diff --git a/build/rewrite.go b/build/rewrite.go
index 721765292..924c3bd4f 100644
--- a/build/rewrite.go
+++ b/build/rewrite.go
@@ -126,12 +126,18 @@ func doNotSort(x Expr) bool {
 	return hasComment(x, "do not sort")
 }
 
-// keepSorted reports whether x is marked with a comment containing
+// forceKeepSorted reports whether x is marked with a comment containing
 // "keep sorted", case-insensitive.
-func keepSorted(x Expr) bool {
+func forceKeepSorted(x Expr) bool {
 	return hasComment(x, "keep sorted")
 }
 
+// keepSorted checks whether lists are to be sorted by default, and respects comments as overrides of the default table
+// value
+func keepSorted(x Expr) bool {
+	return !doNotSort(x) && (tables.SortListsByDefault || forceKeepSorted(x))
+}
+
 // fixLabels rewrites labels into a canonical form.
 //
 // First, it joins labels written as string addition, turning
@@ -450,7 +456,7 @@ func sortStringList(x Expr, context string) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	forceSort := keepSorted(list) || keepSorted(list.List[0])
+	forceSort := forceKeepSorted(list) || forceKeepSorted(list.List[0])
 
 	// TODO(bazel-team): Decide how to recognize lists that cannot
 	// be sorted. Avoiding all lists with comments avoids sorting
diff --git a/tables/jsonparser.go b/tables/jsonparser.go
index ca2bc4443..7d68ac406 100644
--- a/tables/jsonparser.go
+++ b/tables/jsonparser.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ type Definitions struct {
 	SortableWhitelist               map[string]bool
 	NamePriority                    map[string]int
 	StripLabelLeadingSlashes        bool
+	SortListsByDefault              bool
 	ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative bool
 }
 
@@ -55,9 +56,9 @@ func ParseAndUpdateJSONDefinitions(file string, merge bool) error {
 	}
 
 	if merge {
-		MergeTables(definitions.IsLabelArg, definitions.LabelBlacklist, definitions.IsListArg, definitions.IsSortableListArg, definitions.SortableBlacklist, definitions.SortableWhitelist, definitions.NamePriority, definitions.StripLabelLeadingSlashes, definitions.ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative)
+		MergeTables(definitions.IsLabelArg, definitions.LabelBlacklist, definitions.IsListArg, definitions.IsSortableListArg, definitions.SortableBlacklist, definitions.SortableWhitelist, definitions.NamePriority, definitions.StripLabelLeadingSlashes, definitions.SortListsByDefault, definitions.ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative)
 	} else {
-		OverrideTables(definitions.IsLabelArg, definitions.LabelBlacklist, definitions.IsListArg, definitions.IsSortableListArg, definitions.SortableBlacklist, definitions.SortableWhitelist, definitions.NamePriority, definitions.StripLabelLeadingSlashes, definitions.ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative)
+		OverrideTables(definitions.IsLabelArg, definitions.LabelBlacklist, definitions.IsListArg, definitions.IsSortableListArg, definitions.SortableBlacklist, definitions.SortableWhitelist, definitions.NamePriority, definitions.StripLabelLeadingSlashes, definitions.SortListsByDefault, definitions.ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/tables/jsonparser_test.go b/tables/jsonparser_test.go
index 3bd854ec5..7bd651646 100644
--- a/tables/jsonparser_test.go
+++ b/tables/jsonparser_test.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ func TestParseJSONDefinitions(t *testing.T) {
 		SortableWhitelist:        map[string]bool{},
 		NamePriority:             map[string]int{"name": -1},
 		StripLabelLeadingSlashes: true,
+		SortListsByDefault:       true,
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(expected, definitions) {
 		t.Errorf("ParseJSONDefinitions() = %v; want %v", definitions, expected)
diff --git a/tables/tables.go b/tables/tables.go
index ab90043ad..14c03517a 100644
--- a/tables/tables.go
+++ b/tables/tables.go
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ var NamePriority = map[string]int{
 
 var StripLabelLeadingSlashes = false
 
+var SortListsByDefault = false
+
 var ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative = false
 
 // AndroidNativeRules lists all Android rules that are being migrated from Native to Starlark.
@@ -271,7 +273,7 @@ var ProtoNativeSymbols = []string{
 var ProtoLoadPath = "@rules_proto//proto:defs.bzl"
 
 // OverrideTables allows a user of the build package to override the special-case rules. The user-provided tables replace the built-in tables.
-func OverrideTables(labelArg, blacklist, listArg, sortableListArg, sortBlacklist, sortWhitelist map[string]bool, namePriority map[string]int, stripLabelLeadingSlashes, shortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative bool) {
+func OverrideTables(labelArg, blacklist, listArg, sortableListArg, sortBlacklist, sortWhitelist map[string]bool, namePriority map[string]int, stripLabelLeadingSlashes, sortListsByDefault, shortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative bool) {
 	IsLabelArg = labelArg
 	LabelBlacklist = blacklist
 	IsListArg = listArg
@@ -280,11 +282,12 @@ func OverrideTables(labelArg, blacklist, listArg, sortableListArg, sortBlacklist
 	SortableWhitelist = sortWhitelist
 	NamePriority = namePriority
 	StripLabelLeadingSlashes = stripLabelLeadingSlashes
+	SortListsByDefault = sortListsByDefault
 	ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative = shortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative
 }
 
 // MergeTables allows a user of the build package to override the special-case rules. The user-provided tables are merged into the built-in tables.
-func MergeTables(labelArg, blacklist, listArg, sortableListArg, sortBlacklist, sortWhitelist map[string]bool, namePriority map[string]int, stripLabelLeadingSlashes, shortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative bool) {
+func MergeTables(labelArg, blacklist, listArg, sortableListArg, sortBlacklist, sortWhitelist map[string]bool, namePriority map[string]int, stripLabelLeadingSlashes, sortListsByDefault, shortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative bool) {
 	for k, v := range labelArg {
 		IsLabelArg[k] = v
 	}
@@ -307,5 +310,6 @@ func MergeTables(labelArg, blacklist, listArg, sortableListArg, sortBlacklist, s
 		NamePriority[k] = v
 	}
 	StripLabelLeadingSlashes = stripLabelLeadingSlashes || StripLabelLeadingSlashes
+	SortListsByDefault = sortListsByDefault || SortListsByDefault
 	ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative = shortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative || ShortenAbsoluteLabelsToRelative
 }
diff --git a/tables/testdata/simple_tables.json b/tables/testdata/simple_tables.json
index ae72bd02a..dd2dc70db 100644
--- a/tables/testdata/simple_tables.json
+++ b/tables/testdata/simple_tables.json
@@ -19,5 +19,6 @@
   "NamePriority": {
     "name": -1
   },
-  "StripLabelLeadingSlashes": true
+  "StripLabelLeadingSlashes": true,
+  "SortListsByDefault": true
 }