diff --git a/doc/api/util.md b/doc/api/util.md
index 8dfbfd874c762a..592e39bb442183 100644
--- a/doc/api/util.md
+++ b/doc/api/util.md
@@ -360,6 +360,9 @@ stream.write('With ES6');
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.3.0
 changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/22788
+    description: The `sorted` option is supported now.
   - version: v10.6.0
     pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/20725
     description: Inspecting linked lists and similar objects is now possible
@@ -420,7 +423,10 @@ changes:
     objects the same as arrays. Note that no text will be reduced below 16
     characters, no matter the `breakLength` size. For more information, see the
     example below. **Default:** `true`.
-
+  * `sorted` {boolean|Function} If set to `true` or a function, all properties
+    of an object and Set and Map entries will be sorted in the returned string.
+    If set to `true` the [default sort][] is going to be used. If set to a
+    function, it is used as a [compare function][].
 * Returns: {string} The representation of passed object
 
 The `util.inspect()` method returns a string representation of `object` that is
@@ -534,6 +540,34 @@ console.log(inspect(weakSet, { showHidden: true }));
 // WeakSet { { a: 1 }, { b: 2 } }
 ```
 
+The `sorted` option makes sure the output is identical, no matter of the
+properties insertion order:
+
+```js
+const { inspect } = require('util');
+const assert = require('assert');
+
+const o1 = {
+  b: [2, 3, 1],
+  a: '`a` comes before `b`',
+  c: new Set([2, 3, 1])
+};
+console.log(inspect(o1, { sorted: true }));
+// { a: '`a` comes before `b`', b: [ 2, 3, 1 ], c: Set { 1, 2, 3 } }
+console.log(inspect(o1, { sorted: (a, b) => a < b }));
+// { c: Set { 3, 2, 1 }, b: [ 2, 3, 1 ], a: '`a` comes before `b`' }
+
+const o2 = {
+  c: new Set([2, 1, 3]),
+  a: '`a` comes before `b`',
+  b: [2, 3, 1]
+};
+assert.strict.equal(
+  inspect(o1, { sorted: true }),
+  inspect(o2, { sorted: true })
+);
+```
+
 Please note that `util.inspect()` is a synchronous method that is mainly
 intended as a debugging tool. Some input values can have a significant
 performance overhead that can block the event loop. Use this function
@@ -2150,7 +2184,9 @@ Deprecated predecessor of `console.log`.
 [WHATWG Encoding Standard]: https://encoding.spec.whatwg.org/
 [Common System Errors]: errors.html#errors_common_system_errors
 [async function]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/async_function
+[compare function]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/sort#Parameters
 [constructor]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object/constructor
+[default sort]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/sort
 [global symbol registry]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Symbol/for
 [list of deprecated APIS]: deprecations.html#deprecations_list_of_deprecated_apis
 [semantically incompatible]: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/4179
diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index cfced8d9942d68..17cf314ee96626 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ const inspectDefaultOptions = Object.seal({
   showProxy: false,
   maxArrayLength: 100,
   breakLength: 60,
-  compact: true
+  compact: true,
+  sorted: false
 });
 
 const kObjectType = 0;
@@ -344,6 +345,8 @@ function debuglog(set) {
 function inspect(value, opts) {
   // Default options
   const ctx = {
+    budget: {},
+    indentationLvl: 0,
     seen: [],
     stylize: stylizeNoColor,
     showHidden: inspectDefaultOptions.showHidden,
@@ -355,8 +358,8 @@ function inspect(value, opts) {
     // `maxEntries`.
     maxArrayLength: inspectDefaultOptions.maxArrayLength,
     breakLength: inspectDefaultOptions.breakLength,
-    indentationLvl: 0,
-    compact: inspectDefaultOptions.compact
+    compact: inspectDefaultOptions.compact,
+    sorted: inspectDefaultOptions.sorted
   };
   // Legacy...
   if (arguments.length > 2) {
@@ -846,6 +849,16 @@ function formatRaw(ctx, value, recurseTimes) {
   }
   ctx.seen.pop();
 
+  if (ctx.sorted) {
+    const comparator = ctx.sorted === true ? undefined : ctx.sorted;
+    if (extrasType === kObjectType) {
+      output = output.sort(comparator);
+    } else if (keys.length > 1) {
+      const sorted = output.slice(output.length - keys.length).sort(comparator);
+      output.splice(output.length - keys.length, keys.length, ...sorted);
+    }
+  }
+
   return reduceToSingleString(ctx, output, base, braces);
 }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js b/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
index 70084759f83546..de7ae79b44edbb 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
@@ -1718,3 +1718,33 @@ assert.strictEqual(inspect(Object(13n)), '[BigInt: 13n]');
   );
   rejection.catch(() => {});
 }
+
+assert.strictEqual(
+  inspect([1, 3, 2], { sorted: true }),
+  inspect([1, 3, 2])
+);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  inspect({ c: 3, a: 1, b: 2 }, { sorted: true }),
+  '{ a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 }'
+);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  inspect(
+    { a200: 4, a100: 1, a102: 3, a101: 2 },
+    { sorted(a, b) { return a < b; } }
+  ),
+  '{ a200: 4, a102: 3, a101: 2, a100: 1 }'
+);
+
+// Non-indices array properties are sorted as well.
+{
+  const arr = [3, 2, 1];
+  arr.b = 2;
+  arr.c = 3;
+  arr.a = 1;
+  arr[Symbol('b')] = true;
+  arr[Symbol('a')] = false;
+  assert.strictEqual(
+    inspect(arr, { sorted: true }),
+    '[ 3, 2, 1, [Symbol(a)]: false, [Symbol(b)]: true, a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 ]'
+  );
+}