diff --git a/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler.go b/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler.go
index 9ced1c4522..cd955f84f9 100644
--- a/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler.go
+++ b/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler.go
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ func parseSortDirection(sd string) (cache.SortDirection, bool) {
 	case "asc", "ascending":
 		return cache.Ascending, true
 	case "desc", "descending":
-		return cache.Ascending, true
+		return cache.Descending, true
 	case "":
 		return cache.SortDirectionDefault, true
 	default:
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..14409eb505
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/clientcache/internal/daemon/search_handler_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+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_at", cache.Targets, false, cache.SortByDefault},
+		{"created_at", cache.Sessions, true, cache.SortByCreatedAt},
+		{"", 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", cache.Targets, false, cache.SortByDefault}, // Unicode RtL override
+		{"‮name", 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", false, cache.SortDirectionDefault},
+		{"‮name", false, cache.SortDirectionDefault},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		actualSortDirection, actualValid := parseSortDirection(tc.inputSd)
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedSortDirection, actualSortDirection)
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedValid, actualValid)
+	}
+}