diff --git a/lucene/src/java/org/apache/lucene/search/SortField.java b/lucene/src/java/org/apache/lucene/search/SortField.java
index 08047106f4c..b83318e5c21 100644
--- a/lucene/src/java/org/apache/lucene/search/SortField.java
+++ b/lucene/src/java/org/apache/lucene/search/SortField.java
@@ -101,7 +101,11 @@ public class SortField {
   private int type;  // defaults to determining type dynamically
   private Locale locale;    // defaults to "natural order" (no Locale)
   boolean reverse = false;  // defaults to natural order
-  private CachedArrayCreator<?> creator;
+  
+  // This is not generified because of a javac bug in early JDK 1.5 (e.g. used by FreeBSD).
+  // With <?> as type param, getComparator() fails to compile because of cast problems.
+  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") private CachedArrayCreator creator;
+  
   public Object missingValue = null; // used for 'sortMissingFirst/Last'
 
   // Used for CUSTOM sort