diff --git a/crates/bevy_ecs/compile_fail/tests/ui/system_query_iter_sort_lifetime_safety.rs b/crates/bevy_ecs/compile_fail/tests/ui/system_query_iter_sort_lifetime_safety.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..118e732093179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/bevy_ecs/compile_fail/tests/ui/system_query_iter_sort_lifetime_safety.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+use bevy_ecs::prelude::*;
+use std::cmp::Ordering;
+
+#[derive(Component)]
+struct A(usize);
+
+fn system(mut query: Query<&mut A>) {
+    let iter = query.iter_mut();
+    let mut stored: Option<&A> = None;
+    let mut sorted = iter.sort_by::<&A>(|left, _right| {
+        // Try to smuggle the lens item out of the closure.
+        stored = Some(left);
+        //~^ E0521
+        Ordering::Equal
+    });
+    let r: &A = stored.unwrap();
+    let m: &mut A = &mut sorted.next().unwrap();
+    assert!(std::ptr::eq(r, m));
+}
diff --git a/crates/bevy_ecs/compile_fail/tests/ui/system_query_iter_sort_lifetime_safety.stderr b/crates/bevy_ecs/compile_fail/tests/ui/system_query_iter_sort_lifetime_safety.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7e0ca6e4c624d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/bevy_ecs/compile_fail/tests/ui/system_query_iter_sort_lifetime_safety.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+error[E0521]: borrowed data escapes outside of closure
+  --> tests/ui\system_query_iter_sort_lifetime_safety.rs:12:9
+   |
+9  |     let mut stored: Option<&A> = None;
+   |         ---------- `stored` declared here, outside of the closure body
+10 |     let mut sorted = iter.sort_by::<&A>(|left, _right| {
+   |                                          ---- `left` is a reference that is only valid in the closure body
+11 |         // Try to smuggle the lens item out of the closure.
+12 |         stored = Some(left);
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ `left` escapes the closure body here
diff --git a/crates/bevy_ecs/src/query/iter.rs b/crates/bevy_ecs/src/query/iter.rs
index f68b9d45d168b..50624205d55b6 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_ecs/src/query/iter.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_ecs/src/query/iter.rs
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// # schedule.add_systems((system_1, system_2, system_3));
     /// # schedule.run(&mut world);
     /// ```
-    pub fn sort<L: ReadOnlyQueryData<Item<'w>: Ord> + 'w>(
+    pub fn sort<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w>(
         self,
     ) -> QuerySortedIter<
         'w,
@@ -495,7 +495,10 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
         D,
         F,
         impl ExactSizeIterator<Item = Entity> + DoubleEndedIterator + FusedIterator + 'w,
-    > {
+    >
+    where
+        for<'lw> L::Item<'lw>: Ord,
+    {
         self.sort_impl::<L>(|keyed_query| keyed_query.sort())
     }
 
@@ -541,7 +544,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// # schedule.add_systems((system_1));
     /// # schedule.run(&mut world);
     /// ```
-    pub fn sort_unstable<L: ReadOnlyQueryData<Item<'w>: Ord> + 'w>(
+    pub fn sort_unstable<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w>(
         self,
     ) -> QuerySortedIter<
         'w,
@@ -549,7 +552,10 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
         D,
         F,
         impl ExactSizeIterator<Item = Entity> + DoubleEndedIterator + FusedIterator + 'w,
-    > {
+    >
+    where
+        for<'lw> L::Item<'lw>: Ord,
+    {
         self.sort_impl::<L>(|keyed_query| keyed_query.sort_unstable())
     }
 
@@ -604,7 +610,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// ```
     pub fn sort_by<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w>(
         self,
-        mut compare: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>, &L::Item<'w>) -> Ordering,
+        mut compare: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>, &L::Item<'_>) -> Ordering,
     ) -> QuerySortedIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -636,7 +642,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// This will panic if `next` has been called on `QueryIter` before, unless the underlying `Query` is empty.
     pub fn sort_unstable_by<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w>(
         self,
-        mut compare: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>, &L::Item<'w>) -> Ordering,
+        mut compare: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>, &L::Item<'_>) -> Ordering,
     ) -> QuerySortedIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -688,7 +694,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// #[derive(Component)]
     /// struct AvailableMarker;
     ///
-    /// #[derive(Component, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
+    /// #[derive(Component, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Copy, Clone)]
     /// enum Rarity {
     ///   Common,
     ///   Rare,
@@ -716,7 +722,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     ///         .sort_by_key::<EntityRef, _>(|entity_ref| {
     ///             (
     ///                 entity_ref.contains::<AvailableMarker>(),
-    ///                 entity_ref.get::<Rarity>()
+    ///                 entity_ref.get::<Rarity>().copied()
     ///             )
     ///         })
     ///         .rev()
@@ -728,7 +734,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// ```
     pub fn sort_by_key<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w, K>(
         self,
-        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>) -> K,
+        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>) -> K,
     ) -> QuerySortedIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -761,7 +767,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// This will panic if `next` has been called on `QueryIter` before, unless the underlying `Query` is empty.
     pub fn sort_unstable_by_key<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w, K>(
         self,
-        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>) -> K,
+        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>) -> K,
     ) -> QuerySortedIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -796,7 +802,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// This will panic if `next` has been called on `QueryIter` before, unless the underlying `Query` is empty.
     pub fn sort_by_cached_key<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w, K>(
         self,
-        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>) -> K,
+        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>) -> K,
     ) -> QuerySortedIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -826,7 +832,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter> QueryIter<'w, 's, D, F> {
     /// This will panic if `next` has been called on `QueryIter` before, unless the underlying `Query` is empty.
     fn sort_impl<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w>(
         self,
-        f: impl FnOnce(&mut Vec<(L::Item<'w>, NeutralOrd<Entity>)>),
+        f: impl FnOnce(&mut Vec<(L::Item<'_>, NeutralOrd<Entity>)>),
     ) -> QuerySortedIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -1333,7 +1339,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
         impl ExactSizeIterator<Item = Entity> + DoubleEndedIterator + FusedIterator + 'w,
     >
     where
-        L::Item<'w>: Ord,
+        for<'lw> L::Item<'lw>: Ord,
     {
         self.sort_impl::<L>(|keyed_query| keyed_query.sort())
     }
@@ -1391,7 +1397,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
         impl ExactSizeIterator<Item = Entity> + DoubleEndedIterator + FusedIterator + 'w,
     >
     where
-        L::Item<'w>: Ord,
+        for<'lw> L::Item<'lw>: Ord,
     {
         self.sort_impl::<L>(|keyed_query| keyed_query.sort_unstable())
     }
@@ -1448,7 +1454,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
     /// ```
     pub fn sort_by<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w>(
         self,
-        mut compare: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>, &L::Item<'w>) -> Ordering,
+        mut compare: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>, &L::Item<'_>) -> Ordering,
     ) -> QuerySortedManyIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -1479,7 +1485,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
     /// called on [`QueryManyIter`] before.
     pub fn sort_unstable_by<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w>(
         self,
-        mut compare: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>, &L::Item<'w>) -> Ordering,
+        mut compare: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>, &L::Item<'_>) -> Ordering,
     ) -> QuerySortedManyIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -1531,7 +1537,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
     /// #[derive(Component)]
     /// struct AvailableMarker;
     ///
-    /// #[derive(Component, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
+    /// #[derive(Component, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Copy, Clone)]
     /// enum Rarity {
     ///   Common,
     ///   Rare,
@@ -1561,7 +1567,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
     ///         .sort_by_key::<EntityRef, _>(|entity_ref| {
     ///             (
     ///                 entity_ref.contains::<AvailableMarker>(),
-    ///                 entity_ref.get::<Rarity>()
+    //                  entity_ref.get::<Rarity>().copied()
     ///             )
     ///         })
     ///         .rev()
@@ -1573,7 +1579,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
     /// ```
     pub fn sort_by_key<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w, K>(
         self,
-        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>) -> K,
+        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>) -> K,
     ) -> QuerySortedManyIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -1605,7 +1611,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
     /// called on [`QueryManyIter`] before.
     pub fn sort_unstable_by_key<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w, K>(
         self,
-        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>) -> K,
+        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>) -> K,
     ) -> QuerySortedManyIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -1639,7 +1645,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
     /// called on [`QueryManyIter`] before.
     pub fn sort_by_cached_key<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w, K>(
         self,
-        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'w>) -> K,
+        mut f: impl FnMut(&L::Item<'_>) -> K,
     ) -> QuerySortedManyIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -1668,7 +1674,7 @@ impl<'w, 's, D: QueryData, F: QueryFilter, I: Iterator<Item: EntityBorrow>>
     /// called on [`QueryManyIter`] before.
     fn sort_impl<L: ReadOnlyQueryData + 'w>(
         self,
-        f: impl FnOnce(&mut Vec<(L::Item<'w>, NeutralOrd<Entity>)>),
+        f: impl FnOnce(&mut Vec<(L::Item<'_>, NeutralOrd<Entity>)>),
     ) -> QuerySortedManyIter<
         'w,
         's,
@@ -2898,13 +2904,13 @@ mod tests {
         {
             let mut query = query_state
                 .iter_many_mut(&mut world, [id, id])
-                .sort_by::<&C>(Ord::cmp);
+                .sort_by::<&C>(|l, r| Ord::cmp(l, r));
             while query.fetch_next().is_some() {}
         }
         {
             let mut query = query_state
                 .iter_many_mut(&mut world, [id, id])
-                .sort_unstable_by::<&C>(Ord::cmp);
+                .sort_unstable_by::<&C>(|l, r| Ord::cmp(l, r));
             while query.fetch_next().is_some() {}
         }
         {