diff -ur preload-0.4/src/readahead.c preload-0.4.new/src/readahead.c
--- preload-0.4/src/readahead.c	2005-10-07 17:08:47.000000000 +0300
+++ preload-0.4.new/src/readahead.c	2006-09-29 09:10:50.000000000 +0300
@@ -25,24 +25,53 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "conf.h"
 
+#include <sys/ioctl.h>
+#include <linux/fs.h>
 
-/* Compare files by path. */
-static int
-map_path_compare (const preload_map_t **pa, const preload_map_t **pb)
+
+static void
+stat_file (preload_map_t *file)
 {
-  const preload_map_t *a = *pa, *b = *pb;
-  int i;
+  int fd;
+  struct stat buf;
+
+  fd = open(file->path, O_RDONLY);
+  if (fd < 0)
+    return;
   
-  i = strcmp(a->path, a->path);
-  if (!i) /* same file */
-    i = a->offset - b->offset;
-  if (!i) /* same offset?! */
-    i = b->length - a->length;
+  if (fstat(fd, &buf) == 0) {
+    file->dev   = buf.st_dev;
+    file->ino   = buf.st_ino;
+
+    file->block = 0;
+    ioctl(fd, FIBMAP, &(file->block));
+  }
 
-  return i;
+  close(fd);
 }
 
 
+static int
+map_file_compare (const preload_map_t **pa, const preload_map_t **pb)
+{
+  const preload_map_t *a = *pa, *b = *pb;
+
+  if (a->dev < b->dev)
+    return -1;
+  if (a->dev > b->dev)
+    return 1;
+  if (a->block < b->block)
+    return -1;
+  if (a->block > b->block)
+    return 1;
+  if (a->ino < b->ino)
+    return -1;
+  if (a->ino > b->ino)
+    return 1;
+
+  return 0;
+}
+ 
 
 static void
 process_file(preload_map_t *file)
@@ -63,8 +92,10 @@
 {
   int i;
 
-  /* Sorting by path should offer least directory block seeking. */
-  qsort(files, file_count, sizeof(*files), (GCompareFunc)map_path_compare);
+  for (i=0; i<file_count; i++)
+    stat_file(files[i]);
+
+  qsort(files, file_count, sizeof(*files), (GCompareFunc)map_file_compare);
 
   for (i=0; i<file_count; i++)
     process_file(files[i]);
diff -ur preload-0.4/src/state.c preload-0.4.new/src/state.c
--- preload-0.4/src/state.c	2005-09-13 19:40:55.000000000 +0300
+++ preload-0.4.new/src/state.c	2006-09-29 08:51:07.000000000 +0300
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@
   map->length = length;
   map->refcount = 0;
   map->update_time = state->time;
+
+  map->dev = 0;
+  map->ino = 0;
+  map->block = 0;
   return map;
 }
 
diff -ur preload-0.4/src/state.h preload-0.4.new/src/state.h
--- preload-0.4/src/state.h	2005-10-07 17:10:14.000000000 +0300
+++ preload-0.4.new/src/state.h	2006-09-29 08:56:19.000000000 +0300
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
   double lnprob; /* log-probability of NOT being needed in next period. */
   int seq; /* unique map sequence number. */
   int priv; /* for private local use of functions. */
+
+  /* stat: */
+  dev_t dev; /* ID of device containing file */
+  ino_t ino; /* inode number */
+  int block; /* block number */
 } preload_map_t;