diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/basicOperators.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/basicOperators.scala
index ed2a7bdfe2cce..1e7f7129f4b9f 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/basicOperators.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/basicOperators.scala
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.expressions._
 import org.apache.spark.sql.Row
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.plans.physical._
 import org.apache.spark.util.collection.ExternalSorter
+import org.apache.spark.util.collection.unsafe.sort.PrefixComparator
 import org.apache.spark.util.{CompletionIterator, MutablePair}
 import org.apache.spark.{HashPartitioner, SparkEnv}
 
@@ -274,7 +275,18 @@ case class UnsafeExternalSort(
     def doSort(iterator: Iterator[InternalRow]): Iterator[InternalRow] = {
       val ordering = newOrdering(sortOrder, child.output)
       val boundSortExpression = BindReferences.bindReference(sortOrder.head, child.output)
-      val prefixComparator = SortPrefixUtils.getPrefixComparator(boundSortExpression)
+      // Hack until we generate separate comparator implementations for ascending vs. descending
+      // (or choose to codegen them):
+      val prefixComparator = {
+        val comp = SortPrefixUtils.getPrefixComparator(boundSortExpression)
+        if (sortOrder.head.direction == Descending) {
+          new PrefixComparator {
+            override def compare(p1: Long, p2: Long): Int = -1 * comp.compare(p1, p2)
+          }
+        } else {
+          comp
+        }
+      }
       val prefixComputer = {
         val prefixComputer = SortPrefixUtils.getPrefixComputer(boundSortExpression)
         new UnsafeExternalRowSorter.PrefixComputer {
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/UnsafeExternalSortSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/UnsafeExternalSortSuite.scala
index 5233c73638c85..1dd81ee4e9fb6 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/UnsafeExternalSortSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/UnsafeExternalSortSuite.scala
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ class UnsafeExternalSortSuite extends SparkPlanTest with BeforeAndAfterAll {
 
   // Test sorting on different data types
   for (
-    dataType <- DataTypeTestUtils.atomicTypes; // Disable null type for now due to bug in SqlSerializer2 ++ Set(NullType);
+    dataType <- DataTypeTestUtils.atomicTypes // Disable null type for now due to bug in SqlSerializer2 ++ Set(NullType);
+    if !dataType.isInstanceOf[DecimalType]; // Since we don't have an unsafe representation for decimals
     nullable <- Seq(true, false);
-    sortOrder <- Seq('a.asc :: Nil);
+    sortOrder <- Seq('a.asc :: Nil, 'a.desc :: Nil);
     randomDataGenerator <- RandomDataGenerator.forType(dataType, nullable)
   ) {
     test(s"sorting on $dataType with nullable=$nullable, sortOrder=$sortOrder") {