diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/generic/GenericData.java b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/generic/GenericData.java
index f327851e5db..0098d8da5e0 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/generic/GenericData.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/generic/GenericData.java
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ public String toString() {
 
     @Override
     public int compareTo(Fixed that) {
-      return Arrays.compare(this.bytes, 0, this.bytes.length, that.bytes, 0, that.bytes.length);
+      return BinaryData.compareBytes(this.bytes, 0, this.bytes.length, that.bytes, 0, that.bytes.length);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/io/BinaryData.java b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/io/BinaryData.java
index 9ce68e9f4cf..0df469d4957 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/io/BinaryData.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/io/BinaryData.java
@@ -156,8 +156,7 @@ private static int compare(Decoders d, Schema schema) throws IOException {
     }
     case FIXED: {
       int size = schema.getFixedSize();
-      int c = Arrays.compare(d.d1.getBuf(), d.d1.getPos(), d.d1.getPos() + size, d.d2.getBuf(), d.d2.getPos(),
-          d.d2.getPos() + size);
+      int c = compareBytes(d.d1.getBuf(), d.d1.getPos(), size, d.d2.getBuf(), d.d2.getPos(), size);
       d.d1.skipFixed(size);
       d.d2.skipFixed(size);
       return c;
@@ -166,8 +165,7 @@ private static int compare(Decoders d, Schema schema) throws IOException {
     case BYTES: {
       int l1 = d1.readInt();
       int l2 = d2.readInt();
-      int c = Arrays.compare(d.d1.getBuf(), d.d1.getPos(), d.d1.getPos() + l1, d.d2.getBuf(), d.d2.getPos(),
-          d.d2.getPos() + l2);
+      int c = compareBytes(d.d1.getBuf(), d.d1.getPos(), l1, d.d2.getBuf(), d.d2.getPos(), l2);
       d.d1.skipFixed(l1);
       d.d2.skipFixed(l2);
       return c;
@@ -181,10 +179,10 @@ private static int compare(Decoders d, Schema schema) throws IOException {
 
   /**
    * Lexicographically compare bytes. If equal, return zero. If greater-than,
-   * return a positive value, if less than return a negative value.
+   * return a positive value, if less than, return a negative value.
    */
   public static int compareBytes(byte[] b1, int s1, int l1, byte[] b2, int s2, int l2) {
-    return Arrays.compare(b1, s1, s1 + l1, b2, s2, s2 + l2);
+    return Arrays.compareUnsigned(b1, s1, s1 + l1, b2, s2, s2 + l2);
   }
 
   private static class HashData {
diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/reflect/ReflectData.java b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/reflect/ReflectData.java
index 916c15efbf9..1810b27e06a 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/reflect/ReflectData.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/reflect/ReflectData.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import org.apache.avro.generic.GenericData;
 import org.apache.avro.generic.GenericFixed;
 import org.apache.avro.generic.IndexedRecord;
+import org.apache.avro.io.BinaryData;
 import org.apache.avro.io.DatumReader;
 import org.apache.avro.io.DatumWriter;
 import org.apache.avro.specific.FixedSize;
@@ -995,7 +996,7 @@ protected int compare(Object o1, Object o2, Schema s, boolean equals) {
         break;
       byte[] b1 = (byte[]) o1;
       byte[] b2 = (byte[]) o2;
-      return Arrays.compare(b1, 0, b1.length, b2, 0, b2.length);
+      return BinaryData.compareBytes(b1, 0, b1.length, b2, 0, b2.length);
     }
     return super.compare(o1, o2, s, equals);
   }
diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/specific/SpecificFixed.java b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/specific/SpecificFixed.java
index 98a553eecbf..9984acb5689 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/specific/SpecificFixed.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/specific/SpecificFixed.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import org.apache.avro.Schema;
 import org.apache.avro.generic.GenericFixed;
+import org.apache.avro.io.BinaryData;
 
 /** Base class for generated fixed-sized data classes. */
 public abstract class SpecificFixed implements GenericFixed, Comparable<SpecificFixed>, Externalizable {
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ public String toString() {
 
   @Override
   public int compareTo(SpecificFixed that) {
-    return Arrays.compare(this.bytes, 0, this.bytes.length, that.bytes, 0, that.bytes.length);
+    return BinaryData.compareBytes(this.bytes, 0, this.bytes.length, that.bytes, 0, that.bytes.length);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/util/Utf8.java b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/util/Utf8.java
index 5e5af1a1114..a5c4ece29d7 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/util/Utf8.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/util/Utf8.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 
 import org.apache.avro.SystemLimitException;
+import org.apache.avro.io.BinaryData;
 
 /**
  * A Utf8 string. Unlike {@link String}, instances are mutable. This is more
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ public int hashCode() {
 
   @Override
   public int compareTo(Utf8 that) {
-    return Arrays.compare(this.bytes, 0, this.length, that.bytes, 0, that.length);
+    return BinaryData.compareBytes(this.bytes, 0, this.length, that.bytes, 0, that.length);
   }
 
   // CharSequence implementation
diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/io/TestBinaryData.java b/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/io/TestBinaryData.java
index 167cd724630..595f8c31280 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/io/TestBinaryData.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/io/TestBinaryData.java
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@
 
 package org.apache.avro.io;
 
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertArrayEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
-
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 public class TestBinaryData {
 
@@ -60,4 +61,34 @@ void testIntLongVleEquality() {
     BinaryData.encodeLong(Integer.MIN_VALUE, longResult, 0);
     assertArrayEquals(intResult, longResult);
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void testCompareBytesUnsigned() {
+    // Test case: byte value 0xFF (-1 as signed, 255 as unsigned)
+    // should be greater than 0x7F (127)
+    byte[] b1 = new byte[] { (byte) 0xFF };
+    byte[] b2 = new byte[] { (byte) 0x7F };
+    int result = BinaryData.compareBytes(b1, 0, 1, b2, 0, 1);
+    assertTrue(result > 0, "0xFF (255 unsigned) should be greater than 0x7F (127)");
+    result = BinaryData.compareBytes(b2, 0, 1, b1, 0, 1);
+    assertTrue(result < 0, "0x7F (127) should be less than 0xFF (255 unsigned)");
+    result = BinaryData.compareBytes(b1, 0, 1, b1, 0, 1);
+    assertEquals(0, result, "Equal byte arrays should return 0");
+
+    // Test with multiple bytes: {0x00, 0xFF} vs {0x00, 0x7F}
+    byte[] b3 = new byte[] { 0x00, (byte) 0xFF };
+    byte[] b4 = new byte[] { 0x00, (byte) 0x7F };
+    byte[] b5 = new byte[] { (byte) 0xFF, 0x00 };
+    byte[] b6 = new byte[] { (byte) 0x7F, 0x00 };
+    result = BinaryData.compareBytes(b3, 0, 2, b4, 0, 2);
+    assertTrue(result > 1, "{0x00, 0xFF} should be greater than {0x00, 0x7F}");
+    result = BinaryData.compareBytes(b5, 0, 2, b6, 0, 2);
+    assertTrue(result > 1, "{0xFF, 0x00} should be greater than {0x7F, 0x00}");
+
+    // Test with negative byte values: -1 (0xFF) should be greater than -128 (0x80)
+    byte[] b7 = new byte[] { (byte) -1 };
+    byte[] b8 = new byte[] { (byte) -128 };
+    result = BinaryData.compareBytes(b7, 0, 1, b8, 0, 1);
+    assertTrue(result > 0, "-1 (0xFF=255 unsigned) should be greater than -128 (0x80=128 unsigned)");
+  }
 }