diff --git a/src/load/migrate-database.lisp b/src/load/migrate-database.lisp
index d2e7578..c12e050 100644
--- a/src/load/migrate-database.lisp
+++ b/src/load/migrate-database.lisp
@@ -261,22 +261,17 @@
         (view-list  (copy-list (view-list catalog))))
     ;; when materialized views are not supported, view-list is empty here
     (cond
-      ((notevery #'null (mapcar #'table-row-count-estimate table-list))
-           (flet ((compare-row-count-estimates (a b)
-                    (declare (type (or null fixnum) a b))
-                    (> (or a 0) (or b 0))))
-             (let ((sorted-table-list (sort table-list
-                                            #'compare-row-count-estimates
-                                            :key #'table-row-count-estimate)))
-               (log-message :notice
-                            "Processing tables in this order: ~{~a: ~d rows~^, ~}"
-                            (loop :for table
-                               :in (append sorted-table-list view-list)
-                               :append (list (format-table-name table)
-                                             (table-row-count-estimate table))))
-               (append sorted-table-list view-list))))
+      ((notevery #'zerop (mapcar #'table-row-count-estimate table-list))
+       (let ((sorted-table-list
+              (sort table-list #'> :key #'table-row-count-estimate)))
+         (log-message :notice
+                      "Processing tables in this order: ~{~a: ~d rows~^, ~}"
+                      (loop :for table :in (append table-list view-list)
+                         :collect (format-table-name table)
+                         :collect (table-row-count-estimate table)))
+         (nconc sorted-table-list view-list)))
       (t
-       (append table-list view-list)))))
+       (nconc table-list view-list)))))
 
 
 ;;;
diff --git a/src/sources/common/api.lisp b/src/sources/common/api.lisp
index 4b218cd..2c2ba3d 100644
--- a/src/sources/common/api.lisp
+++ b/src/sources/common/api.lisp
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
   (:documentation "Get the list of foreign keys from the source database."))
 
 (defgeneric fetch-table-row-count (catalog db-copy &key including excluding)
-  (:documentation "Get the estimate row count for tables in the source database"))
+  (:documentation "Retrieve and set the row count estimate for given tables."))
 
 (defgeneric fetch-comments (catalog db-copy &key including excluding)
   (:documentation "Get the list of comments from the source database."))
diff --git a/src/sources/mysql/mysql-schema.lisp b/src/sources/mysql/mysql-schema.lisp
index 9c2a9d4..99603a5 100644
--- a/src/sources/mysql/mysql-schema.lisp
+++ b/src/sources/mysql/mysql-schema.lisp
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
                                   &key
                                     including
                                     excluding)
-  "Get the row count estimate for given MySQL tables."
+  "Retrieve and set the row count estimate for given MySQL tables."
   (loop
      :for (table-name count)
      :in (mysql-query (sql "/mysql/list-table-rows.sql"
diff --git a/src/utils/catalog.lisp b/src/utils/catalog.lisp
index 968408c..a74d676 100644
--- a/src/utils/catalog.lisp
+++ b/src/utils/catalog.lisp
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@
            table-list view-list matview-list extension-list sqltype-list)
 
 (defstruct table source-name name schema oid comment
-           storage-parameter-list tablespace row-count-estimate
+           storage-parameter-list tablespace
+           (row-count-estimate 0 :type fixnum)
            ;; field is for SOURCE
            field-list
            ;; column is for TARGET