diff --git a/application/Module.php b/application/Module.php
index 08bc26c68..6e9fd60d1 100644
--- a/application/Module.php
+++ b/application/Module.php
@@ -758,6 +758,12 @@ public function searchFulltext(ZendEvent $event)
 
             if (isset($query['sort_by_default']) || !$qb->getDQLPart('orderBy')) {
                 $sortOrder = 'asc' === $query['sort_order'] ? 'ASC' : 'DESC';
+                if (isset($query['sort_order_default']) && isset($query['fulltext_search'])) {
+                    // The default sort order for fulltext searches must be
+                    // descending to account for the natural order of relevance
+                    // scores.
+                    $sortOrder = 'DESC';
+                }
                 $qb->orderBy($match, $sortOrder);
             }
         }
diff --git a/application/src/Mvc/Controller/Plugin/SetBrowseDefaults.php b/application/src/Mvc/Controller/Plugin/SetBrowseDefaults.php
index 0d5b7b154..fa9115a43 100644
--- a/application/src/Mvc/Controller/Plugin/SetBrowseDefaults.php
+++ b/application/src/Mvc/Controller/Plugin/SetBrowseDefaults.php
@@ -19,8 +19,11 @@ class SetBrowseDefaults extends AbstractPlugin
     public function __invoke($sortBy, $sortOrder = 'desc', $page = 1)
     {
         $query = $this->getController()->getRequest()->getQuery();
-        // Set the sort_by_default flag if the request doesn't pass a sort_by.
-        $query->set('sort_by_default', (null === $query->get('sort_by') || '' === $query->get('sort_by')) ? '' : null);
+        // Set the default sort flags if the request doesn't pass them.
+        $sortByDefault = (null === $query->get('sort_by') || '' === $query->get('sort_by')) ? '' : null;
+        $sortOrderDefault = (isset($sortByDefault) && (null === $query->get('sort_order') || '' === $query->get('sort_order'))) ? '' : null;
+        $query->set('sort_by_default', $sortByDefault);
+        $query->set('sort_order_default', $sortOrderDefault);
         $query->set('sort_by', $query->get('sort_by', $sortBy));
         $query->set('sort_order', $query->get('sort_order', $sortOrder));
         $query->set('page', $query->get('page', $page));
diff --git a/application/src/Site/BlockLayout/BrowsePreview.php b/application/src/Site/BlockLayout/BrowsePreview.php
index 02099c117..069d9da6b 100644
--- a/application/src/Site/BlockLayout/BrowsePreview.php
+++ b/application/src/Site/BlockLayout/BrowsePreview.php
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ public function render(PhpRenderer $view, SitePageBlockRepresentation $block, $t
             $query['sort_by'] = 'created';
         }
         if (!isset($query['sort_order'])) {
+            $query['sort_order_default'] = '';
             $query['sort_order'] = 'desc';
         }
 
diff --git a/application/src/View/Helper/Browse.php b/application/src/View/Helper/Browse.php
index 3ae49c2ed..a3c2b0069 100644
--- a/application/src/View/Helper/Browse.php
+++ b/application/src/View/Helper/Browse.php
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public function renderSortSelector($resourceTypeOrSortConfig) : string
         $args = [
             'sortConfig' => $sortConfig,
             'sortByQuery' => (isset($query['sort_by_default']) && $isFulltextSearch) ? '' : $view->params()->fromQuery('sort_by'),
-            'sortOrderQuery' => $view->params()->fromQuery('sort_order'),
+            'sortOrderQuery' => (isset($query['sort_order_default']) && $isFulltextSearch) ? 'desc' : $view->params()->fromQuery('sort_order'),
         ];
         $args = $view->trigger('view.sort-selector', $args, true);
         return $view->partial('common/sort-selector', (array) $args);
diff --git a/application/src/View/Helper/Pagination.php b/application/src/View/Helper/Pagination.php
index b767c22d4..ea0e4eccc 100644
--- a/application/src/View/Helper/Pagination.php
+++ b/application/src/View/Helper/Pagination.php
@@ -128,12 +128,16 @@ protected function getUrl($page)
     {
         $query = $this->getView()->params()->fromQuery();
         $query['page'] = (int) $page;
+        // Do not emit sorts if the corresponding default sort flags are set.
         if (isset($query['sort_by_default'])) {
-            // Do not emit sort_by if the sort_by_default flag is set.
             unset($query['sort_by']);
         }
-        // Do not emit the sort_by_default flag
+        if (isset($query['sort_order_default'])) {
+            unset($query['sort_order']);
+        }
+        // Do not emit default sort flags.
         unset($query['sort_by_default']);
+        unset($query['sort_order_default']);
         $options = ['query' => $query];
         if (is_string($this->fragment)) {
             $options['fragment'] = $this->fragment;
diff --git a/application/view/common/advanced-search/sort.phtml b/application/view/common/advanced-search/sort.phtml
index 39d9cf603..1a45b59da 100644
--- a/application/view/common/advanced-search/sort.phtml
+++ b/application/view/common/advanced-search/sort.phtml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ $sortBy->setAttribute('aria-label', 'Sort by'); // @translate
 $sortBy->setEmptyOption('Select sort by…'); // @translate
 $sortBy->setValueOptions($sortConfig);
 $sortBy->setValue((!isset($query['sort_by_default']) && isset($query['sort_by'])) ? $query['sort_by'] : '');
+$sortBy->setValue((!isset($query['sort_order_default']) && isset($query['sort_order'])) ? $query['sort_order'] : '');
 
 $sortOrder = new Element\Select('sort_order');
 $sortOrder->setAttribute('aria-label', 'Sort order'); // @translate
diff --git a/application/view/common/pagination.phtml b/application/view/common/pagination.phtml
index dea64cc19..48588cd4f 100644
--- a/application/view/common/pagination.phtml
+++ b/application/view/common/pagination.phtml
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 <?php
 $translate = $this->plugin('translate');
 
-// Do not emit the sort_by_default flag.
-$removeQueries = ['page', 'sort_by_default'];
+// Do not emit the sort default flags.
+$removeQueries = ['page', 'sort_by_default', 'sort_order_default'];
+// Do not emit sorts if the corresponding default sort flags are set.
 if (isset($query['sort_by_default'])) {
-    // Do not emit sort_by if the sort_by_default flag is set.
     $removeQueries[] = 'sort_by';
 }
+if (isset($query['sort_order_default'])) {
+    $removeQueries[] = 'sort_order';
+}
 ?>
 <nav class="pagination" role="navigation">
 <?php if ($totalCount): ?>
diff --git a/application/view/common/sort-selector.phtml b/application/view/common/sort-selector.phtml
index 12eb3ed95..ff9089308 100644
--- a/application/view/common/sort-selector.phtml
+++ b/application/view/common/sort-selector.phtml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ $translate = $this->plugin('translate');
 $escape = $this->plugin('escapeHtml');
 ?>
 <form class="sorting" action="">
-    <?php echo $this->queryToHiddenInputs(['sort_by', 'sort_order', 'sort_by_default']); ?>
+    <?php echo $this->queryToHiddenInputs(['sort_by', 'sort_order', 'sort_by_default', 'sort_order_default']); ?>
     <select name="sort_by" aria-label="<?php echo $translate('Sort by'); ?>">
     <?php foreach($sortConfig as $sortBy => $label): ?>
         <option value="<?php echo $escape($sortBy); ?>"<?php echo ($sortByQuery === $sortBy) ? ' selected' : ''; ?>><?php echo $escape($label); ?></option>