diff --git a/course/externallib.php b/course/externallib.php
index 69c2acdb3b2..9f666a59f3c 100644
--- a/course/externallib.php
+++ b/course/externallib.php
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@ class core_course_external extends external_api {
                         $module['id'] = $cm->id;
                         $module['name'] = external_format_string($cm->name, $modcontext->id);
                         $module['instance'] = $cm->instance;
-                        $module['modname'] = $cm->modname;
-                        $module['modplural'] = $cm->modplural;
+                        $module['modname'] = (string) $cm->modname;
+                        $module['modplural'] = (string) $cm->modplural;
                         $module['modicon'] = $cm->get_icon_url()->out(false);
                         $module['indent'] = $cm->indent;
                         $module['onclick'] = $cm->onclick;
diff --git a/course/lib.php b/course/lib.php
index 205472d9152..8e70e79cc18 100644
--- a/course/lib.php
+++ b/course/lib.php
@@ -559,12 +559,10 @@ function get_module_types_names($plural = false) {
         if ($allmods = $DB->get_records("modules")) {
             foreach ($allmods as $mod) {
                 if (file_exists("$CFG->dirroot/mod/$mod->name/lib.php") && $mod->visible) {
-                    $modnames[0][$mod->name] = get_string("modulename", "$mod->name");
-                    $modnames[1][$mod->name] = get_string("modulenameplural", "$mod->name");
+                    $modnames[0][$mod->name] = get_string("modulename", "$mod->name", null, true);
+                    $modnames[1][$mod->name] = get_string("modulenameplural", "$mod->name", null, true);
                 }
             }
-            core_collator::asort($modnames[0]);
-            core_collator::asort($modnames[1]);
         }
     }
     return $modnames[(int)$plural];
diff --git a/lib/modinfolib.php b/lib/modinfolib.php
index 1e854e2a0c1..69bfbcb1009 100644
--- a/lib/modinfolib.php
+++ b/lib/modinfolib.php
@@ -260,7 +260,6 @@ class course_modinfo {
                 $modnamesused[$mod->modname] = $modnames[$mod->modname];
             }
         }
-        core_collator::asort($modnamesused);
         return $modnamesused;
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/tests/modinfolib_test.php b/lib/tests/modinfolib_test.php
index e1ea0251ca2..d50703d3fcc 100644
--- a/lib/tests/modinfolib_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/modinfolib_test.php
@@ -378,10 +378,12 @@ class core_modinfolib_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertEquals('', $modinfo->get_section_info(2)->sequence);
         $this->assertEquals($page3->cmid, $modinfo->get_section_info(3)->sequence);
         $this->assertEquals($course->id, $modinfo->get_course()->id);
-        $this->assertEquals(array('assign', 'forum', 'page'),
-                array_keys($modinfo->get_used_module_names()));
-        $this->assertEquals(array('assign', 'forum', 'page'),
-                array_keys($modinfo->get_used_module_names(true)));
+        $names = array_keys($modinfo->get_used_module_names());
+        sort($names);
+        $this->assertEquals(array('assign', 'forum', 'page'), $names);
+        $names = array_keys($modinfo->get_used_module_names(true));
+        sort($names);
+        $this->assertEquals(array('assign', 'forum', 'page'), $names);
         // Admin can see hidden modules/sections.
         $this->assertTrue($modinfo->cms[$assign0->cmid]->uservisible);
         $this->assertTrue($modinfo->get_section_info(3)->uservisible);