diff --git a/src/Query/Sql/Select.php b/src/Query/Sql/Select.php
index 78d5845..4f59cb8 100644
--- a/src/Query/Sql/Select.php
+++ b/src/Query/Sql/Select.php
@@ -239,6 +239,10 @@ public function orderBy($columns, $direction = 'asc')
         {
             $columns = $this->stringArgumentToArray($columns);
         }
+        elseif ($columns instanceof Expression)
+        {
+            $this->orders[] = [$columns, $direction]; return $this;
+        }
 
         foreach ($columns as $key => $column) 
         {
diff --git a/src/Translator/Mysql.php b/src/Translator/Mysql.php
index 25ef3d9..0d85549 100644
--- a/src/Translator/Mysql.php
+++ b/src/Translator/Mysql.php
@@ -615,6 +615,14 @@ protected function translateOrderBy()
 
         foreach ($this->attr('orders') as $column => $direction) 
         {
+            // in case a raw value is given we had to 
+            // put the column / raw value an direction inside another
+            // array because we cannot make objects to array keys.
+            if (is_array($direction))
+            {
+                list($column, $direction) = $direction;
+            }
+
             $build .= $this->escape($column) . ' ' . $direction . ', ';
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/Query/Sql/Select.php b/tests/Query/Sql/Select.php
index 0c6a352..5063fd4 100644
--- a/tests/Query/Sql/Select.php
+++ b/tests/Query/Sql/Select.php
@@ -119,6 +119,17 @@ public function testOrderBy()
 		$this->assertAttributes($this->createQuery()->orderBy(array('firstname' => 'asc', 'lastname' => 'desc')), array('orders' => array('firstname' => 'asc', 'lastname' => 'desc')));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Select::orderBy
+	 */
+	public function testOrderByRaw()
+	{
+		$raw = new Expression('language <> de');
+
+		// simple 
+		$this->assertAttributes($this->createQuery()->orderBy($raw), array('orders' => array([$raw, 'asc'])));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Select::groupBy
 	 */
diff --git a/tests/Translator/Mysql.php b/tests/Translator/Mysql.php
index 8703d84..0f8803f 100644
--- a/tests/Translator/Mysql.php
+++ b/tests/Translator/Mysql.php
@@ -362,6 +362,12 @@ public function testSelectOrderBy()
 		{
 			return $q->table('phpunit')->select()->orderBy(array('u.firstname' => 'asc', 'u.lastname' => 'desc'));
 		});
+
+		// raw sorting
+		$this->assertQueryTranslation('select * from `phpunit` order by firstname <> nick asc', array(), function($q) 
+		{
+			return $q->table('phpunit')->select()->orderBy(new Expression("firstname <> nick"));
+		});
 	}
 
 	/**