diff --git a/internal/clientcache/internal/cache/search.go b/internal/clientcache/internal/cache/search.go
index b1a9370402..305801facb 100644
--- a/internal/clientcache/internal/cache/search.go
+++ b/internal/clientcache/internal/cache/search.go
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ type SearchParams struct {
 	Filter string
 	// Max result set size is an override to the default max result set size
 	MaxResultSetSize int
+	// Which column to sort results by, default is resource specific
+	SortBy SortBy
+	// Which direction to sort results by (asc, desc), default is resource specific
+	SortDirection SortDirection
 }
 
 // SearchResult returns the results from searching the cache.
diff --git a/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler.go b/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler.go
index 2d7e706f1c..56af6faf8d 100644
--- a/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler.go
+++ b/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler.go
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ import (
 	stderrors "errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"slices"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/api"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/api/aliases"
@@ -57,6 +59,15 @@ const (
 	forceRefreshKey     = "force_refresh"
 	authTokenIdKey      = "auth_token_id"
 	maxResultSetSizeKey = "max_result_set_size"
+	sortByKey           = "sort_by"
+	sortDirectionKey    = "sort_direction"
+)
+
+var (
+	sortableColumnsForResource = map[cache.SearchableResource][]cache.SortBy{
+		cache.Targets:  []cache.SortBy{cache.SortByName},
+		cache.Sessions: []cache.SortBy{cache.SortByCreatedTime},
+	}
 )
 
 func newSearchHandlerFunc(ctx context.Context, repo *cache.Repository, refreshService *cache.RefreshService, logger hclog.Logger) (http.HandlerFunc, error) {
@@ -84,6 +95,8 @@ func newSearchHandlerFunc(ctx context.Context, repo *cache.Repository, refreshSe
 		maxResultSetSizeInt, maxResultSetSizeIntErr := strconv.Atoi(maxResultSetSizeStr)
 		query := q.Get(queryKey)
 		filter := q.Get(filterKey)
+		sb := q.Get(sortByKey)
+		sd := q.Get(sortDirectionKey)
 
 		searchableResource := cache.ToSearchableResource(resource)
 		switch {
@@ -121,6 +134,20 @@ func newSearchHandlerFunc(ctx context.Context, repo *cache.Repository, refreshSe
 			return
 		}
 
+		sortBy, valid := parseSortBy(sb, searchableResource)
+		if !valid {
+			event.WriteError(ctx, op, errors.New(ctx, errors.InvalidParameter, op, fmt.Sprintf("sort_by parameter %q not valid for resource %q", sb, searchableResource)))
+			writeError(w, fmt.Sprintf("sort_by parameter %q not valid for resource %q", sb, searchableResource), http.StatusBadRequest)
+			return
+		}
+
+		sortDirection, valid := parseSortDirection(sd)
+		if !valid {
+			event.WriteError(ctx, op, errors.New(ctx, errors.InvalidParameter, op, fmt.Sprintf("sort_direction parameter %q not valid", sd)))
+			writeError(w, fmt.Sprintf("sort_direction parameter %q not valid ", sd), http.StatusBadRequest)
+			return
+		}
+
 		t, err := repo.LookupToken(reqCtx, authTokenId, cache.WithUpdateLastAccessedTime(true))
 		if err != nil || t == nil {
 			if err != nil {
@@ -175,6 +202,8 @@ func newSearchHandlerFunc(ctx context.Context, repo *cache.Repository, refreshSe
 			Query:            query,
 			Filter:           filter,
 			MaxResultSetSize: maxResultSetSizeInt,
+			SortBy:           sortBy,
+			SortDirection:    sortDirection,
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			event.WriteError(ctx, op, err, event.WithInfoMsg("when performing search", "auth_token_id", authTokenId, "resource", searchableResource, "query", query, "filter", filter))
@@ -237,3 +266,36 @@ func writeUnsupportedError(w http.ResponseWriter) {
 	}
 	http.Error(w, string(b), http.StatusBadRequest)
 }
+
+// Parses a raw sort direction string into a cache.SortDirection
+// Returns the sort direction and whether the provided direction was valid or not
+func parseSortDirection(sd string) (cache.SortDirection, bool) {
+	sd = strings.ToLower(sd)
+	switch sd {
+	case "asc", "ascending":
+		return cache.Ascending, true
+	case "desc", "descending":
+		return cache.Descending, true
+	case "":
+		return cache.SortDirectionDefault, true
+	default:
+		return cache.SortDirectionDefault, false
+	}
+}
+
+// Parses a raw column name to sort by into a cache.SortBy
+// Returns the column to sort by and whether the provided column was valid or not
+func parseSortBy(sb string, sr cache.SearchableResource) (cache.SortBy, bool) {
+	sb = strings.ToLower(sb)
+	by := cache.SortBy(sb)
+
+	if by == cache.SortByDefault {
+		return cache.SortByDefault, true
+	}
+
+	sortableBys, ok := sortableColumnsForResource[sr]
+	if !ok || !slices.Contains(sortableBys, by) {
+		return cache.SortByDefault, false
+	}
+	return by, true
+}
diff --git a/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler_test.go b/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..57a49e9d1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+// Copyright (c) HashiCorp, Inc.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BUSL-1.1
+
+package daemon
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/clientcache/internal/cache"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestParseSortBy(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		inputSb        string
+		inputSr        cache.SearchableResource
+		expectedValid  bool
+		expectedSortBy cache.SortBy
+	}{
+		{"name", cache.Targets, true, cache.SortByName},
+		{"name", cache.Sessions, false, cache.SortByDefault},
+		{"created_time", cache.Targets, false, cache.SortByDefault},
+		{"created_time", cache.Sessions, true, cache.SortByCreatedTime},
+		{"", cache.Targets, true, cache.SortByDefault},
+		{"", cache.Sessions, true, cache.SortByDefault},
+		{"ljkdhnsfg", cache.Targets, false, cache.SortByDefault},
+		{"xcvbxcvb", cache.Sessions, false, cache.SortByDefault},
+		{"name ", cache.Targets, false, cache.SortByDefault},      // Unicode no break space
+		{"name\u202e", cache.Targets, false, cache.SortByDefault}, // Unicode RtL override
+		{"\u202ename", cache.Targets, false, cache.SortByDefault}, // Unicode RtL override
+	}
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		actualSortBy, actualValid := parseSortBy(tc.inputSb, tc.inputSr)
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedSortBy, actualSortBy)
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedValid, actualValid)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseSortDirection(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		inputSd               string
+		expectedValid         bool
+		expectedSortDirection cache.SortDirection
+	}{
+		{"asc", true, cache.Ascending},
+		{"ascending", true, cache.Ascending},
+		{"desc", true, cache.Descending},
+		{"descending", true, cache.Descending},
+		{"", true, cache.SortDirectionDefault},
+		{"asdasd", false, cache.SortDirectionDefault},
+		{"asc ", false, cache.SortDirectionDefault},
+		{"name\u202e", false, cache.SortDirectionDefault},
+		{"\u202ename", false, cache.SortDirectionDefault},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		actualSortDirection, actualValid := parseSortDirection(tc.inputSd)
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedSortDirection, actualSortDirection)
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedValid, actualValid)
+	}
+}