diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/QueriesImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/QueriesImpl.java
index 91ca43db59..5f4e8a439f 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/QueriesImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/QueriesImpl.java
@@ -556,9 +556,10 @@ public class QueriesImpl implements Queries, InitializingBean
                     public int compare(NodeRef n1, NodeRef n2)
                     {
                         int result = 0;
-                        for (SortColumn sortCol : sortCols)
+                        for (int i=0; i<sortCols.size(); i++)
                         {
-                            QName sortPropQName = sortParamsToQNames.get(sortCol.column);
+                            SortColumn sortCol = sortCols.get(i);
+                            QName sortPropQName = sortPropQNames.get(i);
                             
                             Serializable  p1 = getProperty(n1, sortPropQName);
                             Serializable  p2 = getProperty(n2, sortPropQName);
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/QueriesPeopleApiTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/QueriesPeopleApiTest.java
index c3a2c53f40..7792668fa1 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/QueriesPeopleApiTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/QueriesPeopleApiTest.java
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@
  */
 package org.alfresco.rest.api.tests;
 
+import static org.alfresco.rest.api.Queries.PARAM_FIRSTNAME;
+import static org.alfresco.rest.api.Queries.PARAM_LASTNAME;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.alfresco.rest.api.Queries.*;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ public class QueriesPeopleApiTest extends AbstractSingleNetworkSiteTest
     //      deleting users is hard from from static methods. For the moment do it
     //      in the first and last tests, but we have to get the TEST count right!
     //      If we don't, a test fails or the users get left behind (not too bad).
-    private static int TEST_COUNT = 12;
+    private static int TEST_COUNT = 13;
     private static int testCounter = 0;
 
     // Test usernames
@@ -274,6 +277,10 @@ public class QueriesPeopleApiTest extends AbstractSingleNetworkSiteTest
         for (String id: testUserIds)
         {
             Person person = testUsers.get(id);
+            if (person == null)
+            {
+                fail("Did not find test Person "+id+" Check TEST_COUNT has the correct number of tests.");
+            }
             String string = person.toString();
             list.add(string); 
         }
@@ -382,6 +389,21 @@ public class QueriesPeopleApiTest extends AbstractSingleNetworkSiteTest
         checkApiCall(term, orderBy, fields, paging, expectedStatus, expectedPeople);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testOrderbyDescAndDesc() throws Exception
+    {
+        //  4 C
+        //  3 B A
+        //  2 A B
+        //  1 A A
+        //  6   C
+        //  5   A
+        orderBy = "firstName desc, lastName desc";
+        expectedPeople = expectedPeople(USER4, USER3, USER2, USER1, USER6, USER5);
+        
+        checkApiCall(term, orderBy, fields, paging, expectedStatus, expectedPeople);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testBadOrderByField() throws Exception
     {