diff --git a/lisp/org-publish.el b/lisp/org-publish.el
index 496f4d1..34589db 100644
--- a/lisp/org-publish.el
+++ b/lisp/org-publish.el
@@ -397,10 +397,10 @@ eventually alphabetically."
         ;; a is directory, b not:
         (cond
          ((and (file-directory-p a) (not (file-directory-p b)))
-          (setq retval (eq sitemap-sort-folders 'first)))
+          (setq retval (equal sitemap-sort-folders 'first)))
           ;; a is not a directory, but b is:
          ((and (not (file-directory-p a)) (file-directory-p b))
-          (setq retval (eq sitemap-sort-folders 'last))))))
+          (setq retval (equal sitemap-sort-folders 'last))))))
       retval))
 
 (defun org-publish-get-base-files-1 (base-dir &optional recurse match skip-file skip-dir)
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ If :makeindex is set, also produce a file theindex.org."
                                'org-publish-org-sitemap))
          (sitemap-sort-folders
           (if (plist-member project-plist :sitemap-sort-folders)
-              (plist-get project-plist :sitemap-sort-folders)
+           (plist-get project-plist :sitemap-sort-folders)
             'first))
          (sitemap-alphabetically
           (if (plist-member project-plist :sitemap-alphabetically)
@@ -618,9 +618,9 @@ If :makeindex is set, also produce a file theindex.org."
          (preparation-function (plist-get project-plist :preparation-function))
          (completion-function (plist-get project-plist :completion-function))
          (files (org-publish-get-base-files project exclude-regexp)) file)
-      (when (and (not (stringp sitemap-sort-folders))
-                 (not (string= sitemap-sort-folders "first"))
-                 (not (string= sitemap-sort-folders "last")))
+      (when (and (not (null sitemap-sort-folders))
+                 (not (equal sitemap-sort-folders 'first))
+                 (not (equal sitemap-sort-folders 'last)))
        (setq sitemap-sort-folders nil))
        (when preparation-function (run-hooks 'preparation-function))
        (if sitemap-p (funcall sitemap-function project sitemap-filename))