diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.tsx b/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.tsx
index b00b45bf60..b006205f11 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import {mediaFromMxc} from "../../../customisations/Media";
 import {getAddressType} from "../../../UserAddress";
 import BaseAvatar from '../avatars/BaseAvatar';
 import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
+import { compare } from '../../../utils/strings';
 
 // we have a number of types defined from the Matrix spec which can't reasonably be altered here.
 /* eslint-disable camelcase */
@@ -578,7 +579,7 @@ export default class InviteDialog extends React.PureComponent<IInviteDialogProps
         members.sort((a, b) => {
             if (a.score === b.score) {
                 if (a.numRooms === b.numRooms) {
-                    return a.member.userId.localeCompare(b.member.userId);
+                    return compare(a.member.userId, b.member.userId);
                 }
 
                 return b.numRooms - a.numRooms;
diff --git a/src/components/views/directory/NetworkDropdown.tsx b/src/components/views/directory/NetworkDropdown.tsx
index 08787812f6..c805ee42e7 100644
--- a/src/components/views/directory/NetworkDropdown.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/directory/NetworkDropdown.tsx
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import { SettingLevel } from "../../../settings/SettingLevel";
 import TextInputDialog from "../dialogs/TextInputDialog";
 import QuestionDialog from "../dialogs/QuestionDialog";
 import UIStore from "../../../stores/UIStore";
+import { compare } from "../../../utils/strings";
 
 export const ALL_ROOMS = Symbol("ALL_ROOMS");
 
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ const NetworkDropdown = ({ onOptionChange, protocols = {}, selectedServerName, s
 
             protocolsList.forEach(({instances=[]}) => {
                 [...instances].sort((b, a) => {
-                    return a.desc.localeCompare(b.desc);
+                    return compare(a.desc, b.desc);
                 }).forEach(({desc, instance_id: instanceId}) => {
                     entries.push(
                         <MenuItemRadio
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
index 55fe650b7b..cb50f0fff3 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
@@ -238,6 +238,8 @@ export default class MemberList extends React.Component {
                 member.user = cli.getUser(member.userId);
             }
 
+            member.sortName = (member.name[0] === '@' ? member.name.substr(1) : member.name).replace(SORT_REGEX, "");
+
             // XXX: this user may have no lastPresenceTs value!
             // the right solution here is to fix the race rather than leave it as 0
         });
@@ -252,6 +254,8 @@ export default class MemberList extends React.Component {
                 m.membership === 'join' || m.membership === 'invite'
             );
         });
+        const language = SettingsStore.getValue("language");
+        this.collator = new Intl.Collator(language, { sensitivity: 'base', usePunctuation: true });
         filteredAndSortedMembers.sort(this.memberSort);
         return filteredAndSortedMembers;
     }
@@ -351,13 +355,7 @@ export default class MemberList extends React.Component {
         }
 
         // Fourth by name (alphabetical)
-        const nameA = (memberA.name[0] === '@' ? memberA.name.substr(1) : memberA.name).replace(SORT_REGEX, "");
-        const nameB = (memberB.name[0] === '@' ? memberB.name.substr(1) : memberB.name).replace(SORT_REGEX, "");
-        // console.log(`Comparing userA_name=${nameA} against userB_name=${nameB} - returning`);
-        return nameA.localeCompare(nameB, {
-            ignorePunctuation: true,
-            sensitivity: "base",
-        });
+        return this.collator.compare(memberA.sortName, memberB.sortName);
     };
 
     onSearchQueryChanged = searchQuery => {
@@ -422,7 +420,7 @@ export default class MemberList extends React.Component {
             } else {
                 // Is a 3pid invite
                 return <EntityTile key={m.getStateKey()} name={m.getContent().display_name} suppressOnHover={true}
-                                   onClick={() => this._onPending3pidInviteClick(m)} />;
+                    onClick={() => this._onPending3pidInviteClick(m)} />;
             }
         });
     }
@@ -484,10 +482,10 @@ export default class MemberList extends React.Component {
         if (this._getChildCountInvited() > 0) {
             invitedHeader = <h2>{ _t("Invited") }</h2>;
             invitedSection = <TruncatedList className="mx_MemberList_section mx_MemberList_invited" truncateAt={this.state.truncateAtInvited}
-                        createOverflowElement={this._createOverflowTileInvited}
-                        getChildren={this._getChildrenInvited}
-                        getChildCount={this._getChildCountInvited}
-                />;
+                createOverflowElement={this._createOverflowTileInvited}
+                getChildren={this._getChildrenInvited}
+                getChildCount={this._getChildCountInvited}
+            />;
         }
 
         const footer = (
@@ -520,9 +518,9 @@ export default class MemberList extends React.Component {
         >
             <div className="mx_MemberList_wrapper">
                 <TruncatedList className="mx_MemberList_section mx_MemberList_joined" truncateAt={this.state.truncateAtJoined}
-                               createOverflowElement={this._createOverflowTileJoined}
-                               getChildren={this._getChildrenJoined}
-                               getChildCount={this._getChildCountJoined} />
+                    createOverflowElement={this._createOverflowTileJoined}
+                    getChildren={this._getChildrenJoined}
+                    getChildCount={this._getChildCountJoined} />
                 { invitedHeader }
                 { invitedSection }
             </div>
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/WhoIsTypingTile.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/WhoIsTypingTile.tsx
index 21afbc30f4..c5d5929546 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/WhoIsTypingTile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/WhoIsTypingTile.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import Timer from '../../../utils/Timer';
 import { MatrixClientPeg } from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
 import MemberAvatar from '../avatars/MemberAvatar';
 import { replaceableComponent } from "../../../utils/replaceableComponent";
+import { compare } from "../../../utils/strings";
 
 interface IProps {
     // the room this statusbar is representing.
@@ -207,7 +208,7 @@ export default class WhoIsTypingTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         usersTyping = usersTyping.concat(stoppedUsersOnTimer);
         // sort them so the typing members don't change order when
         // moved to delayedStopTypingTimers
-        usersTyping.sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
+        usersTyping.sort((a, b) => compare(a.name, b.name));
 
         const typingString = WhoIsTyping.whoIsTypingString(
             usersTyping,
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/room/RolesRoomSettingsTab.tsx b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/room/RolesRoomSettingsTab.tsx
index 4fa521f598..19ebe2a77e 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/room/RolesRoomSettingsTab.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/room/RolesRoomSettingsTab.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {EventType} from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/event";
 import { RoomMember } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room-member";
 import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
 import { RoomState } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room-state";
+import { compare } from "../../../../../utils/strings";
 
 const plEventsToLabels = {
     // These will be translated for us later.
@@ -312,7 +313,7 @@ export default class RolesRoomSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps> {
             // comparator for sorting PL users lexicographically on PL descending, MXID ascending. (case-insensitive)
             const comparator = (a, b) => {
                 const plDiff = userLevels[b.key] - userLevels[a.key];
-                return plDiff !== 0 ? plDiff : a.key.toLocaleLowerCase().localeCompare(b.key.toLocaleLowerCase());
+                return plDiff !== 0 ? plDiff : compare(a.key.toLocaleLowerCase(), b.key.toLocaleLowerCase());
             };
 
             privilegedUsers.sort(comparator);
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
index bc40c36bda..9e27ed968e 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
@@ -35,9 +35,10 @@ import Field from '../../../elements/Field';
 import EventTilePreview from '../../../elements/EventTilePreview';
 import StyledRadioGroup from "../../../elements/StyledRadioGroup";
 import { SettingLevel } from "../../../../../settings/SettingLevel";
-import {UIFeature} from "../../../../../settings/UIFeature";
-import {Layout} from "../../../../../settings/Layout";
-import {replaceableComponent} from "../../../../../utils/replaceableComponent";
+import { UIFeature } from "../../../../../settings/UIFeature";
+import { Layout } from "../../../../../settings/Layout";
+import { replaceableComponent } from "../../../../../utils/replaceableComponent";
+import { compare } from "../../../../../utils/strings";
 
 interface IProps {
 }
@@ -295,7 +296,7 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
             .map(p => ({id: p[0], name: p[1]})); // convert pairs to objects for code readability
         const builtInThemes = themes.filter(p => !p.id.startsWith("custom-"));
         const customThemes = themes.filter(p => !builtInThemes.includes(p))
-            .sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
+            .sort((a, b) => compare(a.name, b.name));
         const orderedThemes = [...builtInThemes, ...customThemes];
         return (
             <div className="mx_SettingsTab_section mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_themeSection">
diff --git a/src/integrations/IntegrationManagers.ts b/src/integrations/IntegrationManagers.ts
index a29c74c5eb..780f6d4660 100644
--- a/src/integrations/IntegrationManagers.ts
+++ b/src/integrations/IntegrationManagers.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import WidgetUtils from "../utils/WidgetUtils";
 import {MatrixClientPeg} from "../MatrixClientPeg";
 import SettingsStore from "../settings/SettingsStore";
 import url from 'url';
+import { compare } from "../utils/strings";
 
 const KIND_PREFERENCE = [
     // Ordered: first is most preferred, last is least preferred.
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ export class IntegrationManagers {
 
             if (kind === Kind.Account) {
                 // Order by state_keys (IDs)
-                managers.sort((a, b) => a.id.localeCompare(b.id));
+                managers.sort((a, b) => compare(a.id, b.id));
             }
 
             ordered.push(...managers);
diff --git a/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/tag-sorting/AlphabeticAlgorithm.ts b/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/tag-sorting/AlphabeticAlgorithm.ts
index d909fb6288..b016a4256c 100644
--- a/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/tag-sorting/AlphabeticAlgorithm.ts
+++ b/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/tag-sorting/AlphabeticAlgorithm.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 import { Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
 import { TagID } from "../../models";
 import { IAlgorithm } from "./IAlgorithm";
+import { compare } from "../../../../utils/strings";
 
 /**
  * Sorts rooms according to the browser's determination of alphabetic.
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ import { IAlgorithm } from "./IAlgorithm";
 export class AlphabeticAlgorithm implements IAlgorithm {
     public async sortRooms(rooms: Room[], tagId: TagID): Promise<Room[]> {
         return rooms.sort((a, b) => {
-            return a.name.localeCompare(b.name);
+            return compare(a.name, b.name);
         });
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/stores/widgets/WidgetLayoutStore.ts b/src/stores/widgets/WidgetLayoutStore.ts
index e6ef534202..f5734d74c5 100644
--- a/src/stores/widgets/WidgetLayoutStore.ts
+++ b/src/stores/widgets/WidgetLayoutStore.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
 import { SettingLevel } from "../../settings/SettingLevel";
 import { arrayFastClone } from "../../utils/arrays";
 import { UPDATE_EVENT } from "../AsyncStore";
+import { compare } from "../../utils/strings";
 
 export const WIDGET_LAYOUT_EVENT_TYPE = "io.element.widgets.layout";
 
@@ -240,7 +241,7 @@ export class WidgetLayoutStore extends ReadyWatchingStore {
 
             if (orderA === orderB) {
                 // We just need a tiebreak
-                return a.id.localeCompare(b.id);
+                return compare(a.id, b.id);
             }
 
             return orderA - orderB;
diff --git a/src/utils/strings.ts b/src/utils/strings.ts
index 5856682445..beb9f31ddd 100644
--- a/src/utils/strings.ts
+++ b/src/utils/strings.ts
@@ -73,3 +73,14 @@ export function copyNode(ref: Element): boolean {
     selectText(ref);
     return document.execCommand('copy');
 }
+
+
+const collator = new Intl.Collator();
+/**
+ * Performant language-sensitive string comparison
+ * @param a the first string to compare
+ * @param b the second string to compare
+ */
+export function compare(a: string, b: string): number {
+    return collator.compare(a, b);
+}
diff --git a/test/components/views/rooms/MemberList-test.js b/test/components/views/rooms/MemberList-test.js
index 50b40dea20..28fead770c 100644
--- a/test/components/views/rooms/MemberList-test.js
+++ b/test/components/views/rooms/MemberList-test.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import sdk from '../../../skinned-sdk';
 
 import {Room, RoomMember, User} from 'matrix-js-sdk';
 
+import { compare } from "../../../../src/utils/strings";
+
 function generateRoomId() {
     return '!' + Math.random().toString().slice(2, 10) + ':domain';
 }
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ describe('MemberList', () => {
             if (!groupChange) {
                 const nameA = memberA.name[0] === '@' ? memberA.name.substr(1) : memberA.name;
                 const nameB = memberB.name[0] === '@' ? memberB.name.substr(1) : memberB.name;
-                const nameCompare = nameB.localeCompare(nameA);
+                const nameCompare = compare(nameB, nameA);
                 console.log("Comparing name");
                 expect(nameCompare).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
             } else {