Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/tools/AlphanumComparator.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/tools/AlphanumComparator.java	(revision 18980)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/tools/AlphanumComparator.java	(revision 18982)
@@ -35,4 +35,7 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Comparator;
+
+import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.MainApplication;
+import org.openstreetmap.josm.spi.lifecycle.Lifecycle;
 
 /**
@@ -183,5 +186,6 @@
         } else {
             // Check if both chunks are ascii only
-            if (isAscii(thisChunk, thisChunkLength) && isAscii(thatChunk, thatChunkLength)) {
+            // FIXME: re-enable once #23471 is fixed (the exception at startup keeps JOSM from finishing startup)
+            if (false && isAscii(thisChunk, thisChunkLength) && isAscii(thatChunk, thatChunkLength)) {
                 return Utils.clamp(compareString(thisChunk, thisChunkLength, thatChunk, thatChunkLength), -1, 1);
             }