diff --git a/src/app/search-page/search-page.component.ts b/src/app/search-page/search-page.component.ts
index eec01d0a0c..a35f6f01a3 100644
--- a/src/app/search-page/search-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/search-page/search-page.component.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ export class SearchPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   query: string;
   private scope: string;
   scopeObject: RemoteData<DSpaceObject>;
-  private page: number;
   results: RemoteData<Array<SearchResult<DSpaceObject>>>;
   currentParams = {};
   searchOptions: SearchOptions;
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ export class SearchPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
           this.scope = params.scope;
           const page = +params.page  || this.searchOptions.pagination.currentPage;
           const pageSize = +params.pageSize  || this.searchOptions.pagination.pageSize;
-          const sortDirection = +params.page || this.searchOptions.sort.direction;
+          const sortDirection = +params.sortDirection || this.searchOptions.sort.direction;
           const pagination = Object.assign({},
             this.searchOptions.pagination,
             { currentPage: page, pageSize: pageSize }
diff --git a/src/app/search-page/search-page.module.ts b/src/app/search-page/search-page.module.ts
index 8cb5f3d886..67a88f579c 100644
--- a/src/app/search-page/search-page.module.ts
+++ b/src/app/search-page/search-page.module.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import { TranslateModule } from '@ngx-translate/core';
 import { SharedModule } from '../shared/shared.module';
 import { SearchPageRoutingModule } from './search-page-routing.module';
 import { SearchPageComponent } from './search-page.component';
-import { SearchFormComponent } from '../shared/search-form/search-form.component';
 import { SearchResultsComponent } from './search-results/search-results.compontent';
 import { SearchModule } from '../search/search.module';
 import { ItemSearchResultListElementComponent } from '../object-list/search-result-list-element/item-search-result/item-search-result-list-element.component';
diff --git a/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.html b/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.html
index 4c8dec81bd..91a6c07929 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.html
+++ b/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.html
@@ -10,13 +10,12 @@
           <button class="btn btn-outline-primary" id="paginationControls" ngbDropdownToggle><i class="fa fa-cog" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
           <div class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-right" id="paginationControlsDropdownMenu" aria-labelledby="paginationControls" ngbDropdownMenu>
             <h6 class="dropdown-header">{{ 'pagination.results-per-page' | translate}}</h6>
-            <button class="dropdown-item" *ngFor="let item of pageSizeOptions" (click)="doPageSizeChange(item)"><i class="fa fa-check {{(item != pageSize) ? 'invisible' : ''}}" aria-hidden="true"></i> {{item}} </button>
+            <button class="dropdown-item" *ngFor="let item of pageSizeOptions" (click)="doPageSizeChange(item)"><i [ngClass]="{'invisible': item != pageSize}" class="fa fa-check" aria-hidden="true"></i> {{item}} </button>
             <h6 class="dropdown-header">{{ 'pagination.sort-direction' | translate}}</h6>
-            <button class="dropdown-item" *ngFor="let direction of (sortDirections | dsKeys)" (click)="doSortDirectionChange(direction.key)"><i class="fa fa-check {{(direction.key != sortDirection) ? 'invisible' : ''}}" aria-hidden="true"></i> {{direction.value}} </button>
+            <button class="dropdown-item" *ngFor="let direction of (sortDirections | dsKeys)" (click)="doSortDirectionChange(direction.key)"><i [ngClass]="{'invisible': direction.key != sortDirection}" class="fa fa-check" aria-hidden="true"></i> {{direction.value}} </button>
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>
-    </div>
   </div>
 
   <ng-content></ng-content>
diff --git a/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.ts b/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.ts
index 8ed27e4729..f163dc5975 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ import { PageInfo } from '../../core/shared/page-info.model';
   encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.Emulated
 })
 export class PaginationComponent implements OnDestroy, OnInit {
-
   /**
    * Number of items in collection.
    */
@@ -185,7 +184,7 @@ export class PaginationComponent implements OnDestroy, OnInit {
     // Listen to changes
     this.subs.push(this.route.queryParams
       .subscribe((queryParams) => {
-        if (isEmpty(queryParams)) {
+        if (this.isEmptyPaginationParams(queryParams)) {
           this.initializeConfig();
         } else {
           this.currentQueryParams = queryParams;
@@ -470,7 +469,22 @@ export class PaginationComponent implements OnDestroy, OnInit {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Method to check whether the current pagination object has multiple pages
+   * Method to check if none of the query params necessary for pagination are filled out.
+   *
+   * @param paginateOptions
+   *    The paginate options object.
+   */
+  private isEmptyPaginationParams(paginateOptions): boolean {
+    const properties = ['id', 'currentPage', 'pageSize', 'pageSizeOptions'];
+    const missing = properties.filter((prop) => {
+      return !(prop in paginateOptions);
+    });
+
+    return properties.length === missing.length;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Property to check whether the current pagination object has multiple pages
    * @returns true if there are multiple pages, else returns false
    */
   get hasMultiplePages(): boolean {
@@ -478,7 +492,7 @@ export class PaginationComponent implements OnDestroy, OnInit {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Method to check whether the current pagination should show a bottom pages
+   * Property to check whether the current pagination should show a bottom pages
    * @returns true if a bottom pages should be shown, else returns false
    */
   get shouldShowBottomPager(): boolean {
diff --git a/src/app/shared/search-form/search-form.component.ts b/src/app/shared/search-form/search-form.component.ts
index fa019e61d1..1c80356298 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/search-form/search-form.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/search-form/search-form.component.ts
@@ -56,8 +56,7 @@ export class SearchFormComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
       queryParams: Object.assign({}, this.currentParams,
         {
           query: data.query,
-          scope: data.scope || undefined,
-          page: data.page || 1
+          scope: data.scope || undefined
         }
       )
     })