diff --git a/web/ajax/events.php b/web/ajax/events.php
index 562cce9c2..471f32664 100644
--- a/web/ajax/events.php
+++ b/web/ajax/events.php
@@ -6,28 +6,30 @@ $data = array();
 // INITIALIZE AND CHECK SANITY
 //
 
-if ( !canView('Events') ) $message = 'Insufficient permissions for user '.$user['Username'];
+if (!canView('Events'))
+  $message = 'Insufficient permissions for user '.$user['Username'].'<br/>';
 
-if ( empty($_REQUEST['task']) ) {
-  $message = 'Must specify a task';
+if (empty($_REQUEST['task'])) {
+  $message = 'Must specify a task<br/>';
 } else {
   $task = $_REQUEST['task'];
 }
 
-if ( empty($_REQUEST['eids']) ) {
-  if ( isset($_REQUEST['task']) && $_REQUEST['task'] != 'query' ) $message = 'No event id(s) supplied';
+if (empty($_REQUEST['eids'])) {
+  if (isset($_REQUEST['task']) && $_REQUEST['task'] != 'query')
+    $message = 'No event id(s) supplied<br/>';
 } else {
   $eids = $_REQUEST['eids'];
 }
 
-if ( $message ) {
+if ($message) {
   ajaxError($message);
   return;
 }
 
 require_once('includes/Filter.php');
 $filter = isset($_REQUEST['filter']) ? ZM\Filter::parse($_REQUEST['filter']) : new ZM\Filter();
-if ( $user['MonitorIds'] ) {
+if ($user['MonitorIds']) {
   $filter = $filter->addTerm(array('cnj'=>'and', 'attr'=>'MonitorId', 'op'=>'IN', 'val'=>$user['MonitorIds']));
 }
 
@@ -39,10 +41,19 @@ $search = isset($_REQUEST['search']) ? $_REQUEST['search'] : '';
 $advsearch = isset($_REQUEST['advsearch']) ? json_decode($_REQUEST['advsearch'], JSON_OBJECT_AS_ARRAY) : array();
 
 // Order specifies the sort direction, either asc or desc
-$order = (isset($_REQUEST['order']) and (strtolower($_REQUEST['order']) == 'asc')) ? 'ASC' : 'DESC';
+$order = $filter->sort_asc() ? 'ASC' : 'DESC';
+if (isset($_REQUEST['order'])) {
+  if (strtolower($_REQUEST['order']) == 'asc')) {
+    $order = 'ASC';
+  } else if (strtolower($_REQUEST['order']) == 'desc')) {
+    $order = 'DESC';
+  } else {
+    Warning("Invalid value for order " . $_REQUEST['order']);
+  }
+}
 
 // Sort specifies the name of the column to sort on
-$sort = 'StartDateTime';
+$sort = $filter->sort_field();
 if (isset($_REQUEST['sort'])) {
   $sort = $_REQUEST['sort'];
   if ($sort == 'EndDateTime') {