diff --git a/lib/argp-help.c b/lib/argp-help.c
index 52260f3..ca5f397 100644
--- a/lib/argp-help.c
+++ b/lib/argp-help.c
@@ -822,12 +822,50 @@ hol_sort (struct hol *hol)
 {
   if (hol->num_entries > 0)
     {
-      unsigned i;
+      unsigned i, j, k;
       struct hol_entry *e;
       for (i = 0, e = hol->entries; i < hol->num_entries; i++, e++)
         e->ord = i;
+
+      fprintf (stderr, "hol_sort: entries = {\n");
+      for (i = 0; i < hol->num_entries; i++)
+        {
+          e = hol->entries + i;
+          fprintf (stderr, "  [%u] = [%s] [%s]\n", i, e->opt->name != NULL ? e->opt->name : "", e->opt->doc != NULL ? e->opt->doc : "");
+        }
+      fprintf (stderr, "}\n");
+      fprintf (stderr, "hol_sort: comparisons =\n");
+      for (i = 0; i < hol->num_entries; i++)
+        {
+          fprintf (stderr, "  ");
+          for (j = 0; j < hol->num_entries; j++)
+            {
+              int cmp = hol_entry_cmp (hol->entries + i, hol->entries + j);
+              fprintf (stderr, cmp > 0 ? " +" : cmp < 0 ? " -" : " .");
+            }
+          fprintf (stderr, "\n");
+        }
+      for (i = 0; i < hol->num_entries; i++)
+        for (j = 0; j < hol->num_entries; j++)
+          for (k = 0; k < hol->num_entries; k++) {
+            int cmp1 = hol_entry_cmp (hol->entries + i, hol->entries + j);
+            int cmp2 = hol_entry_cmp (hol->entries + j, hol->entries + k);
+            int cmp3 = hol_entry_cmp (hol->entries + i, hol->entries + k);
+            if (((cmp1 < 0 && cmp2 <= 0) || (cmp1 <= 0 && cmp2 < 0)) && !(cmp3 < 0))
+              fprintf (stderr, "hol_sort: transitivity violated for [%u] [%u] [%u]\n", i, j, k);
+          }
       qsort (hol->entries, hol->num_entries, sizeof (struct hol_entry),
              hol_entry_qcmp);
+      fprintf (stderr, "hol_sort: sort result:\n");
+      for (i = 0; i < hol->num_entries; i++)
+        fprintf (stderr, "  [%u] <- [%u]\n", i, hol->entries[i].ord);
+      fprintf (stderr, "hol_sort: compare after sort:\n");
+      for (i = 1; i < hol->num_entries; i++)
+        {
+          int cmp = hol_entry_cmp (hol->entries + i-1, hol->entries + i);
+          fprintf (stderr, cmp > 0 ? " +" : cmp < 0 ? " -" : " .");
+        }
+      fprintf (stderr, "\n");
     }
 }