--- a/wicd-1.7.2.4/wicd//networking.py	2012-02-12 11:11:15.000000000 +0100
+++ wicd-1.7.2.4/wicd//networking.py	2013-10-13 15:08:09.000000000 +0200
@@ -593,12 +593,6 @@
         A list of available networks sorted by strength.
 
         """
-        def comp(x, y):
-            if 'quality' in x:
-                key = 'quality'
-            else:
-                key = 'strength'
-            return cmp(x[key], y[key])
                 
         if not self.wiface: return []
         wiface = self.wiface
@@ -616,8 +610,6 @@
             time.sleep(1)
 
         aps = wiface.GetNetworks()
-        aps.sort(cmp=comp, reverse=True)
-        
         return aps
 
     def Connect(self, network, debug=False):
diff -Naur a/wicd-1.7.2.4/wicd//wicd-daemon.py wicd-1.7.2.4/wicd//wicd-daemon.py
--- a/wicd-1.7.2.4/wicd//wicd-daemon.py	2012-04-30 21:19:45.000000000 +0200
+++ wicd-1.7.2.4/wicd//wicd-daemon.py	2013-10-13 15:06:48.000000000 +0200
@@ -990,6 +990,16 @@
     def _sync_scan(self):
         """ Run a scan and send a signal when its finished. """
         scan = self.wifi.Scan(str(self.hidden_essid))
+                
+        def comp(x, y):
+            if self.daemon.GetSignalDisplayType() == 0:
+                key = 'quality'
+            else:
+                key = 'strength'
+            return cmp(x[key], y[key])
+        #scan in reverse order only for quality, for dBm we want the "highest" on top
+        scan.sort(cmp=comp, reverse=not self.daemon.GetSignalDisplayType())
+
         self.LastScan = scan
         if self.debug_mode:
             print 'scanning done'