diff --git a/src/app/+collection-page/collection-page.component.ts b/src/app/+collection-page/collection-page.component.ts
index de7e9a72d4..4a935b73b9 100644
--- a/src/app/+collection-page/collection-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+collection-page/collection-page.component.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { ActivatedRoute } from '@angular/router';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs/Observable';
 
 import { Subscription } from 'rxjs/Subscription';
-import { SortOptions } from '../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
+import { SortDirection, SortOptions } from '../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
 import { CollectionDataService } from '../core/data/collection-data.service';
 import { ItemDataService } from '../core/data/item-data.service';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../core/data/paginated-list';
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export class CollectionPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     this.paginationConfig.id = 'collection-page-pagination';
     this.paginationConfig.pageSize = 5;
     this.paginationConfig.currentPage = 1;
-    this.sortConfig = new SortOptions();
+    this.sortConfig = new SortOptions('dc.title', SortDirection.ASC);
   }
 
   ngOnInit(): void {
diff --git a/src/app/+home-page/top-level-community-list/top-level-community-list.component.ts b/src/app/+home-page/top-level-community-list/top-level-community-list.component.ts
index 1b71220382..8fca66ea79 100644
--- a/src/app/+home-page/top-level-community-list/top-level-community-list.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+home-page/top-level-community-list/top-level-community-list.component.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { ChangeDetectionStrategy, Component } from '@angular/core';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs/Observable';
-import { SortOptions } from '../../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
+import { SortDirection, SortOptions } from '../../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
 import { CommunityDataService } from '../../core/data/community-data.service';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../../core/data/paginated-list';
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export class TopLevelCommunityListComponent {
     this.config.id = 'top-level-pagination';
     this.config.pageSize = 5;
     this.config.currentPage = 1;
-    this.sortConfig = new SortOptions();
+    this.sortConfig = new SortOptions('dc.title', SortDirection.ASC);
 
     this.updatePage({
       page: this.config.currentPage,
diff --git a/src/app/+search-page/search-filters/search-filter/search-filter.service.ts b/src/app/+search-page/search-filters/search-filter/search-filter.service.ts
index cbe6d79dfc..890b32b2f0 100644
--- a/src/app/+search-page/search-filters/search-filter/search-filter.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/+search-page/search-filters/search-filter/search-filter.service.ts
@@ -60,8 +60,12 @@ export class SearchFilterService {
   getCurrentSort(): Observable<SortOptions> {
     const sortDirection$ = this.routeService.getQueryParameterValue('sortDirection');
     const sortField$ = this.routeService.getQueryParameterValue('sortField');
-    return Observable.combineLatest(sortDirection$, sortField$, (sortDirection, sortField) =>
-      new SortOptions(isNotEmpty(sortField) ? sortField : undefined, SortDirection[sortDirection])
+    return Observable.combineLatest(sortDirection$, sortField$, (sortDirection, sortField) => {
+        if (isNotEmpty(sortField)) {
+          const direction = SortDirection[sortDirection];
+          return new SortOptions(sortField,  direction ? direction : SortDirection.ASC)
+        }
+      }
     );
   }
 
@@ -87,7 +91,7 @@ export class SearchFilterService {
               defaults,
               {
                 pagination: pagination,
-                sort: sort,
+                sort: sort || defaults.sort,
                 view: view,
                 scope: scope || defaults.scope,
                 query: query,
@@ -108,7 +112,7 @@ export class SearchFilterService {
           defaults,
           {
             view: view,
-            scope: scope,
+            scope: scope || defaults.scope,
             query: query,
             filters: filters
           })
diff --git a/src/app/+search-page/search-page.component.ts b/src/app/+search-page/search-page.component.ts
index 95ff8f498f..4f50723ced 100644
--- a/src/app/+search-page/search-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+search-page/search-page.component.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { ChangeDetectionStrategy, Component, OnDestroy, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs/Observable';
 import { flatMap, } from 'rxjs/operators';
-import { SortOptions } from '../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
+import { SortDirection, SortOptions } from '../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
 import { CommunityDataService } from '../core/data/community-data.service';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../core/data/paginated-list';
 import { RemoteData } from '../core/data/remote-data';
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export class SearchPageComponent implements OnInit {
       id: 'search-results-pagination',
       pageSize: 10
     },
+    sort: new SortOptions('score', SortDirection.DESC),
     query: '',
     scope: ''
   };
diff --git a/src/app/+search-page/search-service/search.service.ts b/src/app/+search-page/search-service/search.service.ts
index 2e1a6d5a6d..0351a9a54c 100644
--- a/src/app/+search-page/search-service/search.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/+search-page/search-service/search.service.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { Observable } from 'rxjs/Observable';
 import { flatMap, map, tap } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { ViewMode } from '../../+search-page/search-options.model';
 import { RemoteDataBuildService } from '../../core/cache/builders/remote-data-build.service';
-import { SortOptions } from '../../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
+import { SortDirection, SortOptions } from '../../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
 import {
   FacetConfigSuccessResponse,
   FacetValueSuccessResponse,
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export class SearchService implements OnDestroy {
     pagination.id = 'search-results-pagination';
     pagination.currentPage = 1;
     pagination.pageSize = 10;
-    const sort: SortOptions = new SortOptions();
+    const sort: SortOptions = new SortOptions('score', SortDirection.DESC);
     this.searchOptions = Object.assign(new SearchOptions(), { pagination: pagination, sort: sort });
   }
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/cache/models/sort-options.model.ts b/src/app/core/cache/models/sort-options.model.ts
index b2380cbaf3..247504a63a 100644
--- a/src/app/core/cache/models/sort-options.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/cache/models/sort-options.model.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ export enum SortDirection {
 }
 
 export class SortOptions {
-  constructor(public field: string = 'dc.title', public direction: SortDirection = SortDirection.ASC) {
+  constructor(public field: string, public direction: SortDirection) {
 
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.spec.ts
index ad05f0cdfe..48767cf582 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/pagination/pagination.component.spec.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ import { MockRouter } from '../mocks/mock-router';
 
 import { HostWindowService } from '../host-window.service';
 import { EnumKeysPipe } from '../utils/enum-keys-pipe';
-import { SortOptions } from '../../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
+import { SortDirection, SortOptions } from '../../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
 
 import { GLOBAL_CONFIG, ENV_CONFIG } from '../../../config';
 
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ class TestComponent {
   collection: string[] = [];
   collectionSize: number;
   paginationOptions = new PaginationComponentOptions();
-  sortOptions = new SortOptions();
+  sortOptions = new SortOptions('dc.title', SortDirection.ASC);
 
   constructor() {
     this.collection = Array.from(new Array(100), (x, i) => `item ${i + 1}`);