diff --git a/omod-1.10/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_10/OrderResource1_10.java b/omod-1.10/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_10/OrderResource1_10.java
index 98b8c0f76..b62beef13 100644
--- a/omod-1.10/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_10/OrderResource1_10.java
+++ b/omod-1.10/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_10/OrderResource1_10.java
@@ -268,13 +268,15 @@ protected PageableResult doSearch(RequestContext context) throws ResponseExcepti
 			if (context.getType() != null) {
 				filterByType(orders, context.getType());
 			}
-			
+
+			// if the user indicated a specific sort parameter, apply sort here
 			if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(sortParam)) {
 				List<Order> sortedOrder = sortOrdersBasedOnDateActivatedOrDateStopped(orders, sortParam, status);
 				return new NeedsPaging<Order>(sortedOrder, context);
 			}
 			else {
-				return new NeedsPaging<Order>(orders, context);
+				List<Order> descSortedOrder = sortOrdersBasedOnDateActivatedOrDateStopped(orders, "DESC", status);
+				return new NeedsPaging<Order>(descSortedOrder, context);
 			}
 		} else {
 			throw new InvalidSearchException("Please provide patientUuid in the patient parameter");
diff --git a/omod-1.10/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/controller/openmrs1_10/OrderController1_10Test.java b/omod-1.10/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/controller/openmrs1_10/OrderController1_10Test.java
index 323a4265c..fdce9aedd 100644
--- a/omod-1.10/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/controller/openmrs1_10/OrderController1_10Test.java
+++ b/omod-1.10/src/test/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/controller/openmrs1_10/OrderController1_10Test.java
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ public void shouldGetTheActiveOrdersForAPatientInTheSpecifiedCareSetting() throw
 	@Test
 	public void shouldGetTheActiveOrdersForAPatientAsOfTheSpecifiedDate() throws Exception {
 		SimpleObject results = deserialize(handle(newGetRequest(getURI(), new Parameter("patient", patientService
-		        .getPatient(2).getUuid()), new Parameter("asOfDate", "2007-12-10"))));
+		        .getPatient(2).getUuid()), new Parameter("status", "active"), new Parameter("asOfDate", "2007-12-10"))));
 		
 		assertEquals(2, Util.getResultsSize(results));
 		
@@ -566,7 +566,8 @@ public void shouldGetOrdersByOrderType() throws Exception {
 		
 		// order service should return all orders when no order type filter specified
 		req = newGetRequest(getURI(),
-		    new Parameter("patient", PATIENT_UUID)
+		    new Parameter("patient", PATIENT_UUID),
+				new Parameter("status", "active")
 		        );
 		SimpleObject orders = deserialize(handle(req));
 		ArrayList<Object> resp = (ArrayList<Object>) PropertyUtils.getProperty(orders, "results");
@@ -598,4 +599,24 @@ public void doSearch_shouldReturnExceptionIfNoPatientUuidIsSpecified() throws Ex
 		);
 		handle(req);
 	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void doSearch_shouldReturnOrdersSortedInDescendingOrderByDate() throws Exception {
+		SimpleObject orders = deserialize(handle(newGetRequest(getURI(),
+				new Parameter("patient", "da7f524f-27ce-4bb2-86d6-6d1d05312bd5"),
+				new Parameter("status", "active")
+		)));
+
+		List<Object> resultList = Util.getResultsList(orders);
+		assertTrue(resultList.size() >= 2);
+
+		String uuid1 = PropertyUtils.getProperty(resultList.get(0), "uuid").toString();
+		String uuid2 = PropertyUtils.getProperty(resultList.get(1), "uuid").toString();
+
+		Order order1 = orderService.getOrderByUuid(uuid1);
+		Order order2 = orderService.getOrderByUuid(uuid2);
+
+		// orders sorted by date in descending order (newest first)
+		assertTrue(order1.getDateActivated().after(order2.getDateActivated()));
+	}
 }