diff --git a/awx/ui/client/features/projects/projectsList.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/features/projects/projectsList.controller.js
index 690018f3fe..e0de2a34be 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/features/projects/projectsList.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/features/projects/projectsList.controller.js
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ function projectsListController (
     };
     vm.dataset = Dataset.data;
     vm.projects = Dataset.data.results;
-    vm.querySet = $state.params.project_search;
 
     $scope.$watch('vm.dataset.count', () => {
         $scope.$emit('updateCount', vm.dataset.count, 'projects');
@@ -48,8 +47,19 @@ function projectsListController (
         } else {
             vm.activeId = '';
         }
+        setToolbarSort();
     }, true);
 
+    function setToolbarSort () {
+        const orderByValue = _.get($state.params, 'project_search.order_by');
+        const sortValue = _.find(vm.toolbarSortOptions, (option) => option.value === orderByValue);
+        if (sortValue) {
+            vm.toolbarSortValue = sortValue;
+        } else {
+            vm.toolbarSortValue = toolbarSortDefault;
+        }
+    }
+
     const toolbarSortDefault = {
         label: `${strings.get('sort.NAME_ASCENDING')}`,
         value: 'name'
@@ -69,7 +79,7 @@ function projectsListController (
         vm.toolbarSortValue = sort;
 
         const queryParams = Object.assign(
-            vm.querySet,
+            $state.params.project_search,
             { order_by: sort.value }
         );
 
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/features/projects/projectsList.view.html b/awx/ui/client/features/projects/projectsList.view.html
index d3693e2234..0fa6e90168 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/features/projects/projectsList.view.html
+++ b/awx/ui/client/features/projects/projectsList.view.html
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@
         collection="vm.projects"
         dataset="vm.dataset"
         iterator="project"
-        base-path="projects"
-        query-set="vm.querySet">
+        base-path="projects">
     </paginate>
 </at-panel-body>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/lib/components/list/list-toolbar.partial.html b/awx/ui/client/lib/components/list/list-toolbar.partial.html
index d7b6d15f81..0b29718652 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/lib/components/list/list-toolbar.partial.html
+++ b/awx/ui/client/lib/components/list/list-toolbar.partial.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <div class="at-List-toolbar--attached">
     <div ng-class="isCollapsed ? 'active' : ''" ng-if="!sortOnly" class="at-List-toolbar-item" ng-click="onCollapse()">{{ vm.strings.get('toolbar.COMPACT') }}</div>
     <div ng-class="!isCollapsed ? 'active' : ''" ng-if="!sortOnly" class="at-List-toolbar-item" ng-click="onExpand()">{{ vm.strings.get('toolbar.EXPANDED') }}</div>
-    <div class="at-List-toolbarDropdown dropdown">
+    <div ng-if="sortOptions" class="at-List-toolbarDropdown dropdown">
         <button
             class="at-List-toolbarDropdown-toggle dropdown-toggle"
             data-display="static"