func(ms ...BlockMeta) []BlockMeta {
+		repl := append(append([]BlockMeta{}, metas...), ms...)
+		sort.Slice(repl, func(i, j int) bool {
+			return repl[i].MinTime < repl[j].MinTime
+		})
+		return repl
+	}
 
 	// o1 overlaps with 10-20.
 	o1 := BlockMeta{MinTime: 15, MaxTime: 17}
 	testutil.Equals(t, Overlaps{
 		{Min: 15, Max: 17}: {metas[1], o1},
-	}, OverlappingBlocks(append(metas, o1)))
+	}, OverlappingBlocks(add(o1)))
 
 	// o2 overlaps with 20-30 and 30-40.
 	o2 := BlockMeta{MinTime: 21, MaxTime: 31}
 	testutil.Equals(t, Overlaps{
 		{Min: 21, Max: 30}: {metas[2], o2},
 		{Min: 30, Max: 31}: {o2, metas[3]},
-	}, OverlappingBlocks(append(metas, o2)))
+	}, OverlappingBlocks(add(o2)))
 
 	// o3a and o3b overlaps with 30-40 and each other.
 	o3a := BlockMeta{MinTime: 33, MaxTime: 39}
 	o3b := BlockMeta{MinTime: 34, MaxTime: 36}
 	testutil.Equals(t, Overlaps{
 		{Min: 34, Max: 36}: {metas[3], o3a, o3b},
-	}, OverlappingBlocks(append(metas, o3a, o3b)))
+	}, OverlappingBlocks(add(o3a, o3b)))
 
 	// o4 is 1:1 overlap with 50-60.
 	o4 := BlockMeta{MinTime: 50, MaxTime: 60}
 	testutil.Equals(t, Overlaps{
 		{Min: 50, Max: 60}: {metas[5], o4},
-	}, OverlappingBlocks(append(metas, o4)))
+	}, OverlappingBlocks(add(o4)))
 
 	// o5 overlaps with 60-70, 70-80 and 80-90.
 	o5 := BlockMeta{MinTime: 61, MaxTime: 85}
@@ -1059,7 +1067,7 @@ func TestOverlappingBlocksDetectsAllOverlaps(t *testing.T) {
 		{Min: 61, Max: 70}: {metas[6], o5},
 		{Min: 70, Max: 80}: {o5, metas[7]},
 		{Min: 80, Max: 85}: {o5, metas[8]},
-	}, OverlappingBlocks(append(metas, o5)))
+	}, OverlappingBlocks(add(o5)))
 
 	// o6a overlaps with 90-100, 100-110 and o6b, o6b overlaps with 90-100 and o6a.
 	o6a := BlockMeta{MinTime: 92, MaxTime: 105}
@@ -1067,7 +1075,7 @@ func TestOverlappingBlocksDetectsAllOverlaps(t *testing.T) {
 	testutil.Equals(t, Overlaps{
 		{Min: 94, Max: 99}:   {metas[9], o6a, o6b},
 		{Min: 100, Max: 105}: {o6a, metas[10]},
-	}, OverlappingBlocks(append(metas, o6a, o6b)))
+	}, OverlappingBlocks(add(o6a, o6b)))
 
 	// All together.
 	testutil.Equals(t, Overlaps{
@@ -1077,7 +1085,7 @@ func TestOverlappingBlocksDetectsAllOverlaps(t *testing.T) {
 		{Min: 50, Max: 60}: {metas[5], o4},
 		{Min: 61, Max: 70}: {metas[6], o5}, {Min: 70, Max: 80}: {o5, metas[7]}, {Min: 80, Max: 85}: {o5, metas[8]},
 		{Min: 94, Max: 99}: {metas[9], o6a, o6b}, {Min: 100, Max: 105}: {o6a, metas[10]},
-	}, OverlappingBlocks(append(metas, o1, o2, o3a, o3b, o4, o5, o6a, o6b)))
+	}, OverlappingBlocks(add(o1, o2, o3a, o3b, o4, o5, o6a, o6b)))
 
 	// Additional case.
 	var nc1 []BlockMeta