diff --git a/packages/marko-web-search/components/sort-by/index.marko b/packages/marko-web-search/components/sort-by/index.marko
index 46ff15860..75405badd 100644
--- a/packages/marko-web-search/components/sort-by/index.marko
+++ b/packages/marko-web-search/components/sort-by/index.marko
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { get, getAsArray, getAsObject } from "@parameter1/base-cms-object-path";
 import { dasherize } from "@parameter1/base-cms-inflector";
-import defaultValue from "@parameter1/base-cms-marko-core/utils/default-value";
 import { isFunction } from '@parameter1/base-cms-utils';
 
 $ const { $markoWebSearch: search, i18n } = out.global;
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ $ const options = isFunction(i18n) ? [
 
 <marko-web-block name=blockName modifiers=input.modifiers>
   $ const { searchQuery, sortField } = search.input;
-  $ const selectedId = input.sortField || sortField;
+  $ const selectedId = sortField;
   <if(searchQuery)>
     <marko-web-browser-component
       name="MarkoWebSearchSortSelect"
diff --git a/packages/marko-web-search/config/index.js b/packages/marko-web-search/config/index.js
index f1c83cef8..8fe96b229 100644
--- a/packages/marko-web-search/config/index.js
+++ b/packages/marko-web-search/config/index.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class MarkoWebSearchConfig {
       resultsPerPage,
       contentTypes,
       assignedToWebsiteSectionIds,
+      defaultSortField,
     } = validate(Joi.object({
       resultsPerPage: Joi.object({
         min: Joi.number().integer().default(1),
@@ -48,6 +49,8 @@ class MarkoWebSearchConfig {
       assignedToWebsiteSectionIds: Joi.array().items(
         Joi.number().integer().min(1).required(),
       ).default([]),
+
+      defaultSortField: Joi.string().allow('PUBLISHED', 'SCORE').default('PUBLISHED'),
     }).default(), params);
 
     this.contentTypeObjects = contentTypes.sort().map((type) => (type.label ? ({
@@ -68,6 +71,7 @@ class MarkoWebSearchConfig {
     this.queryParams = new MarkoWebSearchQueryParamConfig({
       resultsPerPage,
       contentTypeIds: this.contentTypeObjects.map(({ id }) => id),
+      defaultSortField,
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/marko-web-search/config/query-params.js b/packages/marko-web-search/config/query-params.js
index 4f7687a65..ffa0a7abb 100644
--- a/packages/marko-web-search/config/query-params.js
+++ b/packages/marko-web-search/config/query-params.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class MarkoWebSearchQueryParamConfig {
   constructor({
     resultsPerPage = {},
     contentTypeIds = [],
+    defaultSortField = 'PUBLISHED',
   } = {}) {
     this.params = new Map();
 
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ class MarkoWebSearchQueryParamConfig {
       })
       .add('sortField', {
         type: String,
-        defaultValue: 'PUBLISHED',
+        defaultValue: defaultSortField,
         validator: (v) => sortFieldSet.has(v),
       })
       .add('sortOrder', {
diff --git a/packages/marko-web-theme-monorail/routes/search.js b/packages/marko-web-theme-monorail/routes/search.js
index 617a63d9d..7e49565e9 100644
--- a/packages/marko-web-theme-monorail/routes/search.js
+++ b/packages/marko-web-theme-monorail/routes/search.js
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ module.exports = (app, siteConfig) => {
   const {
     contentTypes = ['Article', 'Blog', 'Company', 'Podcast', 'Product', 'Video', 'Whitepaper'],
     assignedToWebsiteSectionIds,
+    defaultSortField,
   } = getAsObject(siteConfig, 'search');
   const config = new MarkoWebSearchConfig({
     resultsPerPage: { default: 18 },
     contentTypes,
     assignedToWebsiteSectionIds,
+    defaultSortField,
   });
   app.get('/search', (req, res, next) => {
     if (!get(req, 'query.searchQuery') && get(req, 'query.sortField')) {
diff --git a/packages/marko-web-theme-monorail/templates/search.marko b/packages/marko-web-theme-monorail/templates/search.marko
index 44a191605..208c8fb06 100644
--- a/packages/marko-web-theme-monorail/templates/search.marko
+++ b/packages/marko-web-theme-monorail/templates/search.marko
@@ -17,10 +17,6 @@ $ const description = i18nIsFunction ? `${i18n("Search")} ${config.siteName()}`
 
 $ const currentPage = search.getCurrentPage();
 
-$ const overrideSortField = get(site, 'config.setSearchSortFieldToScore');
-$ const searchQueryPresent = (search.query.searchQuery && search.query.searchQuery !== '');
-$ const setDefaultSortField = (searchQueryPresent && !search.query.sortField && overrideSortField);
-$ const sortField = setDefaultSortField ? 'SCORE' : search.input.sortField;
 $ const sponsorLogo = site.get('search.sponsorLogos.page');
 
 <marko-web-default-page-layout type=type title=title description=description>
@@ -73,7 +69,7 @@ $ const sponsorLogo = site.get('search.sponsorLogos.page');
                 </marko-web-search-form>
                 </div>
                 <div class="col-xl-3">
-                  <marko-web-search-sort-by sort-field=sortField />
+                  <marko-web-search-sort-by />
                   <if(sponsorLogo)>
                     <div class="search-sponsor">
                       <span class="search-sponsor__label">Sponsored by</span>
@@ -91,7 +87,7 @@ $ const sponsorLogo = site.get('search.sponsorLogos.page');
             <marko-web-search-query|{ nodes, totalCount }|
               limit=search.getLimit()
               skip=search.getSkip()
-              sort-field=sortField
+              sort-field=search.input.sortField
               sort-order=search.input.sortOrder
               content-types=search.input.contentTypes
               search-query=search.input.searchQuery