diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
index 1fc9f59f6ae..3c5e3e48ada 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
@@ -3155,7 +3155,7 @@ func (f fakeOrderedLister) Add(obj interface{}) error    { return nil }
 func (f fakeOrderedLister) Update(obj interface{}) error { return nil }
 func (f fakeOrderedLister) Delete(obj interface{}) error { return nil }
 func (f fakeOrderedLister) Clone() store.OrderedLister   { return f }
-func (f fakeOrderedLister) ListPrefix(prefixKey, continueKey string) []interface{} {
+func (f fakeOrderedLister) OrderedListPrefix(prefixKey, continueKey string) []interface{} {
 	return nil
 }
 func (f fakeOrderedLister) Count(prefixKey, continueKey string) int { return 0 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store.go
index 89de895d9c0..2a8175f5a8f 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store.go
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ const (
 	btreeDegree = 16
 )
 
+type OrderedIndexer interface {
+	Indexer
+	OrderedLister
+}
+
 type Indexer interface {
 	Add(obj interface{}) error
 	Update(obj interface{}) error
@@ -71,12 +76,12 @@ type Indexer interface {
 }
 
 type OrderedLister interface {
-	ListPrefix(prefix, continueKey string) []interface{}
+	OrderedListPrefix(prefix, continueKey string) []interface{}
 	Count(prefix, continueKey string) (count int)
 	Clone() OrderedLister
 }
 
-func NewIndexer(indexers *cache.Indexers) Indexer {
+func NewIndexer(indexers *cache.Indexers) OrderedIndexer {
 	return newThreadedBtreeStoreIndexer(ElementIndexers(indexers), btreeDegree)
 }
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store_btree.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store_btree.go
index 33e8e4f1024..c4309225521 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store_btree.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store_btree.go
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ func (si *threadedStoreIndexer) List() []interface{} {
 	return si.store.List()
 }
 
-func (si *threadedStoreIndexer) ListPrefix(prefix, continueKey string) []interface{} {
+func (si *threadedStoreIndexer) OrderedListPrefix(prefix, continueKey string) []interface{} {
 	si.lock.RLock()
 	defer si.lock.RUnlock()
-	return si.store.ListPrefix(prefix, continueKey)
+	return si.store.OrderedListPrefix(prefix, continueKey)
 }
 
 func (si *threadedStoreIndexer) ListKeys() []string {
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ func (s *btreeStore) getByKey(key string) (item interface{}, exists bool, err er
 	return item, exists, nil
 }
 
-func (s *btreeStore) ListPrefix(prefix, continueKey string) []interface{} {
+func (s *btreeStore) OrderedListPrefix(prefix, continueKey string) []interface{} {
 	if continueKey == "" {
 		continueKey = prefix
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store_btree_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store_btree_test.go
index 2ea923d6441..d23951be0d9 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store_btree_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/store/store_btree_test.go
@@ -41,30 +41,30 @@ func TestStoreListPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, store.Add(testStorageElement("foo2", "bar1", 3)))
 	assert.NoError(t, store.Add(testStorageElement("bar", "baz", 4)))
 
-	items := store.ListPrefix("foo", "")
+	items := store.OrderedListPrefix("foo", "")
 	assert.Equal(t, []interface{}{
 		testStorageElement("foo1", "bar2", 2),
 		testStorageElement("foo2", "bar1", 3),
 		testStorageElement("foo3", "bar3", 1),
 	}, items)
 
-	items = store.ListPrefix("foo2", "")
+	items = store.OrderedListPrefix("foo2", "")
 	assert.Equal(t, []interface{}{
 		testStorageElement("foo2", "bar1", 3),
 	}, items)
 
-	items = store.ListPrefix("foo", "foo1\x00")
+	items = store.OrderedListPrefix("foo", "foo1\x00")
 	assert.Equal(t, []interface{}{
 		testStorageElement("foo2", "bar1", 3),
 		testStorageElement("foo3", "bar3", 1),
 	}, items)
 
-	items = store.ListPrefix("foo", "foo2\x00")
+	items = store.OrderedListPrefix("foo", "foo2\x00")
 	assert.Equal(t, []interface{}{
 		testStorageElement("foo3", "bar3", 1),
 	}, items)
 
-	items = store.ListPrefix("bar", "")
+	items = store.OrderedListPrefix("bar", "")
 	assert.Equal(t, []interface{}{
 		testStorageElement("bar", "baz", 4),
 	}, items)
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (f fakeOrderedLister) Add(obj interface{}) error    { return nil }
 func (f fakeOrderedLister) Update(obj interface{}) error { return nil }
 func (f fakeOrderedLister) Delete(obj interface{}) error { return nil }
 func (f fakeOrderedLister) Clone() OrderedLister         { return f }
-func (f fakeOrderedLister) ListPrefix(prefixKey, continueKey string) []interface{} {
+func (f fakeOrderedLister) OrderedListPrefix(prefixKey, continueKey string) []interface{} {
 	return nil
 }
 func (f fakeOrderedLister) Count(prefixKey, continueKey string) int { return 0 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache.go
index fc73708a8ce..0a6b8757257 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ type watchCache struct {
 	// history" i.e. from the moment just after the newest cached watched event.
 	// It is necessary to effectively allow clients to start watching at now.
 	// NOTE: We assume that <store> is thread-safe.
-	store store.Indexer
+	store store.OrderedIndexer
 
 	// ResourceVersion up to which the watchCache is propagated.
 	resourceVersion uint64
@@ -332,13 +332,11 @@ func (w *watchCache) processEvent(event watch.Event, resourceVersion uint64, upd
 			return err
 		}
 		if w.snapshots != nil && w.snapshottingEnabled.Load() {
-			if orderedLister, ordered := w.store.(store.OrderedLister); ordered {
-				if w.isCacheFullLocked() {
-					oldestRV := w.cache[w.startIndex%w.capacity].ResourceVersion
-					w.snapshots.RemoveLess(oldestRV)
-				}
-				w.snapshots.Add(w.resourceVersion, orderedLister)
+			if w.isCacheFullLocked() {
+				oldestRV := w.cache[w.startIndex%w.capacity].ResourceVersion
+				w.snapshots.RemoveLess(oldestRV)
 			}
+			w.snapshots.Add(w.resourceVersion, w.store)
 		}
 		return err
 	}(); err != nil {
@@ -609,7 +607,7 @@ func (w *watchCache) waitAndListExactRV(ctx context.Context, key, continueKey st
 	if !ok {
 		return listResp{}, "", errors.NewResourceExpired(fmt.Sprintf("too old resource version: %d", resourceVersion))
 	}
-	items := store.ListPrefix(key, continueKey)
+	items := store.OrderedListPrefix(key, continueKey)
 	return listResp{
 		Items:           items,
 		ResourceVersion: resourceVersion,
@@ -653,19 +651,11 @@ func (w *watchCache) listLatestRV(key, continueKey string, matchValues []storage
 			}, matchValue.IndexName, err
 		}
 	}
-	if store, ok := w.store.(store.OrderedLister); ok {
-		result := store.ListPrefix(key, continueKey)
-		return listResp{
-			Items:           result,
-			ResourceVersion: w.resourceVersion,
-		}, "", nil
-	}
-	result := w.store.List()
-	result, err = filterPrefixAndOrder(key, result)
+	result := w.store.OrderedListPrefix(key, continueKey)
 	return listResp{
 		Items:           result,
 		ResourceVersion: w.resourceVersion,
-	}, "", err
+	}, "", nil
 }
 
 func filterPrefixAndOrder(prefix string, items []interface{}) ([]interface{}, error) {
@@ -778,8 +768,8 @@ func (w *watchCache) Replace(objs []interface{}, resourceVersion string) error {
 	}
 	if w.snapshots != nil {
 		w.snapshots.Reset()
-		if orderedLister, ordered := w.store.(store.OrderedLister); ordered && w.snapshottingEnabled.Load() {
-			w.snapshots.Add(version, orderedLister)
+		if w.snapshottingEnabled.Load() {
+			w.snapshots.Add(version, w.store)
 		}
 	}
 	w.listResourceVersion = version
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_interval.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_interval.go
index 4192566ab72..2698ac7e335 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_interval.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_interval.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package cacher
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"sort"
 	"sync"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
@@ -119,20 +118,6 @@ func newCacheInterval(startIndex, endIndex int, indexer indexerFunc, indexValida
 	}
 }
 
-type sortableWatchCacheEvents []*watchCacheEvent
-
-func (s sortableWatchCacheEvents) Len() int {
-	return len(s)
-}
-
-func (s sortableWatchCacheEvents) Less(i, j int) bool {
-	return s[i].Key < s[j].Key
-}
-
-func (s sortableWatchCacheEvents) Swap(i, j int) {
-	s[i], s[j] = s[j], s[i]
-}
-
 // newCacheIntervalFromStore is meant to handle the case of rv=0, such that the events
 // returned by Next() need to be events from a List() done on the underlying store of
 // the watch cache.
@@ -168,9 +153,6 @@ func newCacheIntervalFromStore(resourceVersion uint64, indexer store.Indexer, ke
 		}
 		buffer.endIndex++
 	}
-	if _, ordered := indexer.(store.OrderedLister); !ordered {
-		sort.Sort(sortableWatchCacheEvents(buffer.buffer))
-	}
 	ci := &watchCacheInterval{
 		startIndex: 0,
 		// Simulate that we already have all the events we're looking for.
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_interval_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_interval_test.go
index f5139067c46..97054527d25 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_interval_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_interval_test.go
@@ -435,9 +435,8 @@ func TestCacheIntervalNextFromStore(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCacheIntervalFromStoreSorted(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
 		name    string
-		indexer store.Indexer
+		indexer store.OrderedIndexer
 	}{
-		{"legacy", cache.NewIndexer(store.ElementKey, store.ElementIndexers(nil))},
 		{"btree", store.NewIndexer(nil)},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range cases {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_test.go
index 6b88daade87..2ceb008c17b 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/watch_cache_test.go
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ func TestCacheSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(t, found, "Expected store to not include rev 99")
 	lister, found := s.snapshots.GetLessOrEqual(100)
 	assert.True(t, found, "Expected store to not include rev 100")
-	elements := lister.ListPrefix("", "")
+	elements := lister.OrderedListPrefix("", "")
 	assert.Len(t, elements, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, makeTestPod("foo", 100), elements[0].(*store.Element).Object)
 
@@ -1326,20 +1326,20 @@ func TestCacheSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Log("Test cache on rev 200")
 	lister, found = s.snapshots.GetLessOrEqual(200)
 	assert.True(t, found, "Expected store to still keep rev 200")
-	elements = lister.ListPrefix("", "")
+	elements = lister.OrderedListPrefix("", "")
 	assert.Len(t, elements, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, makeTestPod("foo", 200), elements[0].(*store.Element).Object)
 
 	t.Log("Test cache on rev 300")
 	lister, found = s.snapshots.GetLessOrEqual(300)
 	assert.True(t, found, "Expected store to still keep rev 300")
-	elements = lister.ListPrefix("", "")
+	elements = lister.OrderedListPrefix("", "")
 	assert.Empty(t, elements)
 
 	t.Log("Test cache on rev 400")
 	lister, found = s.snapshots.GetLessOrEqual(400)
 	assert.True(t, found, "Expected store to still keep rev 400")
-	elements = lister.ListPrefix("", "")
+	elements = lister.OrderedListPrefix("", "")
 	assert.Len(t, elements, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, makeTestPod("foo", 400), elements[0].(*store.Element).Object)
 
@@ -1355,7 +1355,7 @@ func TestCacheSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Log("Test cache on rev 500")
 	lister, found = s.snapshots.GetLessOrEqual(500)
 	assert.True(t, found, "Expected store to still keep rev 500")
-	elements = lister.ListPrefix("", "")
+	elements = lister.OrderedListPrefix("", "")
 	assert.Len(t, elements, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, makeTestPod("foo", 500), elements[0].(*store.Element).Object)
 
@@ -1367,7 +1367,7 @@ func TestCacheSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Log("Test cache on rev 600")
 	lister, found = s.snapshots.GetLessOrEqual(600)
 	assert.True(t, found, "Expected replace to be snapshotted")
-	elements = lister.ListPrefix("", "")
+	elements = lister.OrderedListPrefix("", "")
 	assert.Len(t, elements, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, makeTestPod("foo", 600), elements[0].(*store.Element).Object)
 
@@ -1384,7 +1384,7 @@ func TestCacheSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Log("Test cache on rev 700")
 	lister, found = s.snapshots.GetLessOrEqual(700)
 	assert.True(t, found, "Expected replace to be snapshotted")
-	elements = lister.ListPrefix("", "")
+	elements = lister.OrderedListPrefix("", "")
 	assert.Len(t, elements, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, makeTestPod("foo", 600), elements[0].(*store.Element).Object)
 }