diff --git a/images/collapseWhite.svg b/images/collapseWhite.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fd1997ce4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/collapseWhite.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<svg version="1.1" id="Layer_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" viewBox="0 0 24 24" style="enable-background:new 0 0 24 24;" xml:space="preserve">
+<path fill="#FFFFFF" d="M12,8l-6,6l1.4,1.4l4.6-4.6l4.6,4.6L18,14L12,8z"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/images/expandWhite.svg b/images/expandWhite.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0e42c2a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/expandWhite.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<svg version="1.1" id="Layer_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" viewBox="0 0 24 24" style="enable-background:new 0 0 24 24;" xml:space="preserve">
+<path fill="#FFFFFF" d="M16.6,8.6L12,13.2L7.4,8.6L6,10l6,6l6-6L16.6,8.6z"/>
+</svg>
diff --git a/src/actions/search.js b/src/actions/search.js
index 4bd1df991..bd23c3201 100644
--- a/src/actions/search.js
+++ b/src/actions/search.js
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ const getSortParam = (config, searchDescriptor, columnSetName) => {
     return null;
   }
 
+  // prefer the new sort.js config
+  const sort = get(config,
+    ['recordTypes', searchDescriptor.get('recordType'), 'sort', sortColumnName]);
+
+  if (sort && sort.sortBy) {
+    return sort.sortBy + (sortDir ? ' DESC' : '');
+  }
+
   const column = get(config,
     ['recordTypes', searchDescriptor.get('recordType'), 'columns', columnSetName, sortColumnName]);
 
diff --git a/src/components/pages/SearchResultPage.jsx b/src/components/pages/SearchResultPage.jsx
index 4c20d5b6a..ab0c4a3e0 100644
--- a/src/components/pages/SearchResultPage.jsx
+++ b/src/components/pages/SearchResultPage.jsx
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import {
   createPageSizeChangeHandler,
   createPageChangeHandler,
   extractAdvancedSearchGroupedTerms,
+  createSortByHandler,
+  createSortDirHandler,
 } from '../../helpers/searchHelpers';
 import { SEARCH_RESULT_PAGE_SEARCH_NAME } from '../../constants/searchNames';
 
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ import styles from '../../../styles/cspace-ui/SearchResultPage.css';
 import pageBodyStyles from '../../../styles/cspace-ui/PageBody.css';
 import ExportResults from '../search/ExportResults';
 import RelateResults from '../search/RelateResults';
+import SortBy from '../search/SortBy';
 
 // const stopPropagation = (event) => {
 //   event.stopPropagation();
@@ -467,6 +470,8 @@ export default class SearchResultPage extends Component {
 
   renderHeader({ searchError, searchResult }) {
     const {
+      history,
+      location,
       selectedItems,
       setAllItemsSelected,
       perms,
@@ -515,6 +520,23 @@ export default class SearchResultPage extends Component {
       );
     }
 
+    const {
+      search,
+    } = location;
+
+    const query = qs.parse(search.substring(1));
+    const sortChangeHandler = createSortByHandler({ history, location });
+    const sortDirChangeHandler = createSortDirHandler({ history, location });
+
+    const renderSortBy = () => (
+      <SortBy
+        onSortChange={sortChangeHandler}
+        onSortDirChange={sortDirChangeHandler}
+        sort={query?.sort}
+        recordType={searchDescriptor.get('recordType')}
+      />
+    );
+
     return (
       <header>
         <SearchResultSummary
@@ -524,6 +546,7 @@ export default class SearchResultPage extends Component {
           searchDescriptor={searchDescriptor}
           onEditSearchLinkClick={this.handleEditSearchLinkClick}
           onPageSizeChange={this.handlePageSizeChange}
+          renderSortBy={() => renderSortBy()}
         />
         {selectBar}
       </header>
diff --git a/src/components/pages/search/SearchResults.jsx b/src/components/pages/search/SearchResults.jsx
index 7c5fc9a3a..eb83a1a41 100644
--- a/src/components/pages/search/SearchResults.jsx
+++ b/src/components/pages/search/SearchResults.jsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import SearchResultGrid from '../../search/grid/SearchResultGrid';
 import SearchDetailList from '../../search/list/SearchList';
 import SearchResultSidebar from '../../search/SearchResultSidebar';
 import SearchResultSummary from '../../search/SearchResultSummary';
+import SortBy from '../../search/SortBy';
 import { ToggleButton, ToggleButtonContainer } from '../../search/header/ToggleButtons';
 import { useConfig } from '../../config/ConfigProvider';
 import styles from '../../../../styles/cspace-ui/SearchResults.css';
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ import {
   getListTypeFromResult,
   createPageSizeChangeHandler,
   extractAdvancedSearchGroupedTerms,
+  createSortByHandler,
+  createSortDirHandler,
 } from '../../../helpers/searchHelpers';
 import {
   setSearchPageAdvanced,
@@ -276,6 +279,18 @@ export default function SearchResults(props) {
     });
   };
 
+  const handleSortChange = createSortByHandler({ history, location });
+  const handleSortDirChange = createSortDirHandler({ history, location });
+
+  const renderSortBy = () => (
+    <SortBy
+      onSortChange={handleSortChange}
+      onSortDirChange={handleSortDirChange}
+      sort={normalizedQuery?.sort}
+      recordType={searchDescriptor.get('recordType')}
+    />
+  );
+
   const searchResults = useSelector((state) => getSearchResult(state,
     SEARCH_RESULT_PAGE_SEARCH_NAME,
     searchDescriptor));
@@ -351,6 +366,7 @@ export default function SearchResults(props) {
               searchDescriptor={searchDescriptor}
               onPageSizeChange={handlePageSizeChange}
               onEditSearchLinkClick={handleEditSearchLinkClick}
+              renderSortBy={() => renderSortBy()}
             />
             <SelectExportRelateToggleBar
               toggleBar={displayToggles}
diff --git a/src/components/search/SearchResultSummary.jsx b/src/components/search/SearchResultSummary.jsx
index cf628cb16..9cf55f304 100644
--- a/src/components/search/SearchResultSummary.jsx
+++ b/src/components/search/SearchResultSummary.jsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { defineMessages, FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
 import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
 import get from 'lodash/get';
 import { useSelector } from 'react-redux';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
 import PageSizeChooser from './PageSizeChooser';
 import { ERR_API, ERR_NOT_ALLOWED } from '../../constants/errorCodes';
 import styles from '../../../styles/cspace-ui/SearchResultSummary.css';
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ const propTypes = {
   renderEditLink: PropTypes.func,
   onEditSearchLinkClick: PropTypes.func,
   onPageSizeChange: PropTypes.func,
+  renderSortBy: PropTypes.func,
 };
 
 const defaultProps = {
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ export default function SearchResultSummary(props) {
     searchDescriptor,
     searchName,
     renderEditLink,
+    renderSortBy,
     onEditSearchLinkClick,
     onPageSizeChange,
   } = props;
@@ -161,11 +164,15 @@ export default function SearchResultSummary(props) {
   );
 
   const className = isSearching ? styles.searching : styles.normal;
+  const groupedClassName = classNames(styles.flex, styles.flexInitial);
 
   return (
     <div className={className}>
       {content}
-      {pageSizeChooser}
+      <div className={groupedClassName}>
+        {renderSortBy?.()}
+        {pageSizeChooser}
+      </div>
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/components/search/SortBy.jsx b/src/components/search/SortBy.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..42bcc0348
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/search/SortBy.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import { baseComponents as components } from 'cspace-input';
+import {
+  defineMessages, injectIntl, intlShape,
+} from 'react-intl';
+
+import { get } from 'lodash';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
+import styles from '../../../styles/cspace-ui/SortBy.css';
+import { useConfig } from '../config/ConfigProvider';
+
+const { DropdownMenuInput, Button } = components;
+
+const messages = defineMessages({
+  sortBy: {
+    id: 'search.sortBy',
+    defaultMessage: 'Sort By',
+  },
+  ascendingAriaLabel: {
+    id: 'search.sortDir.ascending.label',
+    defaultMessage: 'Current sort: ascending',
+  },
+  descendingAriaLabel: {
+    id: 'search.sortDir.descending.label',
+    defaultMessage: 'Current sort: descending',
+  },
+});
+
+function SortBy({
+  intl,
+  onSortChange,
+  onSortDirChange,
+  recordType,
+  sort,
+}) {
+  const config = useConfig();
+  const sortConfig = get(config, ['recordTypes', recordType, 'sort'])
+    ?? get(config, ['recordTypes', recordType, 'columns', 'default']);
+
+  if (!sortConfig) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const {
+    defaultSortBy = 'updatedAt',
+    defaultSortDir = 'desc',
+  } = sortConfig;
+
+  const options = Object.keys(sortConfig)
+    .filter((key) => sortConfig[key].sortBy !== undefined)
+    .map((key) => {
+      const option = sortConfig[key];
+      const label = intl.formatMessage(option.messages.label) ?? key;
+
+      return {
+        value: key,
+        label,
+      };
+    });
+
+  const [sortBy, sortDir] = sort?.split(' ') ?? [defaultSortBy, defaultSortDir];
+  const input = (
+    <DropdownMenuInput
+      options={options}
+      value={sortBy}
+      onCommit={(path, value) => onSortChange(value)}
+    />
+  );
+
+  const sortDirClass = sortDir ? styles.descending : styles.ascending;
+  const sortDirLabel = sortDir ? intl.formatMessage(messages.descendingAriaLabel)
+    : intl.formatMessage(messages.ascendingAriaLabel);
+  const sortDirButton = (
+    <Button
+      aria-label={sortDirLabel}
+      className={classNames(sortDirClass, styles.sortByButton)}
+      onClick={() => onSortDirChange()}
+    />
+  );
+
+  const prefixMessage = intl.formatMessage(messages.sortBy);
+  const prefix = <span className={classNames(styles.mt2, styles.mr5)}>{prefixMessage}</span>;
+
+  return (
+    <div className={styles.flex}>
+      {prefix}
+      {input}
+      {sortDirButton}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+SortBy.propTypes = {
+  intl: intlShape,
+  onSortChange: PropTypes.func,
+  onSortDirChange: PropTypes.func,
+  recordType: PropTypes.string,
+  sort: PropTypes.string,
+};
+
+export default injectIntl(SortBy);
diff --git a/src/helpers/searchHelpers.js b/src/helpers/searchHelpers.js
index 6b0a0a553..f6443008b 100644
--- a/src/helpers/searchHelpers.js
+++ b/src/helpers/searchHelpers.js
@@ -1395,3 +1395,63 @@ export const extractAdvancedSearchGroupedTerms = (searchQuery) => {
     limitBy: null,
   };
 };
+
+/**
+ * Handler which updates the sortBy portion of the sort string. This preserves
+ * the sort direction previously applied to the query.
+ */
+export const createSortByHandler = ({ history, location }) => (sort) => {
+  if (!history || !location) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const { search } = location;
+  const query = qs.parse(search.substring(1));
+
+  if (query) {
+    const { sort: currentSort } = query;
+
+    const sortDir = currentSort?.split(' ')[1] ?? undefined;
+    query.sort = sortDir === undefined ? sort : `${sort} ${sortDir}`;
+    const queryString = qs.stringify(query);
+    history.push({
+      pathname: location.pathname,
+      search: `?${queryString}`,
+      state: location.state,
+    });
+  }
+};
+
+/**
+ * Handler which updates the sort direction portion of the sort string. This
+ * inverts based on the existence of the previous sort direction as undefined/null
+ * is used for ascending.
+ *
+ * Note: if no parameters are present, the API defaults to updatedAt descending.
+ */
+export const createSortDirHandler = ({
+  history,
+  location,
+  defaultSortBy = 'updatedAt',
+  defaultSortDir = 'desc',
+}) => () => {
+  if (!history || !location) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const { search } = location;
+  const query = qs.parse(search.substring(1));
+
+  if (query) {
+    const { sort } = query;
+
+    const [sortColumn, sortDir] = sort?.split(' ') ?? [defaultSortBy, defaultSortDir];
+    query.sort = sortDir === undefined ? `${sortColumn} desc` : sortColumn;
+    const queryString = qs.stringify(query);
+    history.push({
+      pathname: location.pathname,
+      search: `?${queryString}`,
+      state: location.state,
+    });
+  }
+};
diff --git a/src/plugins/recordTypes/collectionobject/index.js b/src/plugins/recordTypes/collectionobject/index.js
index 9c5f0c7d2..b81b03358 100644
--- a/src/plugins/recordTypes/collectionobject/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/recordTypes/collectionobject/index.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import messages from './messages';
 import optionLists from './optionLists';
 import prepareForSending from './prepareForSending';
 import serviceConfig from './serviceConfig';
+import sort from './sort';
 import title from './title';
 
 export default () => (configContext) => ({
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ export default () => (configContext) => ({
       messages,
       prepareForSending,
       serviceConfig,
+      sort,
       advancedSearch: advancedSearch(configContext),
       columns: columns(configContext),
       detailList: detailList(configContext),
diff --git a/src/plugins/recordTypes/collectionobject/sort.js b/src/plugins/recordTypes/collectionobject/sort.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a13178f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/recordTypes/collectionobject/sort.js
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import { defineMessages } from 'react-intl';
+
+/**
+ * We store a key which is the value of the sort option, then use the 'sortBy' to store
+ * the actual field associated with the key. This is to keep some compatibility with how
+ * things have previously worked so that we aren't changing too much at once.
+ */
+export default {
+  objectNumber: {
+    messages: defineMessages({
+      label: {
+        id: 'sortBy.collectionobjects.objectNumber',
+        defaultMessage: 'Identification number',
+      },
+    }),
+    sortBy: 'collectionobjects_common:objectNumber',
+  },
+  objectName: {
+    messages: defineMessages({
+      label: {
+        id: 'sortBy.collectionobjects.objectName',
+        defaultMessage: 'Object name',
+      },
+    }),
+    sortBy: 'collectionobjects_common:objectNameList/0/objectName',
+  },
+  objectNameControlled: {
+    messages: defineMessages({
+      label: {
+        id: 'sortBy.collectionobjects.objectNameControlled',
+        defaultMessage: 'Object name controlled',
+      },
+    }),
+    sortBy: 'collectionobjects_common:objectNameList/0/objectNameControlled',
+  },
+  title: {
+    messages: defineMessages({
+      label: {
+        id: 'sortBy.collectionobjects.title',
+        defaultMessage: 'Title',
+      },
+    }),
+    sortBy: 'collectionobjects_common:titleGroupList/0/title',
+  },
+  updatedAt: {
+    messages: defineMessages({
+      label: {
+        id: 'sortBy.collectionobjects.updatedAt',
+        defaultMessage: 'Updated at',
+      },
+    }),
+    sortBy: 'collectionspace_core:updatedAt',
+  },
+  createdAt: {
+    messages: defineMessages({
+      label: {
+        id: 'sortBy.collectionobjects.createdAt',
+        defaultMessage: 'Created at',
+      },
+    }),
+    sortBy: 'collectionspace_core:createdAt',
+  },
+  computedCurrentLocation: {
+    messages: defineMessages({
+      label: {
+        id: 'sortBy.collectionobjects.computedCurrentLocation',
+        defaultMessage: 'Computed current location',
+      },
+    }),
+    sortBy: 'collectionobjects_common:computedCurrentLocation',
+  },
+  defaultSortBy: 'updatedAt',
+  defaultSortDirection: 'desc',
+};
diff --git a/styles/colors.css b/styles/colors.css
index bbc97cc1a..eada988d2 100644
--- a/styles/colors.css
+++ b/styles/colors.css
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@
 
 @value inputBg: rgb(255, 255, 255);
 
+@value buttonBg: #73AA4F;
 @value buttonOutlinedBg: rgb(255, 255, 255);
 @value buttonOutlinedBgActive: rgb(220, 220, 220);
diff --git a/styles/cspace-ui/SearchResultSummary.css b/styles/cspace-ui/SearchResultSummary.css
index ca32e08c3..b9d639af3 100644
--- a/styles/cspace-ui/SearchResultSummary.css
+++ b/styles/cspace-ui/SearchResultSummary.css
@@ -47,3 +47,11 @@
 .error {
   composes: common;
 }
+
+.flex {
+  display: flex;
+}
+
+.flexInitial {
+  flex: 0 auto;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/styles/cspace-ui/SortBy.css b/styles/cspace-ui/SortBy.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..66270b714
--- /dev/null
+++ b/styles/cspace-ui/SortBy.css
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+@value buttonBg from '../colors.css';
+@value inputHeight from '../dimensions.css';
+
+.flex {
+  display: flex;
+  margin-right: inputHeight;
+}
+
+.mt2 {
+  margin-top: 2px;
+}
+
+.mr5 {
+  margin-right: 5px;
+}
+
+.sortByButton {
+  height: inputHeight;
+  width: inputHeight;
+  border-radius: 0 3px 3px 0;
+  background-color: buttonBg !important;
+}
+
+.ascending {
+  background-image: url(../../images/collapseWhite.svg) !important;
+}
+
+.descending {
+  background-image: url(../../images/expandWhite.svg) !important;
+}
diff --git a/test/specs/helpers/searchHelpers.spec.js b/test/specs/helpers/searchHelpers.spec.js
index 737a1ccd6..5f982c9d9 100644
--- a/test/specs/helpers/searchHelpers.spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/helpers/searchHelpers.spec.js
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ import {
   getSubrecordSearchName,
   deriveSearchType,
   getListTypeFromResult,
+  createSortByHandler,
+  createSortDirHandler,
 } from '../../../src/helpers/searchHelpers';
 import { SEARCH_RESULT_ACCOUNT_PAGE, SEARCH_RESULT_AUTH_ROLE_PAGE } from '../../../src/constants/searchNames';
 
@@ -2061,4 +2063,127 @@ describe('searchHelpers', () => {
       expect(clearAdvancedSearchConditionValues(undefined)).to.equal(undefined);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('createSortByHandler', () => {
+    const path = '/collectionobjects';
+
+    it('should update the sort when no querystring exists', () => {
+      let updatedSearch = null;
+      const history = {
+        push: ({ search }) => {
+          updatedSearch = search;
+        },
+      };
+
+      const location = {
+        pathname: path,
+        state: 'state',
+        search: '',
+      };
+
+      const sort = 'updatedAt';
+      const handler = createSortByHandler({ history, location });
+      handler(sort);
+      expect(updatedSearch).to.contain(sort);
+    });
+
+    it('should preserve the sort direction of the pervious query', () => {
+      let updatedSearch = null;
+      const history = {
+        push: ({ search }) => {
+          updatedSearch = search;
+        },
+      };
+
+      const direction = 'desc';
+      const location = {
+        pathname: path,
+        state: 'state',
+        search: `?sort=objectNumber ${direction}`,
+      };
+
+      const sort = 'updatedAt';
+      const handler = createSortByHandler({ history, location });
+      handler(sort);
+      expect(updatedSearch).to.contain(sort);
+      expect(updatedSearch).to.contain(direction);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('createSortDirHandler', () => {
+    const path = '/collectionobjects';
+
+    it('should switch to descending when the sort direction is empty', () => {
+      let updatedSearch = null;
+      const history = {
+        push: ({ search }) => {
+          updatedSearch = search;
+        },
+      };
+
+      const location = {
+        pathname: path,
+        state: 'state',
+        search: '?sort=objectNumber',
+      };
+
+      const handler = createSortDirHandler({ history, location });
+      handler();
+
+      const direction = 'desc';
+      expect(updatedSearch).to.contain(direction);
+    });
+
+    it('should switch to ascending when the sort direction is desc', () => {
+      let updatedSearch = null;
+      const history = {
+        push: ({ search }) => {
+          updatedSearch = search;
+        },
+      };
+
+      const direction = 'desc';
+      const location = {
+        pathname: path,
+        state: 'state',
+        search: `?sort=objectNumber ${direction}`,
+      };
+
+      const handler = createSortDirHandler({ history, location });
+      handler();
+
+      // ascending is an empty string, so we check that it doesn't contain the previous direction
+      expect(updatedSearch).to.not.contain(direction);
+    });
+
+    it('should use the default sort parameters when the query string is empty', () => {
+      const defaultSortBy = 'updatedAt';
+      const defaultSortDir = 'desc';
+
+      let updatedSearch = null;
+      const history = {
+        push: ({ search }) => {
+          updatedSearch = search;
+        },
+      };
+
+      const location = {
+        pathname: path,
+        state: 'state',
+        search: '',
+      };
+
+      const handler = createSortDirHandler({
+        history,
+        location,
+        defaultSortBy,
+        defaultSortDir,
+      });
+      handler();
+
+      expect(updatedSearch).to.contain(defaultSortBy);
+      // we still switch from descending to ascending, so check that the dir is not present
+      expect(updatedSearch).to.not.contain(defaultSortDir);
+    });
+  });
 });