diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/framework/tools/RecognizedParamsExtractor.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/framework/tools/RecognizedParamsExtractor.java
index 1527b32d22..3aa556c4c4 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/framework/tools/RecognizedParamsExtractor.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/framework/tools/RecognizedParamsExtractor.java
@@ -313,13 +313,18 @@ public interface RecognizedParamsExtractor
                         }
                         else
                         {
-                            rpeLogger().debug("Invalid sort order definition (" + sortDef + ").  Valid values are " + SortColumn.ASCENDING + " or "
+                            rpeLogger().debug("Invalid sort order direction (" + sortDef + ").  Valid values are " + SortColumn.ASCENDING + " or "
                                         + SortColumn.DESCENDING + ".");
-                            throw new InvalidArgumentException("Unknown sort order direction: "+sortDef+" expected: asc or desc");
+                            throw new InvalidArgumentException("Unknown sort order direction '"+sortDef+"', expected asc or desc");
                         }
                     }
                     sortedColumns.add(new SortColumn(columnName, SortColumn.ASCENDING.equals(sortOrder)));
                 }
+                else
+                {
+                    rpeLogger().debug("Invalid sort order definition (" + token + ")");
+                    throw new InvalidArgumentException("Unknown sort order definition '" + token + "', expected 'field1,field2' or 'field1 asc,field2 desc' or similar");
+                }
                 // filteredProperties.add();
             }
             //            logger.debug("Filtering using the following properties: " + filteredProperties);
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/framework/tools/RecognizedParamsExtractorTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/framework/tools/RecognizedParamsExtractorTest.java
index d52139cb18..e0a409928b 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/framework/tools/RecognizedParamsExtractorTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/framework/tools/RecognizedParamsExtractorTest.java
@@ -148,22 +148,32 @@ public class RecognizedParamsExtractorTest implements RecognizedParamsExtractor
         assertEquals("name", theSort.get(1).column);
         assertTrue(theSort.get(1).asc);
         
-        try
-        {
-            getSort("age asc, name des");  // nvalid, should be desc
-            fail("Should throw an InvalidSelectException");
-        }
-        catch (InvalidArgumentException error)
-        {
-            // this is correct
-        }
-
-        theSort  = getSort("name asc,");  // trailing comma is ignored
+        theSort  = getSort("name asc,");  // ok for now, trailing comma is ignored
         assertNotNull(theSort);
         assertTrue("Must have a value for column: NAME", !theSort.isEmpty());
         assertTrue(theSort.size() == 1);
         assertEquals("name", theSort.get(0).column);
         assertTrue(theSort.get(0).asc);
+        
+        try
+        {
+            getSort("age asc, name des");  // invalid, should be desc
+            fail("Should throw an InvalidArgumentException");
+        }
+        catch (InvalidArgumentException error)
+        {
+            // this is correct
+        }
+        
+        try
+        {
+            getSort("age asc name");  // invalid, missing comma
+            fail("Should throw an InvalidArgumentException");
+        }
+        catch (InvalidArgumentException error)
+        {
+            // this is correct
+        }
     }
 
     @Test