diff --git a/which-key.el b/which-key.el
index af8e88edd69..257d9511eb6 100644
--- a/which-key.el
+++ b/which-key.el
@@ -974,36 +974,40 @@ width) in lines and characters respectively."
 (defun which-key--key-description< (a b &optional alpha)
   "Sorting function used for `which-key-key-order' and
 `which-key-key-order-alpha'."
-  (let* ((aem? (string-equal a ""))
-         (bem? (string-equal b ""))
-         (a1? (= 1 (length a)))
-         (b1? (= 1 (length b)))
-         (srgxp "^\\(RET\\|SPC\\|TAB\\|DEL\\|LFD\\|ESC\\|NUL\\)")
-         (asp? (string-match-p srgxp a))
-         (bsp? (string-match-p srgxp b))
-         (prrgxp "^\\(M\\|C\\|S\\|A\\|H\\|s\\)-")
-         (apr? (string-match-p prrgxp a))
-         (bpr? (string-match-p prrgxp b))
-         (afn? (string-match-p "<f[0-9]+>" a))
-         (bfn? (string-match-p "<f[0-9]+>" b)))
-    (cond ((or aem? bem?) (and aem? (not bem?)))
-          ((and asp? bsp?)
-           (if (string-equal (substring a 0 3) (substring b 0 3))
-               (which-key--key-description< (substring a 3) (substring b 3) alpha)
-             (string-lessp a b)))
-          ((or asp? bsp?) asp?)
-          ((and a1? b1?) (which-key--string< a b alpha))
-          ((or a1? b1?) a1?)
-          ((and afn? bfn?)
-           (< (string-to-number (replace-regexp-in-string "<f\\([0-9]+\\)>" "\\1" a))
-              (string-to-number (replace-regexp-in-string "<f\\([0-9]+\\)>" "\\1" b))))
-          ((or afn? bfn?) afn?)
-          ((and apr? bpr?)
-           (if (string-equal (substring a 0 2) (substring b 0 2))
-               (which-key--key-description< (substring a 2) (substring b 2) alpha)
-             (string-lessp a b)))
-          ((or apr? bpr?) apr?)
-          (t (string-lessp a b)))))
+  (save-match-data
+    (let* ((rngrgxp "^\\([^ ]+\\) \\.\\. [^ ]+")
+           (a (if (string-match rngrgxp a) (match-string 1 a) a))
+           (b (if (string-match rngrgxp b) (match-string 1 b) b))
+           (aem? (string-equal a ""))
+           (bem? (string-equal b ""))
+           (a1? (= 1 (length a)))
+           (b1? (= 1 (length b)))
+           (srgxp "^\\(RET\\|SPC\\|TAB\\|DEL\\|LFD\\|ESC\\|NUL\\)")
+           (asp? (string-match-p srgxp a))
+           (bsp? (string-match-p srgxp b))
+           (prrgxp "^\\(M\\|C\\|S\\|A\\|H\\|s\\)-")
+           (apr? (string-match-p prrgxp a))
+           (bpr? (string-match-p prrgxp b))
+           (afn? (string-match-p "<f[0-9]+>" a))
+           (bfn? (string-match-p "<f[0-9]+>" b)))
+      (cond ((or aem? bem?) (and aem? (not bem?)))
+            ((and asp? bsp?)
+             (if (string-equal (substring a 0 3) (substring b 0 3))
+                 (which-key--key-description< (substring a 3) (substring b 3) alpha)
+               (string-lessp a b)))
+            ((or asp? bsp?) asp?)
+            ((and a1? b1?) (which-key--string< a b alpha))
+            ((or a1? b1?) a1?)
+            ((and afn? bfn?)
+             (< (string-to-number (replace-regexp-in-string "<f\\([0-9]+\\)>" "\\1" a))
+                (string-to-number (replace-regexp-in-string "<f\\([0-9]+\\)>" "\\1" b))))
+            ((or afn? bfn?) afn?)
+            ((and apr? bpr?)
+             (if (string-equal (substring a 0 2) (substring b 0 2))
+                 (which-key--key-description< (substring a 2) (substring b 2) alpha)
+               (string-lessp a b)))
+            ((or apr? bpr?) apr?)
+            (t (string-lessp a b))))))
 
 (defsubst which-key-key-order-alpha (acons bcons)
   "Order key descriptions A and B.