diff --git a/metron-deployment/packaging/ambari/metron-mpack/src/main/resources/common-services/METRON/CURRENT/package/files/metaalert_index.template b/metron-deployment/packaging/ambari/metron-mpack/src/main/resources/common-services/METRON/CURRENT/package/files/metaalert_index.template
index 040c4115bb..0c9978d7e0 100644
--- a/metron-deployment/packaging/ambari/metron-mpack/src/main/resources/common-services/METRON/CURRENT/package/files/metaalert_index.template
+++ b/metron-deployment/packaging/ambari/metron-mpack/src/main/resources/common-services/METRON/CURRENT/package/files/metaalert_index.template
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
         "score": {
           "type": "keyword"
         },
+        "alert_status": {
+          "type": "keyword"
+        },
         "status": {
           "type": "keyword"
         },
diff --git a/metron-platform/metron-elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/apache/metron/elasticsearch/integration/ElasticsearchMetaAlertIntegrationTest.java b/metron-platform/metron-elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/apache/metron/elasticsearch/integration/ElasticsearchMetaAlertIntegrationTest.java
index cba0f656fb..eb821a834f 100644
--- a/metron-platform/metron-elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/apache/metron/elasticsearch/integration/ElasticsearchMetaAlertIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/metron-platform/metron-elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/apache/metron/elasticsearch/integration/ElasticsearchMetaAlertIntegrationTest.java
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ public ElasticsearchMetaAlertIntegrationTest(Function<List<String>, List<String>
            "ip_src_addr" : { "type" : "keyword" },
            "score" : { "type" : "integer" },
            "metron_alert" : { "type" : "nested" },
-           "source:type" : { "type" : "keyword"}
+           "source:type" : { "type" : "keyword"},
+           "alert_status": { "type": "keyword" }
          }
      }
    }
diff --git a/metron-platform/metron-indexing/src/test/java/org/apache/metron/indexing/dao/metaalert/MetaAlertIntegrationTest.java b/metron-platform/metron-indexing/src/test/java/org/apache/metron/indexing/dao/metaalert/MetaAlertIntegrationTest.java
index 90bee80f7a..f1355a6a47 100644
--- a/metron-platform/metron-indexing/src/test/java/org/apache/metron/indexing/dao/metaalert/MetaAlertIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/metron-platform/metron-indexing/src/test/java/org/apache/metron/indexing/dao/metaalert/MetaAlertIntegrationTest.java
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import static org.apache.metron.integration.utils.TestUtils.assertEventually;
+
 public abstract class MetaAlertIntegrationTest {
 
   private static final String META_INDEX_FLAG = "%META_INDEX%";
@@ -145,7 +147,6 @@ public abstract class MetaAlertIntegrationTest {
   @Multiline
   public static String statusPatchRequest;
 
-
   @Test
   public void shouldGetAllMetaAlertsForAlert() throws Exception {
     // Load alerts
@@ -734,6 +735,78 @@ public void shouldSearchByStatus() throws Exception {
         searchResponse.getResults().get(0).getSource().get(STATUS_FIELD));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void shouldSortMetaAlertsByAlertStatus() throws Exception {
+    final String guid = "meta_alert";
+    setupTypings();
+
+    // should be able to sort meta-alert search results by 'alert_status'
+    SortField sortField = new SortField();
+    sortField.setField("alert_status");
+    sortField.setSortOrder("asc");
+
+    // when no meta-alerts exist, it should work
+    Assert.assertEquals(0, searchForSortedMetaAlerts(sortField).getTotal());
+
+    // when meta-alert just created, it should work
+    createMetaAlert(guid);
+    Assert.assertEquals(1, searchForSortedMetaAlerts(sortField).getTotal());
+
+    // when meta-alert 'esclated', it should work
+    escalateMetaAlert(guid);
+    Assert.assertEquals(1, searchForSortedMetaAlerts(sortField).getTotal());
+  }
+
+  private Map<String, Object> createMetaAlert(String guid) throws Exception {
+    // create and index 2 normal alerts
+    List<Map<String, Object>> alerts = buildAlerts(2);
+    alerts.get(0).put(METAALERT_FIELD, Collections.singletonList(guid));
+    alerts.get(1).put(METAALERT_FIELD, Collections.singletonList(guid));
+    addRecords(alerts, getTestIndexFullName(), SENSOR_NAME);
+
+    // create and index a meta-alert
+    Map<String, Object> metaAlert = buildMetaAlert(guid, MetaAlertStatus.ACTIVE, Optional.of(alerts));
+    addRecords(Collections.singletonList(metaAlert), getMetaAlertIndex(), METAALERT_TYPE);
+
+    // ensure the test alerts were loaded
+    findCreatedDocs(Arrays.asList(
+            new GetRequest("message_0", SENSOR_NAME),
+            new GetRequest("message_1", SENSOR_NAME),
+            new GetRequest("meta_alert", METAALERT_TYPE)));
+    return metaAlert;
+  }
+
+  private void escalateMetaAlert(String guid) throws Exception {
+    // create the patch that 'escalates' the meta-alert
+    Map<String, Object> patch = new HashMap<>();
+    patch.put("op", "add");
+    patch.put("path", "/alert_status");
+    patch.put("value", "escalate");
+
+    // 'escalate' the meta-alert
+    PatchRequest patchRequest = new PatchRequest();
+    patchRequest.setGuid(guid);
+    patchRequest.setIndex(getMetaAlertIndex());
+    patchRequest.setSensorType(METAALERT_TYPE);
+    patchRequest.setPatch(Collections.singletonList(patch));
+    metaDao.patch(metaDao, patchRequest, Optional.of(System.currentTimeMillis()));
+
+    // ensure the alert status was changed to 'escalate'
+    assertEventually(() -> {
+      Document updated = metaDao.getLatest(guid, METAALERT_TYPE);
+      Assert.assertEquals("escalate", updated.getDocument().get("alert_status"));
+    });
+  }
+
+  private SearchResponse searchForSortedMetaAlerts(SortField sortBy) throws InvalidSearchException {
+    SearchRequest searchRequest = new SearchRequest();
+    searchRequest.setFrom(0);
+    searchRequest.setSize(10);
+    searchRequest.setIndices(Arrays.asList(getTestIndexName(), METAALERT_TYPE));
+    searchRequest.setQuery("*:*");
+    searchRequest.setSort(Collections.singletonList(sortBy));
+    return metaDao.search(searchRequest);
+  }
 
   @Test
   public void shouldHidesAlertsOnGroup() throws Exception {