diff --git a/stdout/stdout.go b/stdout/stdout.go
index e5dcd3ff3..282577b4c 100644
--- a/stdout/stdout.go
+++ b/stdout/stdout.go
@@ -275,17 +275,25 @@ func (ui *UI) ReadFromStorage(storagePath, path string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (ui *UI) showDir(dir fs.Item) {
+// sortSettings returns the field and the direction the file list is sorted by,
+// honoring --show-apparent-size and --reverse-sort.
+func (ui *UI) sortSettings() (fs.SortBy, fs.SortOrder) {
 	sortOrder := fs.SortDesc
 	if ui.reverseSort {
 		sortOrder = fs.SortAsc
 	}
 
-	sort := fs.SortBySize
+	sortBy := fs.SortBySize
 	if ui.ShowApparentSize {
-		sort = fs.SortByApparentSize
+		sortBy = fs.SortByApparentSize
 	}
 
+	return sortBy, sortOrder
+}
+
+func (ui *UI) showDir(dir fs.Item) {
+	sort, sortOrder := ui.sortSettings()
+
 	for file := range dir.GetFiles(sort, sortOrder) {
 		ui.printItem(file)
 	}
@@ -413,12 +421,7 @@ func (ui *UI) printDirWithDepth(dir fs.Item, currentDepth int) {
 
 	// If we haven't reached the max depth, print contents
 	if currentDepth < ui.depth && dir.IsDir() {
-		sortOrder := fs.SortDesc
-		if ui.reverseSort {
-			sortOrder = fs.SortAsc
-		}
-
-		files := dir.GetFiles(fs.SortBySize, sortOrder)
+		files := dir.GetFiles(ui.sortSettings())
 
 		// Print all files at this depth level
 		for file := range files {
diff --git a/stdout/stdout_test.go b/stdout/stdout_test.go
index 50c5e00ca..e9c1ef1a5 100644
--- a/stdout/stdout_test.go
+++ b/stdout/stdout_test.go
@@ -255,6 +255,34 @@ func TestShowDepthWithReverseSort(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, outputStr, "test_dir/nested/subnested")
 }
 
+func TestShowDepthWithApparentSize(t *testing.T) {
+	// "sparse" has the bigger apparent size but the smaller disk usage, so
+	// --show-apparent-size has to flip the order of the two subdirectories.
+	root := &analyze.Dir{
+		File:      &analyze.File{Name: "root"},
+		BasePath:  "/",
+		ItemCount: 3,
+	}
+	sparse := &analyze.Dir{
+		File:      &analyze.File{Name: "sparse", Parent: root, Size: 50 << 20, Usage: 4096},
+		ItemCount: 1,
+	}
+	dense := &analyze.Dir{
+		File:      &analyze.File{Name: "dense", Parent: root, Size: 5 << 20, Usage: 5 << 20},
+		ItemCount: 1,
+	}
+	root.AddFile(sparse)
+	root.AddFile(dense)
+
+	output := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	ui := CreateStdoutUI(output, false, false, true, false, false, false, false, "", 0, false, 1)
+	ui.printDirWithDepth(root, 0)
+
+	out := output.String()
+	assert.Less(t, strings.Index(out, "/root/sparse"), strings.Index(out, "/root/dense"),
+		"largest apparent size should be printed first, got:\n"+out)
+}
+
 func TestAnalyzeSubdir(t *testing.T) {
 	fin := testdir.CreateTestDir()
 	defer fin()