diff --git a/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Tree/View/PageTreeView.php b/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Tree/View/PageTreeView.php
index de7842c7c73a3caedfea3ba9d336888c7ed1a881..011fa97007f6a3781d577da41fc86d319d21886b 100644
--- a/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Tree/View/PageTreeView.php
+++ b/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Tree/View/PageTreeView.php
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class PageTreeView extends AbstractTreeView
      */
     public function init($clause = '', $orderByFields = '')
     {
-        parent::init(' AND deleted=0 AND sys_language_uid=0 ' . $clause, 'sorting');
+        parent::init(' AND deleted=0 AND sys_language_uid=0 ' . $clause, $orderByFields ?: 'sorting');
     }
 
     /**