diff --git a/app/controllers/concerns/blacklight/search_fields.rb b/app/controllers/concerns/blacklight/search_fields.rb
index 45097ca781..f3d4946247 100644
--- a/app/controllers/concerns/blacklight/search_fields.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/concerns/blacklight/search_fields.rb
@@ -32,27 +32,9 @@ def search_field_list
     blacklight_config.search_fields.values
   end
 
-  # Looks up a search field blacklight_config hash from search_field_list having
-  # a certain supplied :key. 
-  def search_field_def_for_key(key)
-    blacklight_config.search_fields[key]
-  end
-
   # Returns default search field, used for simpler display in history, etc.
   # if not set in blacklight_config, defaults to first field listed in #search_field_list
   def default_search_field
     blacklight_config.default_search_field || search_field_list.first
   end
-
-  # Shortcut for commonly needed operation, look up display
-  # label for the key specified. Returns "Keyword" if a label
-  # can't be found. 
-  def label_for_search_field(key)
-    field_def = search_field_def_for_key(key)
-    if field_def && field_def.label
-       field_def.label
-    else
-       I18n.t('blacklight.search.fields.default')
-    end            
-  end
 end
diff --git a/app/helpers/blacklight/configuration_helper_behavior.rb b/app/helpers/blacklight/configuration_helper_behavior.rb
index 90b13c88fe..2c6894f052 100644
--- a/app/helpers/blacklight/configuration_helper_behavior.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/blacklight/configuration_helper_behavior.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def index_fields _document=nil
 
   # Used in the document_list partial (search view) for building a select element
   def sort_fields
-    active_sort_fields.map { |_key, x| [x.label, x.key] }
+    active_sort_fields.map { |_sort_key, field_config| [sort_field_label(field_config), field_config.key] }
   end
   
   def active_sort_fields
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def search_fields
   # marked :include_in_simple_select => false
   def search_field_options_for_select
     blacklight_config.search_fields.collect do |_key, field_def|
-      [field_def.label,  field_def.key] if should_render_field?(field_def)
+      [label_for_search_field(field_def.key), field_def.key] if should_render_field?(field_def)
     end.compact
   end
 
@@ -103,6 +103,30 @@ def view_label view
     )
   end
 
+  # Shortcut for commonly needed operation, look up display
+  # label for the key specified. Returns "Keyword" if a label
+  # can't be found.
+  def label_for_search_field(key)
+    field_config = blacklight_config.search_fields[key]
+
+    field_label(
+      :"blacklight.search.fields.search.#{field_config.key}",
+      :"blacklight.search.fields.#{field_config.key}",
+      (field_config.label if field_config),
+      key.to_s.humanize
+    )
+  end
+
+  def sort_field_label(key)
+    field_config = blacklight_config.sort_fields[key]
+
+    field_label(
+      :"blacklight.search.fields.sort.#{key}",
+      (field_config.label if field_config),
+      key.to_s.humanize
+    )
+  end
+
   ##
   # Look up the label for a solr field.
   #
diff --git a/app/views/catalog/_sort_widget.html.erb b/app/views/catalog/_sort_widget.html.erb
index ef509b97d4..7a0c29bc3e 100644
--- a/app/views/catalog/_sort_widget.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/catalog/_sort_widget.html.erb
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 <% if show_sort_and_per_page? and !active_sort_fields.blank? %>
 <div id="sort-dropdown" class="sort-dropdown btn-group">
   <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">
-      <%= t('blacklight.search.sort.label', :field =>current_sort_field.label) %> <span class="caret"></span>
+      <%= t('blacklight.search.sort.label', :field =>sort_field_label(current_sort_field.key)) %> <span class="caret"></span>
   </button>
 
   <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu">
       <%- active_sort_fields.each do |sort_key, field_config| %>
-        <li class="dropdown-item"><%= link_to(field_config.label, url_for(search_state.params_for_search(sort: sort_key))) %></li>
+        <li class="dropdown-item"><%= link_to(sort_field_label(sort_key), url_for(search_state.params_for_search(sort: sort_key))) %></li>
       <%- end -%>
   </ul>
 </div>
diff --git a/spec/controllers/blacklight/search_fields_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/blacklight/search_fields_spec.rb
index 089eaa1a80..dc1c7cbb8c 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/blacklight/search_fields_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/blacklight/search_fields_spec.rb
@@ -29,22 +29,6 @@ class MockConfig
      end
   end
 
-  it "fills in default qt where needed" do
-    expect(@search_field_obj.search_field_def_for_key("all_fields").qt).to eq @config.default_solr_params[:qt]
-  end
-
-  it "lookups field definitions by key" do
-    expect(@search_field_obj.search_field_def_for_key("title").key).to eq "title"
-  end
-
-  it "finds label by key" do
-    expect(@search_field_obj.label_for_search_field("title")).to eq "Title"
-  end
-
-  it "supplies default label for key not found" do
-    expect(@search_field_obj.label_for_search_field("non_existent_key")).to eq "Keyword"
-  end
-
   describe "for unspecified :key" do
     before do
       @bad_config = MockConfig.new