diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/Queries.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/Queries.java
index 6319bd99c1..71d929d8a7 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/Queries.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/Queries.java
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ public interface Queries
     static String PARAM_SITE_TITLE       = "title";
     static String PARAM_SITE_DESCRIPTION = "description";
     static int MIN_TERM_LENGTH_SITES     = 2;
-    static String PARAM_SORT_TYPE        = "sortType"; // TODO review
     
     /**
      * Find Nodes
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/QueriesImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/QueriesImpl.java
index 2a95def539..738f7c781b 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/QueriesImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/QueriesImpl.java
@@ -324,24 +324,6 @@ public class QueriesImpl implements Queries, InitializingBean
     @Override
     public CollectionWithPagingInfo<Site> findSites(Parameters parameters)
     {
-        // TODO review
-        AbstractQuery.Sort sortType = IN_QUERY_SORT;
-        String sortTypeStr = parameters.getParameter(PARAM_SORT_TYPE);
-        if (sortTypeStr != null) {
-            if (sortTypeStr.equalsIgnoreCase("in-query"))
-            {
-                sortType = IN_QUERY_SORT;
-            }
-            else if (sortTypeStr.equalsIgnoreCase("post-query"))
-            {
-                sortType = POST_QUERY_SORT;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-               throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unexpected sortType: "+sortTypeStr+" (expected in-query or post-query)");
-            }
-        }
-        
         return new AbstractQuery<Site>(nodeService, searchService)
         {
             @Override
@@ -380,7 +362,7 @@ public class QueriesImpl implements Queries, InitializingBean
                 }
                 return new Site(siteInfo, role);
             }
-        }.find(parameters, PARAM_TERM, MIN_TERM_LENGTH_SITES, "_SITE", sortType, SITE_SORT_PARAMS_TO_QNAMES, new SortColumn(PARAM_SITE_TITLE, true));
+        }.find(parameters, PARAM_TERM, MIN_TERM_LENGTH_SITES, "_SITE", POST_QUERY_SORT, SITE_SORT_PARAMS_TO_QNAMES, new SortColumn(PARAM_SITE_TITLE, true));
     }
     
     public abstract static class AbstractQuery<T>
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/QueriesSitesApiTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/QueriesSitesApiTest.java
index 071a314f02..a0826035c4 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/QueriesSitesApiTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/QueriesSitesApiTest.java
@@ -241,89 +241,27 @@ public class QueriesSitesApiTest extends AbstractSingleNetworkSiteTest
 
             // test sort order
             {
-                // default sort order - title asc (note: in-query - using search index, tokenized cm:title)
+                // default sort order - title asc
                 Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<>(1);
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
                 HttpResponse response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
                 List<Site> sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
                 assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s2, s3, s5, s1, s4}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
-                // sort order - id asc
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "id asc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
                 assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s4, s5, s2, s3, s1}), getSiteIds(sites));
 
-                // sort order - id desc
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "id desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s1, s3, s2, s5, s4}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
                 // sort order - title asc
                 params = new HashMap<>(1);
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title asc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
                 response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
                 sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
                 assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s2, s3, s5, s1, s4}), getSiteIds(sites));
+                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s4, s5, s2, s3, s1}), getSiteIds(sites));
 
                 // sort order - title desc
                 params = new HashMap<>(1);
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s4, s1, s5, s3, s2}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
-                // sort order - title asc (post query - using Alfresco Collator which does not ignore spaces, unlike default RuleBasedCollator)
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title asc");
-                params.put("sortType", "post-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s4, s5, s2, s3, s1}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
-                // sort order - title desc (post query - using Alfresco Collator which does not ignore spaces, unlike default RuleBasedCollator)
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "post-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s1, s3, s2, s5, s4}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
-                // sort order - description asc
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "description asc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s4, s5, s2, s3, s1}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
-                // sort order - description desc
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "description desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
                 response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, paging, params, 200);
                 sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
                 assertEquals(sCount, sites.size());
@@ -332,50 +270,19 @@ public class QueriesSitesApiTest extends AbstractSingleNetworkSiteTest
 
             // basic paging tests
             {
-                // sort order - title desc (in query - using search index, tokenized cm:title)
+                // sort order - title desc
 
                 Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<>(1);
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
                 HttpResponse response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, getPaging(0, 2), params, 200);
                 List<Site> sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
                 assertEquals(2, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s4, s1}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, getPaging(2, 2), params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(2, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s5, s3}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "in-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, getPaging(4, 2), params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(1, sites.size());
-                assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s2}), getSiteIds(sites));
-
-                // sort order - title desc (post query - using Alfresco Collator which does not ignore spaces, unlike default RuleBasedCollator)
-
-                params = new HashMap<>(1);
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
-                params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "post-query");
-                response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, getPaging(0, 2), params, 200);
-                sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
-                assertEquals(2, sites.size());
                 assertEquals(Arrays.asList(new String[]{s1, s3}), getSiteIds(sites));
 
                 params = new HashMap<>(1);
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "post-query");
                 response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, getPaging(2, 2), params, 200);
                 sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
                 assertEquals(2, sites.size());
@@ -384,7 +291,6 @@ public class QueriesSitesApiTest extends AbstractSingleNetworkSiteTest
                 params = new HashMap<>(1);
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_TERM, "siAB");
                 params.put(Queries.PARAM_ORDERBY, "title desc");
-                params.put("sortType", "post-query");
                 response = getAll(URL_QUERIES_LSS, getPaging(4, 2), params, 200);
                 sites = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Site.class);
                 assertEquals(1, sites.size());