diff --git a/src/include/pv-internal.h b/src/include/pv-internal.h
index c08de2f..7bc7acc 100644
--- a/src/include/pv-internal.h
+++ b/src/include/pv-internal.h
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ int pv_remote_set(pvstate_t);
 int pv_watchfd_info(pvstate_t, pvwatchfd_t, bool);
 bool pv_watchfd_changed(pvwatchfd_t);
 off_t pv_watchfd_position(pvwatchfd_t);
-int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t, pid_t, int *, pvwatchfd_t *, int *);
+int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t, pid_t, int *, pvwatchfd_t *);
 void pv_watchpid_setname(pvstate_t, pvwatchfd_t);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/pv/loop.c b/src/pv/loop.c
index f608e78..ee8e137 100644
--- a/src/pv/loop.c
+++ b/src/pv/loop.c
@@ -779,7 +779,6 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 	char new_format_string[512];	 /* flawfinder: ignore */
 	struct pvwatchfd_s *info_array = NULL;
 	int array_length = 0;
-	int fd_to_idx[FD_SETSIZE];
 	struct timespec next_update, cur_time;
 	int idx;
 	int prev_displayed_lines, blank_lines;
@@ -845,14 +844,10 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 	pv_elapsedtime_copy(&next_update, &cur_time);
 	pv_elapsedtime_add_nsec(&next_update, (long long) (1000000000.0 * state->control.interval));
 
-	for (idx = 0; idx < FD_SETSIZE; idx++) {
-		fd_to_idx[idx] = -1;
-	}
-
 	prev_displayed_lines = 0;
 
 	while (true) {
-		int rc, fd, displayed_lines;
+		int rc, displayed_lines;
 
 		if (1 == state->flags.trigger_exit)
 			break;
@@ -909,7 +904,7 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 			}
 		}
 
-		rc = pv_watchpid_scanfds(state, state->watchfd.pid[0], &array_length, &info_array, fd_to_idx);
+		rc = pv_watchpid_scanfds(state, state->watchfd.pid[0], &array_length, &info_array);
 		if (rc != 0) {
 			if (first_pass) {
 				pv_error("%s %u: %s", _("pid"), state->watchfd.pid[0], strerror(errno));
@@ -924,40 +919,34 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 		first_pass = false;
 		displayed_lines = 0;
 
-		for (fd = 0; fd < FD_SETSIZE && NULL != info_array; fd++) {
+		for (idx = 0; NULL != info_array && idx < array_length; idx++) {
 			off_t position_now;
 			struct timespec init_time, transfer_elapsed;
 
+			/* Skip unused array entries. */
+			if (info_array[idx].unused)
+				continue;
+
+			/* No more lines if we've filled the display. */
 			if (displayed_lines >= (int) (state->control.height))
 				break;
 
-			idx = fd_to_idx[fd];
-
-			if (idx < 0)
-				continue;
-
-			if (info_array[idx].unused) {
-				debug("%s %d: %s", "fd", fd, "unused array entry - skipping");
-				continue;
-			}
-
 			if (!info_array[idx].displayable) {
 				/*
 				 * Non-displayable fd - just remove if
 				 * changed
 				 */
 				if (pv_watchfd_changed(&(info_array[idx]))) {
-					fd_to_idx[fd] = -1;
+					debug("%s %d: %s", "fd", info_array[idx].watch_fd, "removing");
 					info_array[idx].unused = true;
 					info_array[idx].displayable = false;
 					pv_freecontents_watchfd(&(info_array[idx]));
-					debug("%s %d: %s", "fd", fd, "removing");
 				}
 				continue;
 			}
 
 			if (info_array[idx].watch_fd < 0) {
-				debug("%s %d: %s", "fd", fd, "negative fd - skipping");
+				debug("%s %d: %s", "fd", info_array[idx].watch_fd, "negative fd - skipping");
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -968,11 +957,10 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 			position_now = pv_watchfd_position(&(info_array[idx]));
 
 			if (position_now < 0) {
-				fd_to_idx[fd] = -1;
+				debug("%s %d: %s", "fd", info_array[idx].watch_fd, "removing");
 				info_array[idx].unused = true;
 				info_array[idx].displayable = false;
 				pv_freecontents_watchfd(&(info_array[idx]));
-				debug("%s %d: %s", "fd", fd, "removing");
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -1000,7 +988,7 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 				pv_tty_write(&(state->flags), "\n", 1);
 			}
 
-			debug("%s %d [%d]: %Lf / %Ld", "fd", fd, idx,
+			debug("%s %d [%d]: %Lf / %Ld", "fd", info_array[idx].watch_fd, idx,
 			      info_array[idx].transfer.elapsed_seconds, position_now);
 
 			if (info_array[idx].watch_fd >= 0) {
diff --git a/src/pv/watchpid.c b/src/pv/watchpid.c
index 275febb..5605575 100644
--- a/src/pv/watchpid.c
+++ b/src/pv/watchpid.c
@@ -394,6 +394,28 @@ void pv_freecontents_watchfd(pvwatchfd_t info)
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * Comparison function for qsort, to compare two pvwatchfd_s structures.
+ */
+static int pv_compare_watchfd(const void *a, const void *b)
+{
+	int fd_a, fd_b;
+
+	fd_a = 0;
+	fd_b = 0;
+	if (NULL != a)
+		fd_a = ((pvwatchfd_t) a)->watch_fd;
+	if (NULL != b)
+		fd_b = ((pvwatchfd_t) b)->watch_fd;
+
+	if (fd_a < fd_b)
+		return -1;
+	if (fd_a > fd_b)
+		return 1;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
 /*
  * Scan the given process and update the arrays with any new file
  * descriptors.
@@ -401,8 +423,7 @@ void pv_freecontents_watchfd(pvwatchfd_t info)
  * Returns 0 on success, 1 if the process no longer exists or could not be
  * read, or 2 for a memory allocation error.
  */
-int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state,
-			pid_t watch_pid, int *array_length_ptr, pvwatchfd_t * info_array_ptr, int *fd_to_idx)
+int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state, pid_t watch_pid, int *array_length_ptr, pvwatchfd_t * info_array_ptr)
 {
 	int array_length = 0;
 	struct pvwatchfd_s *info_array = NULL;
@@ -419,6 +440,7 @@ int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state,
 	char fd_dir[512];		 /* flawfinder: ignore - zeroed, bounded with pv_snprintf(). */
 	DIR *dptr;
 	struct dirent *d;
+	bool changes_made;
 
 	memset(fd_dir, 0, sizeof(fd_dir));
 	(void) pv_snprintf(fd_dir, sizeof(fd_dir), "/proc/%u/fd", watch_pid);
@@ -431,6 +453,8 @@ int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state,
 	array_length = *array_length_ptr;
 	info_array = *info_array_ptr;
 
+	changes_made = false;
+
 #ifdef __APPLE__
 	if (fd_infos_count < 1) {
 		pv_error("%s: no fds found", _("pid"));
@@ -440,7 +464,7 @@ int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state,
 #else
 	while ((d = readdir(dptr)) != NULL) {
 #endif
-		int fd, check_idx, use_idx, rc;
+		int fd, check_idx, found_idx, use_idx, rc;
 		off_t position_now;
 
 		fd = -1;
@@ -451,21 +475,24 @@ int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state,
 			continue;
 #endif
 
-		/*
-		 * TODO: determine whether fd_to_idx really helps here,
-		 * since it constrains us to fds < FD_SETSIZE.
-		 */
-
-		/* Skip if the fd is outside the array. */
-		if ((fd < 0) || (fd >= FD_SETSIZE))
+		/* Skip if the fd is negative. */
+		if (fd < 0)
 			continue;
 
 		/*
 		 * Skip if this fd is already known to us.
 		 */
-		if (fd_to_idx[fd] != -1) {
-			continue;
+		found_idx = -1;
+		for (check_idx = 0; check_idx < array_length; check_idx++) {
+			if (info_array[check_idx].unused)
+				continue;
+			if (info_array[check_idx].watch_fd != fd)
+				continue;
+			found_idx = check_idx;
+			break;
 		}
+		if (found_idx >= 0)
+			continue;
 
 		/*
 		 * See if there's an empty slot we can re-use.
@@ -491,6 +518,8 @@ int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state,
 
 		debug("%s: %d => index %d", "found new fd", fd, use_idx);
 
+		changes_made = true;
+
 		/*
 		 * Initialise the details of this new entry.
 		 */
@@ -528,8 +557,6 @@ int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		fd_to_idx[fd] = use_idx;
-
 		/*
 		 * Not displayable - mark it as such so the main loop
 		 * doesn't show it.
@@ -568,6 +595,14 @@ int pv_watchpid_scanfds(pvstate_t state,
 	(void) closedir(dptr);
 #endif
 
+	/*
+	 * If any changes were made (i.e. new file descriptors were found),
+	 * sort the array so that file descriptors are always displayed in
+	 * ascending numerical order.
+	 */
+	if (changes_made && NULL != info_array && array_length > 1)
+		qsort(info_array, (size_t) array_length, sizeof(info_array[0]), pv_compare_watchfd);
+
 	return 0;
 }