diff --git a/ckan/logic/action/get.py b/ckan/logic/action/get.py
index 9ed256b4a30..17f87cf2446 100644
--- a/ckan/logic/action/get.py
+++ b/ckan/logic/action/get.py
@@ -1234,6 +1234,9 @@ def package_search(context, data_dict):
     # the query
     abort = data_dict.get('abort_search',False)
 
+    if data_dict.get('sort') in (None, 'rank'):
+        data_dict['sort'] = 'relevance asc, metadata_modified desc'
+
     results = []
     if not abort:
         # return a list of package ids
@@ -1249,9 +1252,6 @@ def package_search(context, data_dict):
                             if not 'capacity:' in p)
             data_dict['fq'] = fq + ' capacity:"public"'
 
-        if data_dict.get('sort') in (None, 'rank'):
-            data_dict['sort'] = 'relevance asc, metadata_modified desc'
-
         query = search.query_for(model.Package)
         query.run(data_dict)