diff --git a/django/db/utils.py b/django/db/utils.py
index e8e508bde8a..e3f36bdd03a 100644
--- a/django/db/utils.py
+++ b/django/db/utils.py
@@ -41,12 +41,11 @@ def load_backend(backend_name):
                         and not f.startswith('.')]
             except EnvironmentError:
                 available_backends = []
-            available_backends.sort()
             if backend_name not in available_backends:
                 error_msg = ("%r isn't an available database backend. \n" +
                     "Try using django.db.backends.XXX, where XXX is one of:\n    %s\n" +
                     "Error was: %s") % \
-                    (backend_name, ", ".join(map(repr, available_backends)), e_user)
+                    (backend_name, ", ".join(map(repr, sorted(available_backends))), e_user)
                 raise ImproperlyConfigured(error_msg)
             else:
                 raise # If there's some other error, this must be an error in Django itself.