diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AutowireUtils.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AutowireUtils.java
index 67f9525675..50adef4df2 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AutowireUtils.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AutowireUtils.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
  */
 abstract class AutowireUtils {
 
-	private static final Comparator<Executable> EXECUTABLE_COMPARATOR = (e1, e2) -> {
+	public static final Comparator<Executable> EXECUTABLE_COMPARATOR = (e1, e2) -> {
 		int result = Boolean.compare(Modifier.isPublic(e2.getModifiers()), Modifier.isPublic(e1.getModifiers()));
 		return result != 0 ? result : Integer.compare(e2.getParameterCount(), e1.getParameterCount());
 	};
diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/ConstructorResolver.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/ConstructorResolver.java
index cf43c433a2..d98b72efc7 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/ConstructorResolver.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/ConstructorResolver.java
@@ -453,27 +453,27 @@ class ConstructorResolver {
 			// Try all methods with this name to see if they match the given arguments.
 			factoryClass = ClassUtils.getUserClass(factoryClass);
 
-			List<Method> candidateList = null;
+			List<Method> candidates = null;
 			if (mbd.isFactoryMethodUnique) {
 				if (factoryMethodToUse == null) {
 					factoryMethodToUse = mbd.getResolvedFactoryMethod();
 				}
 				if (factoryMethodToUse != null) {
-					candidateList = Collections.singletonList(factoryMethodToUse);
+					candidates = Collections.singletonList(factoryMethodToUse);
 				}
 			}
-			if (candidateList == null) {
-				candidateList = new ArrayList<>();
+			if (candidates == null) {
+				candidates = new ArrayList<>();
 				Method[] rawCandidates = getCandidateMethods(factoryClass, mbd);
 				for (Method candidate : rawCandidates) {
 					if (Modifier.isStatic(candidate.getModifiers()) == isStatic && mbd.isFactoryMethod(candidate)) {
-						candidateList.add(candidate);
+						candidates.add(candidate);
 					}
 				}
 			}
 
-			if (candidateList.size() == 1 && explicitArgs == null && !mbd.hasConstructorArgumentValues()) {
-				Method uniqueCandidate = candidateList.get(0);
+			if (candidates.size() == 1 && explicitArgs == null && !mbd.hasConstructorArgumentValues()) {
+				Method uniqueCandidate = candidates.get(0);
 				if (uniqueCandidate.getParameterCount() == 0) {
 					mbd.factoryMethodToIntrospect = uniqueCandidate;
 					synchronized (mbd.constructorArgumentLock) {
@@ -486,8 +486,7 @@ class ConstructorResolver {
 				}
 			}
 
-			Method[] candidates = candidateList.toArray(new Method[0]);
-			AutowireUtils.sortFactoryMethods(candidates);
+			candidates.sort(AutowireUtils.EXECUTABLE_COMPARATOR);
 
 			ConstructorArgumentValues resolvedValues = null;
 			boolean autowiring = (mbd.getResolvedAutowireMode() == AutowireCapableBeanFactory.AUTOWIRE_CONSTRUCTOR);
@@ -536,7 +535,7 @@ class ConstructorResolver {
 								paramNames = pnd.getParameterNames(candidate);
 							}
 							argsHolder = createArgumentArray(beanName, mbd, resolvedValues, bw,
-									paramTypes, paramNames, candidate, autowiring, candidates.length == 1);
+									paramTypes, paramNames, candidate, autowiring, candidates.size() == 1);
 						}
 						catch (UnsatisfiedDependencyException ex) {
 							if (logger.isTraceEnabled()) {