diff --git a/ckanext/datastore/helpers.py b/ckanext/datastore/helpers.py
index d2441cdc439..08007a9d93d 100644
--- a/ckanext/datastore/helpers.py
+++ b/ckanext/datastore/helpers.py
@@ -99,4 +99,11 @@ def literal_string(s):
     """
     Return s as a postgres literal string
     """
-    return u"'" + s.replace(u"'", u"''") + u"'"
+    return u"'" + s.replace(u"'", u"''").replace(u'\0', '') + u"'"
+
+
+def identifier(s):
+    """
+    Return s as a quoted postgres identifier
+    """
+    return u'"' + s.replace(u'"', u'""').replace(u'\0', '') + u'"'
diff --git a/ckanext/datastore/plugin.py b/ckanext/datastore/plugin.py
index 2a924f21759..9b3bc40110c 100644
--- a/ckanext/datastore/plugin.py
+++ b/ckanext/datastore/plugin.py
@@ -357,6 +357,8 @@ def _parse_sort_clause(self, clause, fields_types):
             return False
 
         field = clause_match.group(1)
+        if field[0] == field[-1] == u'"':
+            field = field[1:-1]
         sort = (clause_match.group(3) or u'asc').lower()
 
         if field not in fields_types:
@@ -460,7 +462,8 @@ def _sort(self, data_dict, fields_types):
 
         for clause in clauses:
             field, sort = self._parse_sort_clause(clause, fields_types)
-            clause_parsed.append(u'"{0}" {1}'.format(field, sort))
+            clause_parsed.append(
+                u'{0} {1}'.format(datastore_helpers.identifier(field), sort))
 
         return clause_parsed