diff --git a/posthog/hogql_queries/persons_query_runner.py b/posthog/hogql_queries/persons_query_runner.py
index d597f4bab1c2a..34c86ee13300b 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql_queries/persons_query_runner.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql_queries/persons_query_runner.py
@@ -192,11 +192,11 @@ def to_query(self) -> ast.SelectQuery:
             elif "count()" in self.input_columns():
                 order_by = [ast.OrderExpr(expr=parse_expr("count()"), order="DESC")]
             elif len(aggregations) > 0:
-                order_by = [ast.OrderExpr(expr=aggregations[0], order="DESC")]
+                order_by = [ast.OrderExpr(expr=self._remove_aliases(aggregations[0]), order="DESC")]
             elif "created_at" in self.input_columns():
                 order_by = [ast.OrderExpr(expr=ast.Field(chain=["created_at"]), order="DESC")]
             elif len(columns) > 0:
-                order_by = [ast.OrderExpr(expr=columns[0], order="ASC")]
+                order_by = [ast.OrderExpr(expr=self._remove_aliases(columns[0]), order="ASC")]
             else:
                 order_by = []
 
@@ -227,3 +227,8 @@ def _is_stale(self, cached_result_package):
 
     def _refresh_frequency(self):
         return timedelta(minutes=1)
+
+    def _remove_aliases(self, node: ast.Expr) -> ast.Expr:
+        if isinstance(node, ast.Alias):
+            return self._remove_aliases(node.expr)
+        return node
diff --git a/posthog/hogql_queries/query_runner.py b/posthog/hogql_queries/query_runner.py
index c81106f9a7a61..8f0656e7922bc 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql_queries/query_runner.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql_queries/query_runner.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def get_query_runner(
     if isinstance(query, dict):
         kind = query.get("kind", None)
     elif hasattr(query, "kind"):
-        kind = cast(RunnableQueryNode, query).kind
+        kind = query.kind  # type: ignore
     else:
         raise ValueError(f"Can't get a runner for an unknown query type: {query}")
 
diff --git a/posthog/hogql_queries/test/test_persons_query_runner.py b/posthog/hogql_queries/test/test_persons_query_runner.py
index 77ac274cb44e0..a5f09e3c6619f 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql_queries/test/test_persons_query_runner.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql_queries/test/test_persons_query_runner.py
@@ -153,6 +153,13 @@ def test_persons_query_order_by(self):
         results = runner.calculate().results
         self.assertEqual(results[0], [f"jacob9@{self.random_uuid}.posthog.com"])
 
+    def test_persons_query_order_by_with_aliases(self):
+        # We use the first column by default as an order key. It used to cause "error redefining alias" errors.
+        self.random_uuid = self._create_random_persons()
+        runner = self._create_runner(PersonsQuery(select=["properties.email as email"]))
+        results = runner.calculate().results
+        self.assertEqual(results[0], [f"jacob0@{self.random_uuid}.posthog.com"])
+
     def test_persons_query_limit(self):
         self.random_uuid = self._create_random_persons()
         runner = self._create_runner(