diff --git a/benchtests/scripts/compare_bench.py b/benchtests/scripts/compare_bench.py
index 6fcbd08038..1a497f8bb6 100755
--- a/benchtests/scripts/compare_bench.py
+++ b/benchtests/scripts/compare_bench.py
@@ -163,7 +163,11 @@ def plot_graphs(bench1, bench2):
 
 def main(bench1, bench2, schema, threshold, stats):
     bench1 = bench.parse_bench(bench1, schema)
+    bench.do_for_all_timings(bench1, lambda b, f, v:
+        b['functions'][f][v]['timings'].sort())
     bench2 = bench.parse_bench(bench2, schema)
+    bench.do_for_all_timings(bench2, lambda b, f, v:
+        b['functions'][f][v]['timings'].sort())
 
     plot_graphs(bench1, bench2)
 
diff --git a/benchtests/scripts/import_bench.py b/benchtests/scripts/import_bench.py
index a799b4e1b7..362c990fe1 100644
--- a/benchtests/scripts/import_bench.py
+++ b/benchtests/scripts/import_bench.py
@@ -136,6 +136,4 @@ def parse_bench(filename, schema_filename):
         with open(filename, 'r') as benchfile:
             bench = json.load(benchfile)
             validator.validate(bench, schema)
-            do_for_all_timings(bench, lambda b, f, v:
-                    b['functions'][f][v]['timings'].sort())
             return bench
diff --git a/benchtests/scripts/validate_benchout.py b/benchtests/scripts/validate_benchout.py
index 47df33ed02..00d5fa0ee5 100755
--- a/benchtests/scripts/validate_benchout.py
+++ b/benchtests/scripts/validate_benchout.py
@@ -73,11 +73,15 @@ def main(args):
 
     except bench.validator.ValidationError as e:
         return print_and_exit("Invalid benchmark output: %s" % e.message,
-            os.EX_DATAERR)
+                os.EX_DATAERR)
 
     except bench.validator.SchemaError as e:
         return print_and_exit("Invalid schema: %s" % e.message, os.EX_DATAERR)
 
+    except json.decoder.JSONDecodeError as e:
+        return print_and_exit("Benchmark output in %s is not JSON." % args[0],
+                os.EX_DATAERR)
+
     print("Benchmark output in %s is valid." % args[0])
     return os.EX_OK