diff --git a/ui/src/app/affiliation/affiliations.component.ts b/ui/src/app/affiliation/affiliations.component.ts
index cbbd95ae4..e646ab505 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/affiliation/affiliations.component.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/affiliation/affiliations.component.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export class AffiliationsComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     })
     this.routeData = this.activatedRoute.data.subscribe((data) => {
       this.page = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page : 1
-      this.ascending = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[1] : false
+      this.ascending = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[1] : true
       this.sortColumn = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[0] : 'id'
       this.loadAll()
     })
diff --git a/ui/src/app/member/members.component.ts b/ui/src/app/member/members.component.ts
index 3446b32ef..062109bf3 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/member/members.component.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/member/members.component.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export class MembersComponent implements OnInit {
     this.itemsPerPage = ITEMS_PER_PAGE
     this.routeData = this.activatedRoute.data.subscribe((data: any) => {
       this.page = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page : 1
-      this.ascending = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[1] : false
+      this.ascending = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[1] : true
       this.sortColumn = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[0] : 'salesforceId'
     })
   }
diff --git a/ui/src/app/user/users.component.spec.ts b/ui/src/app/user/users.component.spec.ts
index 3b0a1c70d..7725bf805 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/user/users.component.spec.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/user/users.component.spec.ts
@@ -106,35 +106,35 @@ describe('UsersComponent', () => {
     expect(component.users![0]).toEqual(jasmine.objectContaining({ id: '123' }))
   })
 
-  it('sort should be id,desc by default', () => {
+  it('sort should be id,asc by default', () => {
     const result = component.sort()
-    expect(result).toEqual(['id,desc'])
+    expect(result).toEqual(['id,asc'])
   })
 
-  it('direction should be desc and id should be secondary sort column by default', () => {
+  it('direction should be asc and id should be secondary sort column by default', () => {
     component.sortColumn = 'name'
     const result = component.sort()
-    expect(result).toEqual(['name,desc', 'id'])
+    expect(result).toEqual(['name,asc', 'id'])
   })
 
   it('updating sort column to different value should maintain sort direction', () => {
     component.sortColumn = 'name'
     let result = component.sort()
-    expect(result).toEqual(['name,desc', 'id'])
+    expect(result).toEqual(['name,asc', 'id'])
 
     component.updateSort('email')
     result = component.sort()
-    expect(result).toEqual(['email,desc', 'id'])
+    expect(result).toEqual(['email,asc', 'id'])
   })
 
   it('updating sort column with same value should flip sort direction', () => {
     component.sortColumn = 'name'
     let result = component.sort()
-    expect(result).toEqual(['name,desc', 'id'])
+    expect(result).toEqual(['name,asc', 'id'])
 
     component.updateSort('name')
     result = component.sort()
-    expect(result).toEqual(['name,asc', 'id'])
+    expect(result).toEqual(['name,desc', 'id'])
   })
 
   it('clear should reset page to zero', () => {
diff --git a/ui/src/app/user/users.component.ts b/ui/src/app/user/users.component.ts
index c13009ad7..5f7f141ae 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/user/users.component.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/user/users.component.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export class UsersComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     this.itemsPerPage = ITEMS_PER_PAGE
     this.routeData = this.activatedRoute.data.subscribe((data) => {
       this.page = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page : 1
-      this.ascending = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[1] : false
+      this.ascending = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[1] : true
       this.sortColumn = data['queryParams'] ? data['queryParams'].page.sort.split(',')[0] : 'id'
     })
   }