diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/animations/tests/MutationComparatorTest.cpp b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/animations/tests/MutationComparatorTest.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f5ed376a8859
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/animations/tests/MutationComparatorTest.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,273 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) Meta Platforms, Inc. and affiliates.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ */
+
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include <react/renderer/animations/utils.h>
+#include <react/renderer/mounting/ShadowViewMutation.h>
+
+namespace facebook::react {
+
+namespace {
+
+ShadowView makeShadowView(Tag tag) {
+  ShadowView sv{};
+  sv.tag = tag;
+  return sv;
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
+// Verify strict weak ordering: irreflexivity
+// comp(a, a) must be false
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, Irreflexivity) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+
+  // Same-type mutations where the fallback path is exercised
+  auto update1 = ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv2, /*parentTag=*/10);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update1, update1));
+
+  auto create1 = ShadowViewMutation::CreateMutation(sv1);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(create1, create1));
+
+  auto insert1 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::InsertMutation(/*parentTag=*/10, sv1, /*index=*/0);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(insert1, insert1));
+
+  auto remove1 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::RemoveMutation(/*parentTag=*/10, sv1, /*index=*/0);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(remove1, remove1));
+
+  auto del1 = ShadowViewMutation::DeleteMutation(sv1);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(del1, del1));
+}
+
+// Verify strict weak ordering: asymmetry
+// If comp(a, b) then !comp(b, a)
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, Asymmetry) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+  auto sv3 = makeShadowView(3);
+
+  // Two updates with same type but different parentTags (fallback path)
+  auto update1 = ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv2, /*parentTag=*/10);
+  auto update2 = ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv3, /*parentTag=*/20);
+
+  bool a_before_b = shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update1, update2);
+  bool b_before_a = shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update2, update1);
+
+  // Exactly one must be true (asymmetry)
+  EXPECT_NE(a_before_b, b_before_a);
+}
+
+// Verify strict weak ordering: transitivity
+// If comp(a, b) and comp(b, c) then comp(a, c)
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, Transitivity) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+  auto sv3 = makeShadowView(3);
+
+  auto update1 = ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv1, /*parentTag=*/10);
+  auto update2 = ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv1, /*parentTag=*/20);
+  auto update3 = ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv1, /*parentTag=*/30);
+
+  bool a_b = shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update1, update2);
+  bool b_c = shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update2, update3);
+  bool a_c = shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update1, update3);
+
+  if (a_b && b_c) {
+    EXPECT_TRUE(a_c) << "Transitivity violated: a<b and b<c but not a<c";
+  }
+}
+
+// Verify type-based ordering rules
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, TypeOrdering) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+
+  auto create = ShadowViewMutation::CreateMutation(sv1);
+  auto insert =
+      ShadowViewMutation::InsertMutation(/*parentTag=*/10, sv1, /*index=*/0);
+  auto remove =
+      ShadowViewMutation::RemoveMutation(/*parentTag=*/10, sv1, /*index=*/0);
+  auto update = ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv2, /*parentTag=*/10);
+  auto del = ShadowViewMutation::DeleteMutation(sv1);
+
+  // Delete always comes last
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(del, create));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(del, insert));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(del, remove));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(create, del));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(insert, del));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(remove, del));
+
+  // Remove comes before Insert
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(remove, insert));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(insert, remove));
+
+  // Create comes before Insert
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(create, insert));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(insert, create));
+
+  // Remove comes before Update
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(remove, update));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update, remove));
+}
+
+// Verify removes on same parent are sorted by descending index
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, RemovesSameParentDescendingIndex) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+
+  auto remove_idx0 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::RemoveMutation(/*parentTag=*/10, sv1, /*index=*/0);
+  auto remove_idx5 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::RemoveMutation(/*parentTag=*/10, sv2, /*index=*/5);
+
+  // Higher index should come first
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(remove_idx5, remove_idx0));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(remove_idx0, remove_idx5));
+}
+
+// Verify the deterministic fallback uses parentTag, then child tags
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, DeterministicFallbackByParentTag) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+
+  // Two updates with same type, different parentTags
+  auto update_p10 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv2, /*parentTag=*/10);
+  auto update_p20 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv2, /*parentTag=*/20);
+
+  // Lower parentTag comes first
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update_p10, update_p20));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update_p20, update_p10));
+}
+
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, DeterministicFallbackByNewChildTag) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+  auto sv3 = makeShadowView(3);
+
+  // Same parentTag, different newChildShadowView tags
+  auto update_new2 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv2, /*parentTag=*/10);
+  auto update_new3 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv3, /*parentTag=*/10);
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update_new2, update_new3));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update_new3, update_new2));
+}
+
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, DeterministicFallbackByOldChildTag) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+  auto sv3 = makeShadowView(3);
+
+  // Same parentTag, same newChildShadowView tag, different oldChildShadowView
+  // tags
+  auto update_old1 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv3, /*parentTag=*/10);
+  auto update_old2 =
+      ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv2, sv3, /*parentTag=*/10);
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update_old1, update_old2));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update_old2, update_old1));
+}
+
+// Verify equal mutations return false (stability)
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, EqualMutationsReturnFalse) {
+  auto sv1 = makeShadowView(1);
+  auto sv2 = makeShadowView(2);
+
+  auto update_a =
+      ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv2, /*parentTag=*/10);
+  auto update_b =
+      ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv1, sv2, /*parentTag=*/10);
+
+  // Two mutations with identical properties should return false (not less-than)
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update_a, update_b));
+  EXPECT_FALSE(shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(update_b, update_a));
+}
+
+// Verify std::stable_sort doesn't crash with the comparator
+// (the original bug was a SIGSEGV during sort)
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, StableSortDoesNotCrash) {
+  ShadowViewMutation::List mutations;
+
+  // Build a list with various mutation types and properties
+  for (int parent = 0; parent < 5; parent++) {
+    for (int child = 0; child < 10; child++) {
+      auto sv_old = makeShadowView(child);
+      auto sv_new = makeShadowView(child + 100);
+
+      mutations.push_back(
+          ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(
+              sv_old, sv_new, /*parentTag=*/parent));
+      mutations.push_back(
+          ShadowViewMutation::InsertMutation(
+              /*parentTag=*/parent, sv_new, /*index=*/child));
+      mutations.push_back(
+          ShadowViewMutation::RemoveMutation(
+              /*parentTag=*/parent, sv_old, /*index=*/child));
+    }
+  }
+  mutations.push_back(ShadowViewMutation::CreateMutation(makeShadowView(999)));
+  mutations.push_back(ShadowViewMutation::DeleteMutation(makeShadowView(998)));
+
+  // This should not crash (the original bug was SIGSEGV here)
+  EXPECT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(
+      std::stable_sort(
+          mutations.begin(),
+          mutations.end(),
+          &shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation));
+
+  // Verify ordering invariants after sort
+  bool seen_delete = false;
+  for (const auto& m : mutations) {
+    if (m.type == ShadowViewMutation::Type::Delete) {
+      seen_delete = true;
+    } else if (seen_delete) {
+      FAIL() << "Non-delete mutation found after a delete mutation";
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// Stress test: sort a large list of mutations with duplicates
+TEST(MutationComparatorTest, StableSortLargeListWithDuplicates) {
+  ShadowViewMutation::List mutations;
+
+  // Create many mutations with overlapping properties to stress the comparator
+  for (int i = 0; i < 200; i++) {
+    auto sv = makeShadowView(i % 10); // Deliberately create duplicates
+    auto sv2 = makeShadowView((i + 1) % 10);
+    int parent = i % 5;
+
+    mutations.push_back(ShadowViewMutation::UpdateMutation(sv, sv2, parent));
+    if (i % 3 == 0) {
+      mutations.push_back(
+          ShadowViewMutation::InsertMutation(parent, sv, i % 20));
+    }
+    if (i % 4 == 0) {
+      mutations.push_back(
+          ShadowViewMutation::RemoveMutation(parent, sv, i % 20));
+    }
+  }
+
+  EXPECT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(
+      std::stable_sort(
+          mutations.begin(),
+          mutations.end(),
+          &shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation));
+}
+
+} // namespace facebook::react
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/animations/utils.h b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/animations/utils.h
index 890a0906d82d..1f471d0d0a95 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/animations/utils.h
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/animations/utils.h
@@ -96,7 +96,18 @@ static inline bool shouldFirstComeBeforeSecondMutation(
     }
   }
 
-  return &lhs < &rhs;
+  // Deterministic fallback: when no type-specific rule applies, order by
+  // mutation properties to satisfy strict weak ordering.
+  if (lhs.parentTag != rhs.parentTag) {
+    return lhs.parentTag < rhs.parentTag;
+  }
+  if (lhs.newChildShadowView.tag != rhs.newChildShadowView.tag) {
+    return lhs.newChildShadowView.tag < rhs.newChildShadowView.tag;
+  }
+  if (lhs.oldChildShadowView.tag != rhs.oldChildShadowView.tag) {
+    return lhs.oldChildShadowView.tag < rhs.oldChildShadowView.tag;
+  }
+  return false;
 }
 
 std::pair<Float, Float>