diff --git a/lib/Cake/Controller/Component/PaginatorComponent.php b/lib/Cake/Controller/Component/PaginatorComponent.php
index ecc1f2ec4..cc82ab259 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Controller/Component/PaginatorComponent.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Controller/Component/PaginatorComponent.php
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ class PaginatorComponent extends Component {
 			$options['order'] = array($options['sort'] => $direction);
 		}
 
-		if (!empty($whitelist)) {
+		if (!empty($whitelist) && isset($options['order']) && is_array($options['order'])) {
 			$field = key($options['order']);
 			if (!in_array($field, $whitelist)) {
 				$options['order'] = null;
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Controller/Component/PaginatorComponentTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Controller/Component/PaginatorComponentTest.php
index fe6c961a3..814fa6b7d 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Controller/Component/PaginatorComponentTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Controller/Component/PaginatorComponentTest.php
@@ -776,6 +776,26 @@ class PaginatorComponentTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result['order']);
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Test that no sort doesn't trigger an error.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testValidateSortNoSort() {
+		$model = $this->getMock('Model');
+		$model->alias = 'model';
+		$model->expects($this->any())->method('hasField')->will($this->returnValue(true));
+
+		$options = array('direction' => 'asc');
+		$result = $this->Paginator->validateSort($model, $options, array('title', 'id'));
+		$this->assertFalse(isset($result['order']));
+
+		$options = array('order' => 'invalid desc');
+		$result = $this->Paginator->validateSort($model, $options, array('title', 'id'));
+
+		$this->assertEquals($options['order'], $result['order']);
+	}
+
 /**
  * test that maxLimit is respected
  *