diff --git a/src/ol/array.js b/src/ol/array.js
index a50cd774e9..9bd4df5a7a 100644
--- a/src/ol/array.js
+++ b/src/ol/array.js
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ ol.array.binaryFindNearest = function(arr, target) {
 
 
 /**
- * Default compare for array sort, will make sure number sort works okay.
+ * Compare function for array sort that is safe for numbers.
  * @param {*} a The first object to be compared.
  * @param {*} b The second object to be compared.
  * @return {number} A negative number, zero, or a positive number as the first
  *     argument is less than, equal to, or greater than the second.
  */
-ol.array.defaultCompare = function(a, b) {
+ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction = function(a, b) {
   return a > b ? 1 : a < b ? -1 : 0;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/ol/geom/flat/interiorpointflatgeom.js b/src/ol/geom/flat/interiorpointflatgeom.js
index f73e423e14..bffd186d20 100644
--- a/src/ol/geom/flat/interiorpointflatgeom.js
+++ b/src/ol/geom/flat/interiorpointflatgeom.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ ol.geom.flat.interiorpoint.linearRings = function(flatCoordinates, offset,
   // inside the linear ring.
   var pointX = NaN;
   var maxSegmentLength = -Infinity;
-  intersections.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+  intersections.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
   x1 = intersections[0];
   for (i = 1, ii = intersections.length; i < ii; ++i) {
     x2 = intersections[i];
diff --git a/src/ol/render/canvas/canvasimmediate.js b/src/ol/render/canvas/canvasimmediate.js
index ae13f9def7..8920002fcc 100644
--- a/src/ol/render/canvas/canvasimmediate.js
+++ b/src/ol/render/canvas/canvasimmediate.js
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ ol.render.canvas.Immediate.prototype.drawText = goog.abstractMethod;
 ol.render.canvas.Immediate.prototype.flush = function() {
   /** @type {Array.<number>} */
   var zs = Object.keys(this.callbacksByZIndex_).map(Number);
-  zs.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+  zs.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
   var i, ii, callbacks, j, jj;
   for (i = 0, ii = zs.length; i < ii; ++i) {
     callbacks = this.callbacksByZIndex_[zs[i].toString()];
diff --git a/src/ol/render/canvas/canvasreplay.js b/src/ol/render/canvas/canvasreplay.js
index 421fab76db..6c6668ca75 100644
--- a/src/ol/render/canvas/canvasreplay.js
+++ b/src/ol/render/canvas/canvasreplay.js
@@ -2001,7 +2001,7 @@ ol.render.canvas.ReplayGroup.prototype.replay = function(
 
   /** @type {Array.<number>} */
   var zs = Object.keys(this.replaysByZIndex_).map(Number);
-  zs.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+  zs.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
 
   // setup clipping so that the parts of over-simplified geometries are not
   // visible outside the current extent when panning
diff --git a/src/ol/render/webgl/webglimmediate.js b/src/ol/render/webgl/webglimmediate.js
index 37ca04cb4f..d6590cea31 100644
--- a/src/ol/render/webgl/webglimmediate.js
+++ b/src/ol/render/webgl/webglimmediate.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ goog.inherits(ol.render.webgl.Immediate, ol.render.VectorContext);
 ol.render.webgl.Immediate.prototype.flush = function() {
   /** @type {Array.<number>} */
   var zs = Object.keys(this.callbacksByZIndex_).map(Number);
-  zs.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+  zs.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
   var i, ii, callbacks, j, jj;
   for (i = 0, ii = zs.length; i < ii; ++i) {
     callbacks = this.callbacksByZIndex_[zs[i].toString()];
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvastilelayerrenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvastilelayerrenderer.js
index 11c404996b..af355159ad 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvastilelayerrenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvastilelayerrenderer.js
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame =
 
   /** @type {Array.<number>} */
   var zs = Object.keys(tilesToDrawByZ).map(Number);
-  zs.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+  zs.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
   var opaque = tileSource.getOpaque();
   var origin = ol.extent.getTopLeft(tileGrid.getTileCoordExtent(
       [z, canvasTileRange.minX, canvasTileRange.maxY],
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasvectortilelayerrenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasvectortilelayerrenderer.js
index ad9f8c588d..b299254f80 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasvectortilelayerrenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasvectortilelayerrenderer.js
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.VectorTileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame =
 
   /** @type {Array.<number>} */
   var zs = Object.keys(tilesToDrawByZ).map(Number);
-  zs.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+  zs.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
   var replayables = [];
   var i, ii, currentZ, tileCoordKey, tilesToDraw;
   for (i = 0, ii = zs.length; i < ii; ++i) {
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/dom/domtilelayerrenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/dom/domtilelayerrenderer.js
index fbf77cde40..e26469bd85 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/dom/domtilelayerrenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/dom/domtilelayerrenderer.js
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ ol.renderer.dom.TileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame =
 
   /** @type {Array.<number>} */
   var zs = Object.keys(tilesToDrawByZ).map(Number);
-  zs.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+  zs.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
 
   /** @type {Object.<number, boolean>} */
   var newTileLayerZKeys = {};
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ ol.renderer.dom.TileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame =
 
   /** @type {Array.<number>} */
   var tileLayerZKeys = Object.keys(this.tileLayerZs_).map(Number);
-  tileLayerZKeys.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+  tileLayerZKeys.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
 
   var i, ii, j, origin, resolution;
   var transform = goog.vec.Mat4.createNumber();
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/webgl/webgltilelayerrenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/webgl/webgltilelayerrenderer.js
index a22b653e29..d6a6484dfe 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/webgl/webgltilelayerrenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/webgl/webgltilelayerrenderer.js
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ ol.renderer.webgl.TileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame =
 
     /** @type {Array.<number>} */
     var zs = Object.keys(tilesToDrawByZ).map(Number);
-    zs.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
+    zs.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
     var u_tileOffset = goog.vec.Vec4.createFloat32();
     var i, ii, sx, sy, tileKey, tilesToDraw, tx, ty;
     for (i = 0, ii = zs.length; i < ii; ++i) {
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/array.test.js b/test/spec/ol/array.test.js
index ae142d3411..035824e045 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/array.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/array.test.js
@@ -2,13 +2,12 @@ goog.provide('ol.test.array');
 
 describe('ol.array', function() {
 
-  describe('defaultCompare', function() {
+  describe('numberSafeCompareFunction', function() {
     it('sorts as expected', function() {
       var arr = [40, 200, 3000];
-      var expected = [40, 200, 3000];
       // default sort would yield [200, 3000, 40]
-      arr.sort(ol.array.defaultCompare);
-      expect(arr).to.eql(expected);
+      arr.sort(ol.array.numberSafeCompareFunction);
+      expect(arr).to.eql(arr);
     });
   });