diff --git a/wcs/fields.py b/wcs/fields.py
index 2467ac158..2df218771 100644
--- a/wcs/fields.py
+++ b/wcs/fields.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import datetime
 import time
 import random
 import re
+import sys
 import base64
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 import collections
@@ -2262,8 +2263,8 @@ class RankedItemsField(WidgetField):
     def get_view_value(self, value):
         r = TemplateIO(html=True)
         r += htmltext('<ul>')
-        items = value.items()
-        items.sort(lambda x,y: cmp(x[1], y[1]))
+        items = list(value.items())
+        items.sort(key=lambda x: x[1] or sys.maxsize)
         counter = 0
         last_it = None
         for it in items:
@@ -2276,8 +2277,8 @@ class RankedItemsField(WidgetField):
         return r.getvalue()
 
     def get_rst_view_value(self, value, indent=''):
-        items = value.items()
-        items.sort(lambda x,y: cmp(x[1], y[1]))
+        items = list(value.items())
+        items.sort(key=lambda x: x[1] or sys.maxsize)
         counter = 0
         last_it = None
         values = []
diff --git a/wcs/qommon/form.py b/wcs/qommon/form.py
index 2400ac094..6afed9f04 100644
--- a/wcs/qommon/form.py
+++ b/wcs/qommon/form.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import mimetypes
 import os
 import re
 import socket
+import sys
 import tempfile
 import time
 import random
@@ -1836,15 +1837,7 @@ class RankedItemsWidget(CompositeWidget):
             random.shuffle(self.widgets)
 
         if self.readonly:
-            def cmp_w(x, y):
-                if x.value is None and y.value is None:
-                    return 0
-                if x.value is None:
-                    return 1
-                if y.value is None:
-                    return -1
-                return cmp(x.value, y.value)
-            self.widgets.sort(cmp_w)
+            self.widgets.sort(key=lambda x: x.value or sys.maxsize)
 
             if value:
                 # in readonly mode, we mark all fields as already parsed, to