diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobTemplates.js b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobTemplates.js
index 05b744d6de..67cebe94a4 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobTemplates.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobTemplates.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export default
         hover: true,
         well: true,
         searchSize: 'col-lg-8 col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12',
-        
+        emptyListText: 'There are no job templates to display at this time',    
         fields: {
             name: {
                 key: true,
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobs.js b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobs.js
index e16bd11ad3..613432409f 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobs.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobs.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export default
         well: true,
         listTitle: 'Jobs',
         searchSize: 'col-lg-8 col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12',
+        emptyListText: 'There are no jobs to display at this time',
 
         fields: {
             status: {
@@ -32,9 +33,8 @@ export default
                 searchLabel: 'Status'
             },
             name: {
-                key: true,
                 label: 'Name',
-                columnClass: 'col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-6',
+                columnClass: 'col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-6 List-staticColumnAdjacent',
                 defaultSearchField: true,
                 linkTo: '/#/jobs/{{job.id}}'
             },
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export default
                 noLink: true,
                 searchable: false,
                 filter: "longDate",
-                nosort: true,
+                key: true,
                 columnClass: "col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-3"
             }
         },
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/portal-mode/portal-mode-jobs.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/src/portal-mode/portal-mode-jobs.controller.js
index 7656237cb2..f621860f85 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/portal-mode/portal-mode-jobs.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/portal-mode/portal-mode-jobs.controller.js
@@ -4,64 +4,67 @@
  * All Rights Reserved
  *************************************************/
 
-export function PortalModeJobsController($scope, $state, $rootScope, GetBasePath, GenerateList, PortalJobsList, SearchInit,
-	PaginateInit){
+export function PortalModeJobsController($scope, $rootScope, GetBasePath, GenerateList, PortalJobsList, SearchInit,
+    PaginateInit){
 
-	var list = PortalJobsList,
-	view = GenerateList,
-	// show user jobs by default
-	defaultUrl = GetBasePath('jobs') + '?created_by=' + $rootScope.current_user.id,
-	pageSize = 12;
+    var list = PortalJobsList,
+    view = GenerateList,
+    // show user jobs by default
+    defaultUrl = GetBasePath('jobs') + '?created_by=' + $rootScope.current_user.id,
+    pageSize = 12;
 
-	if ($rootScope.removeJobStatusChange) {
-		   $rootScope.removeJobStatusChange();
-	   }
-	   $rootScope.removeJobStatusChange = $rootScope.$on('JobStatusChange-portal', function() {
-		   $scope.search('portal_job'); //processEvent(event);
-	   });
+    if ($rootScope.removeJobStatusChange) {
+           $rootScope.removeJobStatusChange();
+    }
+   $rootScope.removeJobStatusChange = $rootScope.$on('JobStatusChange-portal', function() {
+       $scope.search('job');
+   });
 
-	$scope.iterator = list.iterator;
-	$scope.activeFilter = 'user';
+    $scope.iterator = list.iterator;
+    $scope.activeFilter = 'user';
 
-	var init = function(){
-		view.inject(list, {
-			id: 'portal-jobs',
-			mode: 'edit',
-			scope: $scope,
+    var init = function(){
+        view.inject(list, {
+            id: 'portal-jobs',
+            mode: 'edit',
+            scope: $scope,
             searchSize: 'col-md-10 col-xs-12'
-		});
+        });
 
-		SearchInit({
-			scope: $scope,
-			set: 'jobs',
-			list: list,
-			url: defaultUrl
-		});
+        SearchInit({
+            scope: $scope,
+            set: 'jobs',
+            list: list,
+            url: defaultUrl
+        });
 
-		PaginateInit({
-			scope: $scope,
-			list: list,
-			url: defaultUrl,
-			pageSize: pageSize
-		});
-		$scope.search (list.iterator);
-	};
+        PaginateInit({
+            scope: $scope,
+            list: list,
+            url: defaultUrl,
+            pageSize: pageSize
+        });
+        $scope.search (list.iterator);
+        // hack to default to descending sort order
+        $scope.sort('job','started');
+
+    };
 
 
-	$scope.filterUser = function(){
-		$scope.activeFilter = 'user';
-		defaultUrl = GetBasePath('jobs') + '?created_by=' + $rootScope.current_user.id;
-		init();
-	};
+    $scope.filterUser = function(){
+        $scope.activeFilter = 'user';
+        defaultUrl = GetBasePath('jobs') + '?created_by=' + $rootScope.current_user.id;
+        init();
+    };
 
-	$scope.filterAll = function(){
-		$scope.activeFilter = 'all';
-		defaultUrl = GetBasePath('jobs');
-		init();
-	};
+    $scope.filterAll = function(){
+        $scope.activeFilter = 'all';
+        defaultUrl = GetBasePath('jobs');
+        init();
+    };
 
-	init();
+    init();
 }
 
-PortalModeJobsController.$inject = ['$scope', '$state', '$rootScope', 'GetBasePath', 'generateList', 'PortalJobsList', 'SearchInit',
-	'PaginateInit'];
+PortalModeJobsController.$inject = ['$scope', '$rootScope', 'GetBasePath', 'generateList', 'PortalJobsList', 'SearchInit',
+    'PaginateInit'];