diff --git a/bitbake/lib/toaster/toastergui/static/js/table.js b/bitbake/lib/toaster/toastergui/static/js/table.js
index 7b55102546..176ce579fb 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/toaster/toastergui/static/js/table.js
+++ b/bitbake/lib/toaster/toastergui/static/js/table.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ function tableInit(ctx){
     orderby : null,
     filter : null,
     search : null,
+    default_orderby: null,
   };
 
   var defaultHiddenCols = [];
@@ -192,6 +193,8 @@ function tableInit(ctx){
     tableHeadRow.html("");
     editColMenu.html("");
 
+    tableParams.default_orderby = tableData.default_orderby;
+
     if (!tableParams.orderby && tableData.default_orderby){
       tableParams.orderby = tableData.default_orderby;
     }
@@ -217,6 +220,7 @@ function tableInit(ctx){
         var title = $('<a href=\"#\" ></a>');
 
         title.data('field-name', col.field_name);
+        title.attr('data-sort-field', col.field_name);
         title.text(col.title);
         title.click(sortColumnClicked);
 
@@ -344,29 +348,65 @@ function tableInit(ctx){
     }
   }
 
+  /* Apply an ordering to the current table.
+   *
+   * 1. Find the column heading matching the sortSpecifier
+   * 2. Set its up/down arrow and add .sorted
+   *
+   * orderby: e.g. "-started_on", "completed_on"
+   * colHeading: column heading element to activate (by showing the caret
+   * up/down, depending on sort order); if not set, the correct column
+   * heading is selected from the DOM using orderby as a key
+   */
+  function applyOrderby(orderby, colHeading) {
+    if (!orderby) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // We only have one sort at a time so remove existing sort indicators
+    $("#" + ctx.tableName + " th .icon-caret-down").hide();
+    $("#" + ctx.tableName + " th .icon-caret-up").hide();
+    $("#" + ctx.tableName + " th a").removeClass("sorted");
+
+    // normalise the orderby so we can use it to find the link we want
+    // to style
+    var fieldName = orderby;
+    if (fieldName.indexOf('-') === 0) {
+      fieldName = fieldName.slice(1);
+    }
+
+    // find the table header element which corresponds to the sort field
+    // (if we don't already have it)
+    if (!colHeading) {
+      colHeading = $('[data-sort-field="' + fieldName + '"]');
+    }
+
+    colHeading.addClass("sorted");
+
+    var parent = colHeading.parent();
+
+    if (orderby.indexOf('-') === 0) {
+      parent.children('.icon-caret-up').show();
+    }
+    else {
+      parent.children('.icon-caret-down').show();
+    }
+
+    tableParams.orderby = orderby;
+    loadData(tableParams);
+  }
+
   function sortColumnClicked(e){
     e.preventDefault();
 
-    /* We only have one sort at a time so remove any existing sort indicators */
-    $("#"+ctx.tableName+" th .icon-caret-down").hide();
-    $("#"+ctx.tableName+" th .icon-caret-up").hide();
-    $("#"+ctx.tableName+" th a").removeClass("sorted");
-
-    var fieldName = $(this).data('field-name');
-
     /* if we're already sorted sort the other way */
-    if (tableParams.orderby === fieldName &&
+    var orderby = $(this).data('field-name');
+    if (tableParams.orderby === orderby &&
         tableParams.orderby.indexOf('-') === -1) {
-      tableParams.orderby = '-' + $(this).data('field-name');
-      $(this).parent().children('.icon-caret-up').show();
-    } else {
-      tableParams.orderby = $(this).data('field-name');
-      $(this).parent().children('.icon-caret-down').show();
+      orderby = '-' + orderby;
     }
 
-    $(this).addClass("sorted");
-
-    loadData(tableParams);
+    applyOrderby(orderby, $(this));
   }
 
   function pageButtonClicked(e) {
@@ -385,11 +425,13 @@ function tableInit(ctx){
       table.find("."+col).show();
     }  else {
       table.find("."+col).hide();
-      /* If we're ordered by the column we're hiding remove the order by */
+      // If we're ordered by the column we're hiding remove the order by
+      // and apply the default one instead
       if (col === tableParams.orderby ||
           '-' + col === tableParams.orderby){
         tableParams.orderby = null;
-        $("#"+ctx.tableName +" .default-orderby").click();
+
+        applyOrderby(tableParams.default_orderby);
       }
     }