diff -up s390-tools-2.9.0/zipl/src/Makefile.blscfg-rpm-nvr-sort s390-tools-2.9.0/zipl/src/Makefile
--- s390-tools-2.9.0/zipl/src/Makefile.blscfg-rpm-nvr-sort	2019-05-22 08:16:17.317273801 -0400
+++ s390-tools-2.9.0/zipl/src/Makefile	2019-05-22 08:18:02.947273801 -0400
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ ALL_CPPFLAGS += -I../include -I../boot \
 	    -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 $(NO_PIE_CFLAGS)
 ALL_LDFLAGS += -Wl,-z,noexecstack $(NO_PIE_LDFLAGS)
 
-libs = $(rootdir)/libutil/libutil.a
+libs = $(rootdir)/libutil/libutil.a -lrpmio
 
 objects = misc.o error.o scan.o job.o boot.o bootmap.o disk.o \
 	  install.o zipl.o $(rootdir)/zipl/boot/data.o
diff -up s390-tools-2.9.0/zipl/src/scan.c.blscfg-rpm-nvr-sort s390-tools-2.9.0/zipl/src/scan.c
--- s390-tools-2.9.0/zipl/src/scan.c.blscfg-rpm-nvr-sort	2019-05-21 09:13:36.000000000 -0400
+++ s390-tools-2.9.0/zipl/src/scan.c	2019-05-22 08:16:17.317273801 -0400
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 
 #include "lib/util_base.h"
 
+#include <rpm/rpmlib.h>
+
 #include "boot.h"
 #include "error.h"
 #include "misc.h"
@@ -653,13 +655,103 @@ bls_filter(const struct dirent *ent)
 	return strncmp(ent->d_name + offset, ".conf", strlen(".conf")) == 0;
 }
 
+/* returns name/version/release */
+/* NULL string pointer returned if nothing found */
+static void
+split_package_string (char *package_string, char **name,
+                     char **version, char **release)
+{
+	char *package_version, *package_release;
+
+	/* Release */
+	package_release = strrchr (package_string, '-');
+
+	if (package_release != NULL)
+		*package_release++ = '\0';
+
+	*release = package_release;
+
+	/* Version */
+	package_version = strrchr(package_string, '-');
+
+	if (package_version != NULL)
+		*package_version++ = '\0';
+
+	*version = package_version;
+	/* Name */
+	*name = package_string;
+
+	/* Bubble up non-null values from release to name */
+	if (name != NULL && *name == NULL) {
+		*name = (*version == NULL ? *release : *version);
+		*version = *release;
+		*release = NULL;
+	}
+	if (*version == NULL) {
+		*version = *release;
+		*release = NULL;
+	}
+}
 
 static int
-bls_sort(const struct dirent **ent_a, const struct dirent **ent_b)
+split_cmp(char *nvr0, char *nvr1, int has_name)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+	char *name0, *version0, *release0;
+	char *name1, *version1, *release1;
+
+	split_package_string(nvr0, has_name ? &name0 : NULL, &version0, &release0);
+	split_package_string(nvr1, has_name ? &name1 : NULL, &version1, &release1);
+
+	if (has_name) {
+		ret = rpmvercmp(name0 == NULL ? "" : name0,
+                                name1 == NULL ? "" : name1);
+		if (ret != 0)
+			return ret;
+	}
+
+	ret = rpmvercmp(version0 == NULL ? "" : version0,
+                        version1 == NULL ? "" : version1);
+	if (ret != 0)
+		return ret;
+
+	ret = rpmvercmp(release0 == NULL ? "" : release0,
+                        release1 == NULL ? "" : release1);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+/* return 1: filename0 is newer than filename1 */
+/*        0: filename0 and filename1 are the same version */
+/*       -1: filename1 is newer than filename0 */
+static int bls_cmp(const char *filename0, const char *filename1)
 {
-	return strverscmp((*ent_a)->d_name, (*ent_b)->d_name);
+	char *id0, *id1;
+	int l, r;
+
+	id0 = strdup(filename0);
+	id1 = strdup(filename1);
+
+	l = strlen(id0);
+	if (l > 5 && strcmp(id0 + l - 5, ".conf"))
+		id0[l-5] = '\0';
+
+	l = strlen(id1);
+	if (l > 5 && strcmp(id1 + l - 5, ".conf"))
+		id1[l-5] = '\0';
+
+	r = split_cmp(id0, id1, 1);
+
+	free(id0);
+	free(id1);
+
+	return r;
 }
 
+static int
+bls_sort(const struct dirent **ent_a, const struct dirent **ent_b)
+{
+	return bls_cmp((*ent_a)->d_name, (*ent_b)->d_name);
+}
 
 static int
 scan_append_section_heading(struct scan_token* scan, int* index, char* name);