diff --git a/core/commands/ls.go b/core/commands/ls.go
index bf16280cc35c..268229f6a9b6 100644
--- a/core/commands/ls.go
+++ b/core/commands/ls.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
+	"sort"
 	"text/tabwriter"
 
 	cmdenv "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/commands/cmdenv"
@@ -112,6 +113,10 @@ The JSON output contains type information.
 						return nil
 					}, func(i int) {
 						// after each dir
+						sort.Slice(outputLinks, func(i, j int) bool {
+							return outputLinks[i].Name < outputLinks[j].Name
+						})
+
 						output[i] = LsObject{
 							Hash:  paths[i],
 							Links: outputLinks,
@@ -131,7 +136,6 @@ The JSON output contains type information.
 			}
 
 			results, err := api.Unixfs().Ls(req.Context, p,
-				options.Unixfs.Async(stream),
 				options.Unixfs.ResolveType(resolveType),
 				options.Unixfs.ResolveSize(resolveSize))
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/options/unixfs.go b/core/coreapi/interface/options/unixfs.go
index 4ff5cdb3f817..7e77410bc60b 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/options/unixfs.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/options/unixfs.go
@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@ type UnixfsAddSettings struct {
 }
 
 type UnixfsLsSettings struct {
-	Async bool
-
 	ResolveType bool
 	ResolveSize bool
 }
@@ -132,8 +130,6 @@ func UnixfsAddOptions(opts ...UnixfsAddOption) (*UnixfsAddSettings, cid.Prefix,
 
 func UnixfsLsOptions(opts ...UnixfsLsOption) (*UnixfsLsSettings, error) {
 	options := &UnixfsLsSettings{
-		Async: true,
-
 		ResolveSize: true,
 		ResolveType: true,
 	}
@@ -317,16 +313,6 @@ func (unixfsOpts) Nocopy(enable bool) UnixfsAddOption {
 	}
 }
 
-// Async tells ls to return results as soon as they are available, which can be
-// useful for listing HAMT directories. When this option is set to true returned
-// results won't be returned in order
-func (unixfsOpts) Async(async bool) UnixfsLsOption {
-	return func(settings *UnixfsLsSettings) error {
-		settings.Async = async
-		return nil
-	}
-}
-
 func (unixfsOpts) ResolveSize(resolve bool) UnixfsLsOption {
 	return func(settings *UnixfsLsSettings) error {
 		settings.ResolveSize = resolve
diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/tests/unixfs.go b/core/coreapi/interface/tests/unixfs.go
index b2b5a9ebb037..054461de1d86 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/tests/unixfs.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/tests/unixfs.go
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ func (tp *provider) TestLs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	links, err := api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, p, options.Unixfs.Async(false))
+	links, err := api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -767,25 +767,6 @@ func (tp *provider) TestLs(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, ok := <-links; ok {
 		t.Errorf("didn't expect a second link")
 	}
-
-	links, err = api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, p, options.Unixfs.Async(true))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-
-	link = (<-links).Link
-	if link.Size != 23 {
-		t.Fatalf("expected size = 23, got %d", link.Size)
-	}
-	if link.Name != "name-of-file" {
-		t.Fatalf("expected name = name-of-file, got %s", link.Name)
-	}
-	if link.Cid.String() != "QmX3qQVKxDGz3URVC3861Z3CKtQKGBn6ffXRBBWGMFz9Lr" {
-		t.Fatalf("expected cid = QmX3qQVKxDGz3URVC3861Z3CKtQKGBn6ffXRBBWGMFz9Lr, got %s", link.Cid)
-	}
-	if _, ok := <-links; ok {
-		t.Errorf("didn't expect a second link")
-	}
 }
 
 func (tp *provider) TestEntriesExpired(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/unixfs.go b/core/coreapi/interface/unixfs.go
index 846b74629617..a77011988d5a 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/unixfs.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/unixfs.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ type UnixfsAPI interface {
 	// to operations performed on the returned file
 	Get(context.Context, Path) (files.Node, error)
 
-	// Ls returns the list of links in a directory
+	// Ls returns the list of links in a directory. Links aren't guaranteed to be
+	// returned in order
 	Ls(context.Context, Path, ...options.UnixfsLsOption) (<-chan LsLink, error)
 }
diff --git a/core/coreapi/unixfs.go b/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
index 5a3802fea44e..df0a58595ec4 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
@@ -167,10 +167,6 @@ func (api *UnixfsAPI) Ls(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path, opts ...options.
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if !settings.Async {
-		return uses.lsFromDir(ctx, dir, settings)
-	}
-
 	return uses.lsFromLinksAsync(ctx, dir, settings)
 }
 
@@ -234,14 +230,6 @@ func (api *UnixfsAPI) lsFromLinksAsync(ctx context.Context, dir uio.Directory, s
 	return out, nil
 }
 
-func (api *UnixfsAPI) lsFromDir(ctx context.Context, dir uio.Directory, settings *options.UnixfsLsSettings) (<-chan coreiface.LsLink, error) {
-	l, err := dir.Links(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return api.lsFromLinks(ctx, l, settings)
-}
-
 func (api *UnixfsAPI) lsFromLinks(ctx context.Context, ndlinks []*ipld.Link, settings *options.UnixfsLsSettings) (<-chan coreiface.LsLink, error) {
 	links := make(chan coreiface.LsLink, len(ndlinks))
 	for _, l := range ndlinks {