diff --git a/rc/tools/ctags.kak b/rc/tools/ctags.kak
index d056fe633..945bc7a62 100644
--- a/rc/tools/ctags.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/ctags.kak
@@ -16,16 +16,22 @@ define-command -params ..1 \
     -shell-script-candidates %{
         realpath() { ( cd "$(dirname "$1")"; printf "%s/%s\n" "$(pwd -P)" "$(basename "$1")" ) }
         eval "set -- $kak_quoted_opt_ctagsfiles"
-        for candidate in "$@"; do
-            [ -f "$candidate" ] && realpath "$candidate"
-        done | awk '!x[$0]++' | # remove duplicates
+        files=$(
+            for candidate in "$@"; do
+                [ -f "$candidate" ] && realpath "$candidate"
+            done |
+                awk '!x[$0]++; # remove duplicates
+                     END { if (length(x) == 1) { exit 1; } }'
+        )
+        [ $? -eq 1 ] && sort=cat || sort=sort
+        printf %s\\n "$files" |
         while read -r tags; do
             namecache="${tags%/*}/.kak.${tags##*/}.namecache"
             if [ -z "$(find "$namecache" -prune -newer "$tags")" ]; then
                 cut -f 1 "$tags" | grep -v '^!' | uniq > "$namecache"
             fi
             cat "$namecache"
-        done | sort } \
+        done | "$sort" } \
     -docstring %{
         ctags-search [<symbol>]: jump to a symbol's definition
         If no symbol is passed then the current selection is used as symbol name
diff --git a/rc/tools/man.kak b/rc/tools/man.kak
index 949af56d0..2fcc98142 100644
--- a/rc/tools/man.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/man.kak
@@ -65,8 +65,7 @@ define-command -params ..1 \
     -shell-script-candidates %{
         find /usr/share/man/ $(printf %s "${MANPATH}" |
             sed 's/:/ /') -name '*.[1-8]*' |
-            sed 's,^.*/\(.*\)\.\([1-8][a-zA-Z]*\).*$,\1(\2),' |
-            sort
+            sed 's,^.*/\(.*\)\.\([1-8][a-zA-Z]*\).*$,\1(\2),'
     } \
     -docstring %{
         man [<page>]: manpage viewer wrapper