diff --git a/core/playlists/artist.c b/core/playlists/artist.c
index 2661ece0..9529cf2d 100644
--- a/core/playlists/artist.c
+++ b/core/playlists/artist.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ static struct playlist *__artist_pl_alloc(struct artist *artist)
 	playlist->pl_type = PL_ARTIST;
 	playlist->pl_id   = artist_index(artist);
 	playlist->pl_ops  = &pl_artist_ops;
-	playlist_generic_init(playlist, artist_ops);
+	playlist_generic_init_sorted(playlist, artist_ops);
 
 	return playlist;
 }
diff --git a/core/playlists/generic.c b/core/playlists/generic.c
index 74ef47f5..b158a6e3 100644
--- a/core/playlists/generic.c
+++ b/core/playlists/generic.c
@@ -40,14 +40,24 @@ void playlist_generic_set_callbacks(struct playlist_callbacks *cb)
 
 void playlist_generic_init(struct playlist *playlist, struct queue_ops *ops)
 {
-	g_queue_init(&playlist->pl_tracks);
-	queue_init(&playlist->pl_queue, ops, playlist);
-	playlist->pl_sort    = NULL;
-	playlist->pl_current = NULL;
-	playlist->pl_search  = NULL;
-	playlist_generic_sort(playlist, COMPARE_ARTIST);
-	playlist_generic_sort(playlist, COMPARE_YEAR);
-	playlist_generic_sort(playlist, COMPARE_TRACK);
+	if (playlist) {
+		g_queue_init(&playlist->pl_tracks);
+		queue_init(&playlist->pl_queue, ops, playlist);
+		playlist->pl_sort    = NULL;
+		playlist->pl_current = NULL;
+		playlist->pl_search  = NULL;
+	}
+}
+
+void playlist_generic_init_sorted(struct playlist  *playlist,
+				  struct queue_ops *ops)
+{
+	if (playlist) {
+		playlist_generic_init(playlist, ops);
+		playlist_generic_sort(playlist, COMPARE_ARTIST);
+		playlist_generic_sort(playlist, COMPARE_YEAR);
+		playlist_generic_sort(playlist, COMPARE_TRACK);
+	}
 }
 
 void playlist_generic_deinit(struct playlist *playlist)
diff --git a/core/playlists/library.c b/core/playlists/library.c
index 0457e2c0..28cfed83 100644
--- a/core/playlists/library.c
+++ b/core/playlists/library.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ static struct playlist *__lib_pl_alloc(struct library *library)
 	playlist->pl_type = PL_LIBRARY;
 	playlist->pl_id   = library_index(library);
 	playlist->pl_ops  = &pl_library_ops;
-	playlist_generic_init(playlist, lib_ops);
+	playlist_generic_init_sorted(playlist, lib_ops);
 
 	return playlist;
 }
diff --git a/core/playlists/system.c b/core/playlists/system.c
index 0e77efc5..af8c32c2 100644
--- a/core/playlists/system.c
+++ b/core/playlists/system.c
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ void pl_system_init(struct queue_ops *ops)
 		switch (i) {
 		case SYS_PL_QUEUED:
 		case SYS_PL_HISTORY:
-			queue_init(&playlist->pl_queue, ops, playlist);
+			playlist_generic_init(playlist, ops);
 			break;
 		case SYS_PL_COLLECTION:
 		case SYS_PL_UNPLAYED:
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ void pl_system_init(struct queue_ops *ops)
 			sys_pl_update(playlist);
 		case SYS_PL_FAVORITES:
 		case SYS_PL_HIDDEN:
-			playlist_generic_init(playlist, ops);
+			playlist_generic_init_sorted(playlist, ops);
 			break;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/core/playlists/user.c b/core/playlists/user.c
index a1ef7fea..61a4cc2a 100644
--- a/core/playlists/user.c
+++ b/core/playlists/user.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ static struct user_playlist *__user_db_alloc(gchar *name, unsigned int index)
 	playlist->pl_playlist.pl_type = PL_USER;
 	playlist->pl_playlist.pl_id   = index;
 	playlist->pl_playlist.pl_ops = &user_ops;
-	playlist_generic_init(&playlist->pl_playlist, user_pl_ops);
+	playlist_generic_init_sorted(&playlist->pl_playlist, user_pl_ops);
 
 	return playlist;
 }
diff --git a/include/core/playlists/generic.h b/include/core/playlists/generic.h
index aed8ac38..225e1b5c 100644
--- a/include/core/playlists/generic.h
+++ b/include/core/playlists/generic.h
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ struct playlist_callbacks {
 /* Called to set playlist callbacks. */
 void playlist_generic_set_callbacks(struct playlist_callbacks *);
 
-/* Generic playlist init function. */
+/* Generic playlist init functions. */
 void playlist_generic_init(struct playlist *, struct queue_ops *);
+void playlist_generic_init_sorted(struct playlist *, struct queue_ops *);
 
 /* Generic playlist deinit function. */
 void playlist_generic_deinit(struct playlist *);
diff --git a/tests/core/playlist.c b/tests/core/playlist.c
index 61b8188d..0e86d3d5 100644
--- a/tests/core/playlist.c
+++ b/tests/core/playlist.c
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ static void test_null()
 	g_assert_null(playlist_new(PL_MAX_TYPE, NULL));
 	g_assert_false(playlist_delete(NULL));
 
+	playlist_generic_init(NULL, NULL);
+	playlist_generic_init_sorted(NULL, NULL);
 	playlist_generic_deinit(NULL);
 
 	g_assert_null(playlist_lookup(PL_MAX_TYPE, "NULL"));
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ static void test_sorting()
 	struct track *track;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	playlist_generic_init(&p, NULL);
+	playlist_generic_init_sorted(&p, NULL);
 	g_assert_cmpuint(g_slist_length(p.pl_sort), ==, 3);
 	playlist_clear_sort(&p);
 	g_assert_cmpuint(g_slist_length(p.pl_sort), ==, 0);