diff --git a/docs/changelog/135096.yaml b/docs/changelog/135096.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d957c8c769009
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/135096.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+pr: 135096
+summary: Tolerate mixed types in datafeed stats sort
+area: Machine Learning
+type: bug
+issues: []
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/persistence/JobResultsProvider.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/persistence/JobResultsProvider.java
index 56cd1948b021f..a78eefea9c3d1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/persistence/JobResultsProvider.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/persistence/JobResultsProvider.java
@@ -705,6 +705,7 @@ private SearchRequestBuilder createLatestDatafeedTimingStatsSearch(String indexN
             .setQuery(QueryBuilders.idsQuery().addIds(DatafeedTimingStats.documentId(jobId)))
             .addSort(
                 SortBuilders.fieldSort(DatafeedTimingStats.TOTAL_SEARCH_TIME_MS.getPreferredName())
+                    .setNumericType("double")
                     .unmappedType("double")
                     .order(SortOrder.DESC)
             );