diff --git a/config/alfresco/web-client-config.xml b/config/alfresco/web-client-config.xml
index ddefb03744..a5bdc0db95 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/web-client-config.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/web-client-config.xml
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@
                <!-- allowable values: details|bubble -->
                <view>bubble</view>
                <sort-column>created</sort-column>
-               <sort-descending>true</sort-descending>
+               <!-- allowable values: ascending|descending -->
+               <sort-direction>descending</sort-direction>
                <page-size>
                   <bubble>5</bubble>
                   <details>20</details>
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wizard/AbstractWizardBean.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wizard/AbstractWizardBean.java
index d80b696486..9d57d77ed8 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wizard/AbstractWizardBean.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wizard/AbstractWizardBean.java
@@ -139,6 +139,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractWizardBean
          logger.debug("Started wizard : " + getWizardTitle() + " for editing");
    }
  
+   /**
+    * Determines whether the wizard is in edit mode
+    * 
+    * @return true if the wizard is in edit mode, false if it is in creation mode
+    */
+   public boolean isInEditMode()
+   {
+      return this.editMode;
+   }
+   
    /**
     * Deals with the next button being pressed
     * 
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/ViewsConfigElement.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/ViewsConfigElement.java
index bff7fef81a..68f5dd806a 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/ViewsConfigElement.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/ViewsConfigElement.java
@@ -33,10 +33,13 @@ import org.alfresco.config.element.ConfigElementAdapter;
 public class ViewsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
 {
    public static final String CONFIG_ELEMENT_ID = "views";
+
    public static final String VIEW_DETAILS = "details";
    public static final String VIEW_ICONS = "icons";
    public static final String VIEW_LIST = "list";
    public static final String VIEW_BUBBLE = "bubble";
+   public static final String SORT_ASCENDING = "ascending";
+   public static final String SORT_DESCENDING = "descending";
    
    private static final String SEPARATOR = ":";
    
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ public class ViewsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
    private Map<String, String> sortColumns = new HashMap<String, String>(4);
    
    // list of pages that have been configured to have ascending sorts
-   private List<String> descendingSorts = new ArrayList<String>(1);
+   private Map<String, String> sortDirections = new HashMap<String, String>(1);
    
    /**
     * Default Constructor
@@ -127,9 +130,9 @@ public class ViewsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
          newElement.addDefaultSortColumn(page, this.sortColumns.get(page));
       }
       
-      for (String page : this.descendingSorts)
+      for (String page : this.sortDirections.keySet())
       {
-         newElement.addDescendingSort(page);
+         newElement.addSortDirection(page, this.sortDirections.get(page));
       }
       
       // copy all the config from the element to be combined into the new one
@@ -161,11 +164,10 @@ public class ViewsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
          newElement.addDefaultSortColumn(page, existingSortColumns.get(page));
       }
       
-      // TODO: There is a potential problem here - how would you remove the
-      //       descending sort for a page
-      for (String page : existingElement.getDescendingSorts())
+      Map<String, String> existingSortDirs = existingElement.getSortDirections();
+      for (String page : existingSortDirs.keySet())
       {
-         newElement.addDescendingSort(page);
+         newElement.addSortDirection(page, existingSortDirs.get(page));
       }
       
       return newElement;
@@ -322,13 +324,14 @@ public class ViewsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
    }
    
    /**
-    * Sets the given page as using descending sorts
+    * Sets the given page as using the given sort direction
     * 
     * @param page The name of the page i.e. browse, forums etc.
+    * @param dir The sort direction
     */
-   /*package*/ void addDescendingSort(String page)
+   /*package*/ void addSortDirection(String page, String dir)
    {
-      this.descendingSorts.add(page);
+      this.sortDirections.put(page, dir);
    }
    
    /**
@@ -340,16 +343,24 @@ public class ViewsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
     */
    public boolean hasDescendingSort(String page)
    {
-      return this.descendingSorts.contains(page);
+      boolean usesDescendingSort = false;
+      
+      String sortDir = this.sortDirections.get(page);
+      if (sortDir != null && sortDir.equalsIgnoreCase(SORT_DESCENDING))
+      {
+         usesDescendingSort = true;
+      }
+      
+      return usesDescendingSort;
    }
    
    /**
-    * Returns a list of pages that use a descending sort
+    * Returns a map of the sort directions
     * 
-    * @return List of pages that use a descending sort
+    * @return Map of sort directions
     */
-   /*package*/ List<String> getDescendingSorts()
+   /*package*/ Map<String, String> getSortDirections()
    {
-      return this.descendingSorts;
+      return this.sortDirections;
    }
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/ViewsElementReader.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/ViewsElementReader.java
index e376191de8..3351c1dde9 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/ViewsElementReader.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/ViewsElementReader.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public class ViewsElementReader implements ConfigElementReader
    public static final String ELEMENT_VIEWDEFAULTS = "view-defaults";
    public static final String ELEMENT_PAGESIZE = "page-size";
    public static final String ELEMENT_SORTCOLUMN = "sort-column";
-   public static final String ELEMENT_SORTDESCENDING = "sort-descending";
+   public static final String ELEMENT_SORTDIRECTION = "sort-direction";
    
    private static Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(ViewsElementReader.class);
    
@@ -95,15 +95,11 @@ public class ViewsElementReader implements ConfigElementReader
                   configElement.addDefaultSortColumn(pageName, column);
                }
                
-               // get the sort descending option
-               Element sortDesc = page.element(ELEMENT_SORTDESCENDING);
-               if (sortDesc != null)
+               // get the sort direction option
+               Element sortDir = page.element(ELEMENT_SORTDIRECTION);
+               if (sortDir != null)
                {
-                  Boolean descending = new Boolean(sortDesc.getTextTrim());
-                  if (descending.booleanValue() == true)
-                  { 
-                     configElement.addDescendingSort(pageName);
-                  }
+                  configElement.addSortDirection(pageName, sortDir.getTextTrim());
                }
                
                // process the page-size element
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/WebClientConfigTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/WebClientConfigTest.java
index 689fd781d0..acdbba59c7 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/WebClientConfigTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/WebClientConfigTest.java
@@ -529,9 +529,7 @@ public class WebClientConfigTest extends BaseTest
       assertFalse("default sort direction should be ascending", config.hasDescendingSort("not-there"));
       assertFalse("browse screen should use an ascending sort", config.hasDescendingSort("browse"));
       assertTrue("topic screen should use a descending sort", config.hasDescendingSort("forum"));
-      
-      // TODO: uncomment this test once the override of descending sorts is fixed
-//      assertFalse("topic screen should use a ascending sort", config.hasDescendingSort("topic"));
+      assertFalse("topic screen should use an ascending sort", config.hasDescendingSort("topic"));
       
       // make sure the getChildren method throws an exception
       try
diff --git a/source/test-resources/test-config-override.xml b/source/test-resources/test-config-override.xml
index 54f80c1d25..72d35de2de 100644
--- a/source/test-resources/test-config-override.xml
+++ b/source/test-resources/test-config-override.xml
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
                <!-- define a sort column to the forum page -->
                <sort-column>modified</sort-column>
                <!-- turn on descending sorting for the forum page -->
-               <sort-descending>true</sort-descending>
+               <sort-direction>descending</sort-direction>
                <page-size>
                   <!-- change the details page size to 50 -->
                   <details>50</details>
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
             </forum>
             <topic>
                <!-- reset the descending sort for the topic view -->
-               <sort-descending>false</sort-descending>
+               <sort-direction>ascending</sort-direction>
             </topic>
          </view-defaults>
       </views>
diff --git a/source/test-resources/test-config.xml b/source/test-resources/test-config.xml
index b761650764..a8ade331dc 100644
--- a/source/test-resources/test-config.xml
+++ b/source/test-resources/test-config.xml
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@
             <browse>
                <!-- allowable values: list|details|icons -->
                <view>icons</view>
-               <sort-descending>false</sort-descending>
+               <!-- allowable values: ascending|descending -->
+               <sort-direction>ascending</sort-direction>
                <page-size>
                   <list>10</list>
                   <details>10</details>
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@
                <!-- allowable values: details|bubble -->
                <view>bubble</view>
                <sort-column>created</sort-column>
-               <sort-descending>true</sort-descending>
+               <sort-direction>descending</sort-direction>
                <page-size>
                   <bubble>5</bubble>
                   <details>20</details>
diff --git a/source/web/WEB-INF/faces-config-beans.xml b/source/web/WEB-INF/faces-config-beans.xml
index a951f0f46c..6c97700f3e 100644
--- a/source/web/WEB-INF/faces-config-beans.xml
+++ b/source/web/WEB-INF/faces-config-beans.xml
@@ -294,10 +294,6 @@
          <property-name>fileFolderService</property-name>
          <value>#{FileFolderService}</value>
       </managed-property>
-      <managed-property>
-         <property-name>searchService</property-name>
-         <value>#{SearchService}</value>
-      </managed-property>
       <managed-property>
          <property-name>navigator</property-name>
          <value>#{NavigationBean}</value>
@@ -991,10 +987,6 @@
          <property-name>browseBean</property-name>
          <value>#{BrowseBean}</value>
       </managed-property>
-      <managed-property>
-         <property-name>searchService</property-name>
-         <value>#{SearchService}</value>
-      </managed-property>
       <managed-property>
          <property-name>namespaceService</property-name>
          <value>#{NamespaceService}</value>
@@ -1028,10 +1020,6 @@
          <property-name>browseBean</property-name>
          <value>#{BrowseBean}</value>
       </managed-property>
-      <managed-property>
-         <property-name>searchService</property-name>
-         <value>#{SearchService}</value>
-      </managed-property>
       <managed-property>
          <property-name>namespaceService</property-name>
          <value>#{NamespaceService}</value>
@@ -1053,10 +1041,6 @@
          <property-name>fileFolderService</property-name>
          <value>#{FileFolderService}</value>
       </managed-property>
-      <managed-property>
-         <property-name>searchService</property-name>
-         <value>#{SearchService}</value>
-      </managed-property>
       <managed-property>
          <property-name>navigator</property-name>
          <value>#{NavigationBean}</value>
@@ -1102,10 +1086,6 @@
          <property-name>browseBean</property-name>
          <value>#{BrowseBean}</value>
       </managed-property>
-      <managed-property>
-         <property-name>searchService</property-name>
-         <value>#{SearchService}</value>
-      </managed-property>
       <managed-property>
          <property-name>namespaceService</property-name>
          <value>#{NamespaceService}</value>
@@ -1139,10 +1119,6 @@
          <property-name>browseBean</property-name>
          <value>#{BrowseBean}</value>
       </managed-property>
-      <managed-property>
-         <property-name>searchService</property-name>
-         <value>#{SearchService}</value>
-      </managed-property>
       <managed-property>
          <property-name>contentService</property-name>
          <value>#{ContentService}</value>
@@ -1180,10 +1156,6 @@
          <property-name>browseBean</property-name>
          <value>#{BrowseBean}</value>
       </managed-property>
-      <managed-property>
-         <property-name>searchService</property-name>
-         <value>#{SearchService}</value>
-      </managed-property>
       <managed-property>
          <property-name>namespaceService</property-name>
          <value>#{NamespaceService}</value>
@@ -1328,10 +1300,6 @@
          <property-name>browseBean</property-name>
          <value>#{BrowseBean}</value>
       </managed-property>
-      <managed-property>
-         <property-name>searchService</property-name>
-         <value>#{SearchService}</value>
-      </managed-property>
       <managed-property>
          <property-name>contentService</property-name>
          <value>#{ContentService}</value>
diff --git a/source/web/jsp/wizard/new-rule/details.jsp b/source/web/jsp/wizard/new-rule/details.jsp
index 8ea798d14f..96e0db7809 100644
--- a/source/web/jsp/wizard/new-rule/details.jsp
+++ b/source/web/jsp/wizard/new-rule/details.jsp
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
                                  <tr>
                                     <td><h:outputText value="#{msg.type}"/>:</td>
                                     <td width="90%">
-                                       <h:selectOneMenu value="#{NewRuleWizard.type}">
+                                       <h:selectOneMenu value="#{NewRuleWizard.type}" disabled="#{NewRuleWizard.inEditMode}">
                                           <f:selectItems value="#{NewRuleWizard.types}" />
                                        </h:selectOneMenu>
                                     </td>