diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Api/Blacklist/BlacklistModule.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Api/Blacklist/BlacklistModule.cs
index 7799612a7..910892cf7 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Api/Blacklist/BlacklistModule.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Api/Blacklist/BlacklistModule.cs
@@ -17,13 +17,7 @@ public BlacklistModule(IBlacklistService blacklistService)
 
         private PagingResource<BlacklistResource> GetBlacklist(PagingResource<BlacklistResource> pagingResource)
         {
-            var pagingSpec = new PagingSpec<Core.Blacklisting.Blacklist>
-                                 {
-                                     Page = pagingResource.Page,
-                                     PageSize = pagingResource.PageSize,
-                                     SortKey = pagingResource.SortKey,
-                                     SortDirection = pagingResource.SortDirection
-                                 };
+            var pagingSpec = pagingResource.MapToPagingSpec<BlacklistResource, Core.Blacklisting.Blacklist>("id", SortDirection.Ascending);
 
             return ApplyToPage(_blacklistService.Paged, pagingSpec, BlacklistResourceMapper.MapToResource);
         }
@@ -33,4 +27,4 @@ private void DeleteBlacklist(int id)
             _blacklistService.Delete(id);
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Api/History/HistoryModule.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Api/History/HistoryModule.cs
index bf59cbdb0..d85cf74d8 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Api/History/HistoryModule.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Api/History/HistoryModule.cs
@@ -47,13 +47,7 @@ private PagingResource<HistoryResource> GetHistory(PagingResource<HistoryResourc
         {
             var episodeId = Request.Query.EpisodeId;
 
-            var pagingSpec = new PagingSpec<Core.History.History>
-                                 {
-                                     Page = pagingResource.Page,
-                                     PageSize = pagingResource.PageSize,
-                                     SortKey = pagingResource.SortKey,
-                                     SortDirection = pagingResource.SortDirection
-                                 };
+            var pagingSpec = pagingResource.MapToPagingSpec<HistoryResource, Core.History.History>("date", SortDirection.Descending);
 
             if (pagingResource.FilterKey == "eventType")
             {
@@ -77,4 +71,4 @@ private Response MarkAsFailed()
             return new object().AsResponse();
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Api/PagingResource.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Api/PagingResource.cs
index 50bbff8ab..b8025efc4 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Api/PagingResource.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Api/PagingResource.cs
@@ -17,15 +17,26 @@ public class PagingResource<TResource>
 
     public static class PagingResourceMapper
     {
-        public static PagingSpec<TModel> MapToPagingSpec<TResource, TModel>(this PagingResource<TResource> pagingSpec)
+        public static PagingSpec<TModel> MapToPagingSpec<TResource, TModel>(this PagingResource<TResource> pagingResource, string defaultSortKey = "Id", SortDirection defaultSortDirection = SortDirection.Ascending)
         {
-            return new PagingSpec<TModel>
+            var pagingSpec = new PagingSpec<TModel>
             {
-                Page = pagingSpec.Page,
-                PageSize = pagingSpec.PageSize,
-                SortKey = pagingSpec.SortKey,
-                SortDirection = pagingSpec.SortDirection,
+                Page = pagingResource.Page,
+                PageSize = pagingResource.PageSize,
+                SortKey = pagingResource.SortKey,
+                SortDirection = pagingResource.SortDirection,
             };
+
+            if (pagingResource.SortKey == null)
+            {
+                pagingSpec.SortKey = defaultSortKey;
+                if(pagingResource.SortDirection == SortDirection.Default)
+                {
+                    pagingSpec.SortDirection = defaultSortDirection;
+                }
+            }
+
+            return pagingSpec;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Api/Wanted/CutoffModule.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Api/Wanted/CutoffModule.cs
index 13725e2bb..d2d08edab 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Api/Wanted/CutoffModule.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Api/Wanted/CutoffModule.cs
@@ -23,13 +23,7 @@ public CutoffModule(IEpisodeCutoffService episodeCutoffService,
 
         private PagingResource<EpisodeResource> GetCutoffUnmetEpisodes(PagingResource<EpisodeResource> pagingResource)
         {
-            var pagingSpec = new PagingSpec<Episode>
-            {
-                Page = pagingResource.Page,
-                PageSize = pagingResource.PageSize,
-                SortKey = pagingResource.SortKey,
-                SortDirection = pagingResource.SortDirection
-            };
+            var pagingSpec = pagingResource.MapToPagingSpec<EpisodeResource, Episode>("airDateUtc", SortDirection.Descending);
 
             if (pagingResource.FilterKey == "monitored" && pagingResource.FilterValue == "false")
             {
@@ -45,4 +39,4 @@ private PagingResource<EpisodeResource> GetCutoffUnmetEpisodes(PagingResource<Ep
             return resource;
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Api/Wanted/MissingModule.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Api/Wanted/MissingModule.cs
index 7fb31b000..9f6215a2e 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Api/Wanted/MissingModule.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Api/Wanted/MissingModule.cs
@@ -19,13 +19,7 @@ public MissingModule(IEpisodeService episodeService,
 
         private PagingResource<EpisodeResource> GetMissingEpisodes(PagingResource<EpisodeResource> pagingResource)
         {
-            var pagingSpec = new PagingSpec<Episode>
-            {
-                Page = pagingResource.Page,
-                PageSize = pagingResource.PageSize,
-                SortKey = pagingResource.SortKey,
-                SortDirection = pagingResource.SortDirection
-            };
+            var pagingSpec = pagingResource.MapToPagingSpec<EpisodeResource, Episode>("airDateUtc", SortDirection.Descending);
 
             if (pagingResource.FilterKey == "monitored" && pagingResource.FilterValue == "false")
             {
@@ -41,4 +35,4 @@ private PagingResource<EpisodeResource> GetMissingEpisodes(PagingResource<Episod
             return resource;
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/Datastore/PagingSpecExtensionsTests/ToSortDirectionFixture.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/Datastore/PagingSpecExtensionsTests/ToSortDirectionFixture.cs
index b0eaa64c0..d2cecde84 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/Datastore/PagingSpecExtensionsTests/ToSortDirectionFixture.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core.Test/Datastore/PagingSpecExtensionsTests/ToSortDirectionFixture.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@ namespace NzbDrone.Core.Test.Datastore.PagingSpecExtensionsTests
 {
     public class ToSortDirectionFixture
     {
+        [Test]
+        public void should_convert_default_to_asc()
+        {
+            var pagingSpec = new PagingSpec<Episode>
+            {
+                Page = 1,
+                PageSize = 10,
+                SortDirection = SortDirection.Default,
+                SortKey = "AirDate"
+            };
+
+            pagingSpec.ToSortDirection().Should().Be(Marr.Data.QGen.SortDirection.Asc);
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public void should_convert_ascending_to_asc()
         {
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Datastore/PagingSpec.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Datastore/PagingSpec.cs
index 37bd9776c..63f8d719c 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Datastore/PagingSpec.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Datastore/PagingSpec.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ public class PagingSpec<TModel>
 
     public enum SortDirection
     {
+        Default,
         Ascending,
         Descending
     }