diff --git a/makesure.awk b/makesure.awk
index 054c16c..e91597a 100755
--- a/makesure.awk
+++ b/makesure.awk
@@ -651,25 +651,20 @@ function dl(url, dest,    verbose) {
 # s1 > s2 -> 1
 # s1== s2 -> 0
 # s1 < s2 -> -1
-function natOrder(s1,s2, i1,i2,   c1, c2, n1,n2, l1, l2) {
-  l1 = length(s1); l2 = length(s2)
+function natOrder(s1,s2, i1,i2,   c1, c2, n1,n2) {
+  if (_digit(c1 = substr(s1,i1,1)) && _digit(c2 = substr(s2,i2,1))) {
+    n1 = +c1; while(_digit(c1 = substr(s1,++i1,1))) { n1 = n1 * 10 + c1 }
+    n2 = +c2; while(_digit(c2 = substr(s2,++i2,1))) { n2 = n2 * 10 + c2 }
 
-  if (i1 == l1+1 || i2 == l2+1)
-    return _cmp(l1-i1, l2-i2)
+    return n1 == n2 ? natOrder(s1, s2, i1, i2) : _cmp(n1, n2)
+  }
 
-  while ((c1 = substr(s1,i1,1)) == (c2 = substr(s2,i2,1))) {
+  # consume till equal substrings
+  while ((c1 = substr(s1,i1,1)) == (c2 = substr(s2,i2,1)) && c1 != "") {
     i1++; i2++
-    if (i1>l1 || i2>l2)
-      return _cmp(l1-i1, l2-i2)
   }
 
-  if (!_digit(c1) || !_digit(c2))
-    return _cmp(c1, c2)
-
-  n1 = 0; while(_digit(c1 = substr(s1,i1++,1))) { n1 = n1 * 10 + c1 }
-  n2 = 0; while(_digit(c2 = substr(s2,i2++,1))) { n2 = n2 * 10 + c2 }
-
-  return n1 == n2 ? natOrder(s1, s2, i1, i2) : _cmp(n1, n2)
+  return _digit(c1) && _digit(c2) ? natOrder(s1, s2, i1, i2) : _cmp(c1, c2)
 }
 function _cmp(v1, v2) { return v1 > v2 ? 1 : v1 < v2 ? -1 : 0 }
 function _digit(c) { return c >= "0" && c <= "9" }
@@ -679,7 +674,7 @@ function quicksort(data, left, right,   i, last) {
   quicksortSwap(data, left, int((left + right) / 2))
   last = left
   for (i = left + 1; i <= right; i++)
-    if (natOrder(data[i], data[left]) < 1)
+    if (natOrder(data[i], data[left],1,1) < 1)
       quicksortSwap(data, ++last, i)
   quicksortSwap(data, left, last)
   quicksort(data, left, last - 1)