diff --git a/announcement/announcement-tool/tool/src/java/org/sakaiproject/announcement/tool/AnnouncementAction.java b/announcement/announcement-tool/tool/src/java/org/sakaiproject/announcement/tool/AnnouncementAction.java
index e55794b3d08f..a72598de4035 100644
--- a/announcement/announcement-tool/tool/src/java/org/sakaiproject/announcement/tool/AnnouncementAction.java
+++ b/announcement/announcement-tool/tool/src/java/org/sakaiproject/announcement/tool/AnnouncementAction.java
@@ -1345,7 +1345,14 @@ public void buildSortedContext(VelocityPortlet portlet, Context context, RunData
 
 			context.put("announcementItemRangeArray", viewValues);
 		}
-		// context.put("jsfutil", JsfUtil.this);
+
+		if (sstate.getAttribute("updating_sort") == Boolean.TRUE) {
+			state.setCurrentSortedBy(SORT_MESSAGE_ORDER);
+			state.setCurrentSortAsc(false);
+			sstate.setAttribute(STATE_CURRENT_SORTED_BY, SORT_MESSAGE_ORDER);
+			sstate.setAttribute(STATE_CURRENT_SORT_ASC, Boolean.FALSE);
+			sstate.setAttribute("updating_sort", Boolean.FALSE);
+		}
 
 	} // buildSortedContext
 
@@ -4324,6 +4331,9 @@ public void doReorderUpdate(RunData rundata, Context context)
 		String peid = ((JetspeedRunData) rundata).getJs_peid();
 		SessionState sstate = ((JetspeedRunData) rundata).getPortletSessionState(peid);
 
+		// set updating_sort state so state.getCurrentSortedBy() and state.getCurrentSortAsc() can be reset after buildSortedContext() finishes
+		sstate.setAttribute("updating_sort", Boolean.TRUE);
+
 		// Storing the re-ordered sequence of the announcements
 		if (state.getIsListVM())
 		{