diff --git a/cake/libs/controller/components/paginator.php b/cake/libs/controller/components/paginator.php
index bb33177e1..9755d47f2 100644
--- a/cake/libs/controller/components/paginator.php
+++ b/cake/libs/controller/components/paginator.php
@@ -95,41 +95,12 @@ class PaginatorComponent extends Component {
 			throw new MissingModelException($object);
 		}
 
-		$options = $this->mergeOptions($object->alias, $scope, $whitelist);
-
 		if (isset($options['show'])) {
 			$options['limit'] = $options['show'];
 		}
 
-		if (isset($options['sort'])) {
-			$direction = null;
-			if (isset($options['direction'])) {
-				$direction = strtolower($options['direction']);
-			}
-			if ($direction != 'asc' && $direction != 'desc') {
-				$direction = 'asc';
-			}
-			$options['order'] = array($options['sort'] => $direction);
-		}
-
-		if (!empty($options['order']) && is_array($options['order'])) {
-			$alias = $object->alias ;
-			$key = $field = key($options['order']);
-
-			if (strpos($key, '.') !== false) {
-				list($alias, $field) = explode('.', $key);
-			}
-			$value = $options['order'][$key];
-			unset($options['order'][$key]);
-
-			if ($object->hasField($field)) {
-				$options['order'][$alias . '.' . $field] = $value;
-			} elseif ($object->hasField($field, true)) {
-				$options['order'][$field] = $value;
-			} elseif (isset($object->{$alias}) && $object->{$alias}->hasField($field)) {
-				$options['order'][$alias . '.' . $field] = $value;
-			}
-		}
+		$options = $this->mergeOptions($object->alias, $scope, $whitelist);
+		$options = $this->validateSort($object, $options);
 
 		$conditions = $fields = $order = $limit = $page = $recursive = null;
 
@@ -312,4 +283,47 @@ class PaginatorComponent extends Component {
 
 		return array_merge($defaults, $request, $options);
 	}
+
+/**
+ * Validate that the desired sorting can be performed on the $object.  Only fields or 
+ * virtualFields can be sorted on.  The direction param will also be sanitized.  Lastly
+ * sort + direction keys will be converted into the model friendly order key.
+ *
+ * @param Model $object The model being paginated.
+ * @param array $options The pagination options being used for this request.
+ * @return array An array of options with sort + direction removed and replaced with order if possible.
+ */
+	public function validateSort($object, $options) {
+		if (isset($options['sort'])) {
+			$direction = null;
+			if (isset($options['direction'])) {
+				$direction = strtolower($options['direction']);
+			}
+			if ($direction != 'asc' && $direction != 'desc') {
+				$direction = 'asc';
+			}
+			$options['order'] = array($options['sort'] => $direction);
+		}
+	
+		if (!empty($options['order']) && is_array($options['order'])) {
+			$alias = $object->alias ;
+			$key = $field = key($options['order']);
+
+			if (strpos($key, '.') !== false) {
+				list($alias, $field) = explode('.', $key);
+			}
+			$value = $options['order'][$key];
+			unset($options['order'][$key]);
+
+			if ($object->hasField($field)) {
+				$options['order'][$alias . '.' . $field] = $value;
+			} elseif ($object->hasField($field, true)) {
+				$options['order'][$field] = $value;
+			} elseif (isset($object->{$alias}) && $object->{$alias}->hasField($field)) {
+				$options['order'][$alias . '.' . $field] = $value;
+			}
+		}
+	
+		return $options;
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/paginator.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/paginator.test.php
index 063dfaf02..9fb22993e 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/paginator.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/controller/components/paginator.test.php
@@ -696,4 +696,45 @@ class PaginatorTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		);
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
 	}
+
+/**
+ * test that invalid directions are ignored.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testValidateSortInvalidDirection() {
+		$model = $this->getMock('Model');
+		$model->alias = 'model';
+		$model->expects($this->any())->method('hasField')->will($this->returnValue(true));
+
+		$options = array('sort' => 'something', 'direction' => 'boogers');
+		$result = $this->Paginator->validateSort($model, $options);
+
+		$this->assertEquals('asc', $result['order']['model.something']);
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test that virtual fields work.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testValidateSortVirtualField() {
+		$model = $this->getMock('Model');
+		$model->alias = 'model';
+
+		$model->expects($this->at(0))
+			->method('hasField')
+			->with('something')
+			->will($this->returnValue(false));
+			
+		$model->expects($this->at(1))
+			->method('hasField')
+			->with('something', true)
+			->will($this->returnValue(true));
+
+		$options = array('sort' => 'something', 'direction' => 'desc');
+		$result = $this->Paginator->validateSort($model, $options);
+
+		$this->assertEquals('desc', $result['order']['something']);
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file