diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/complete2.py b/src/calibre/gui2/complete2.py
index afac58d160..c16557707f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/complete2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/complete2.py
@@ -320,6 +320,9 @@ class LineEdit(QLineEdit, LineEditECM):
         self.no_popup = False
 
     # Interface {{{
+    def set_sort_func(self, sort_func):
+        self.mcompleter.model().sort_func = sort_func
+
     def update_items_cache(self, complete_items):
         self.all_items = complete_items
 
@@ -457,6 +460,10 @@ class EditWithComplete(EnComboBox):
         self.installEventFilter(self)
 
     # Interface {{{
+
+    def set_sort_func(self, sort_func):
+        self.lineEdit().set_sort_func(sort_func)
+
     def showPopup(self):
         orig = self.disable_popup
         self.disable_popup = False
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
index b36cfeb063..6b87827d80 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
@@ -495,6 +495,7 @@ class MetadataBulkDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataBulkDialog):
     def __init__(self, window, rows, model, tab, refresh_books):
         QDialog.__init__(self, window)
         self.setupUi(self)
+        self.series.set_sort_func(title_sort)
         self.model = model
         self.db = model.db
         self.refresh_book_list.setChecked(gprefs['refresh_book_list_on_bulk_edit'])
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
index 7833543e15..4ce508361f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from qt.core import (Qt, QApplication, QStyle, QIcon,  QDoubleSpinBox, QStyleOpt
         QAbstractTextDocumentLayout, QFont, QFontInfo, QDate, QDateTimeEdit, QDateTime, QEvent,
         QStyleOptionComboBox, QStyleOptionSpinBox, QLocale, QSize, QLineEdit, QDialog, QPalette)
 
-from calibre.ebooks.metadata import rating_to_stars
+from calibre.ebooks.metadata import rating_to_stars, title_sort
 from calibre.gui2 import UNDEFINED_QDATETIME, rating_font, gprefs
 from calibre.constants import iswindows
 from calibre.gui2.widgets import EnLineEdit
@@ -286,6 +286,8 @@ class PubDateDelegate(QStyledItemDelegate, UpdateEditorGeometry):  # {{{
 
 class TextDelegate(QStyledItemDelegate, UpdateEditorGeometry):  # {{{
 
+    use_title_sort = False
+
     def __init__(self, parent):
         '''
         Delegate for text data. If auto_complete_function needs to return a list
@@ -301,7 +303,10 @@ class TextDelegate(QStyledItemDelegate, UpdateEditorGeometry):  # {{{
 
     def createEditor(self, parent, option, index):
         if self.auto_complete_function:
-            editor = EditWithComplete(parent)
+            if self.use_title_sort:
+                editor = EditWithComplete(parent, sort_func=title_sort)
+            else:
+                editor = EditWithComplete(parent)
             editor.set_separator(None)
             editor.set_clear_button_enabled(False)
             complete_items = [i[1] for i in self.auto_complete_function()]
@@ -326,6 +331,8 @@ class TextDelegate(QStyledItemDelegate, UpdateEditorGeometry):  # {{{
 
 class SeriesDelegate(TextDelegate):  # {{{
 
+    use_title_sort = True
+
     def initStyleOption(self, option, index):
         TextDelegate.initStyleOption(self, option, index)
         option.textElideMode = Qt.TextElideMode.ElideMiddle
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
index 93b0085d11..24091dfd9c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ class SeriesEdit(EditWithComplete, ToMetadataMixin):
     data_changed = pyqtSignal()
 
     def __init__(self, parent):
-        EditWithComplete.__init__(self, parent)
+        EditWithComplete.__init__(self, parent, sort_func=title_sort)
         self.set_clear_button_enabled(False)
         self.set_separator(None)
         self.dialog = parent