diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/discover/__tests__/doc_table/lib/get_sort.js b/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/discover/__tests__/doc_table/lib/get_sort.js
index f140b8b89a400..d5485bca33cf5 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/discover/__tests__/doc_table/lib/get_sort.js
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/discover/__tests__/doc_table/lib/get_sort.js
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import ngMock from 'ng_mock';
 import { getSort } from '../../../np_ready/angular/doc_table/lib/get_sort';
 import FixturesStubbedLogstashIndexPatternProvider from 'fixtures/stubbed_logstash_index_pattern';
 
-const defaultSort = [{ time: 'desc' }];
 let indexPattern;
 
 describe('docTable', function() {
@@ -51,21 +50,21 @@ describe('docTable', function() {
       expect(getSort([{ bytes: 'desc' }], indexPattern)).to.eql([{ bytes: 'desc' }]);
     });
 
-    it('should sort by the default when passed an unsortable field', function() {
-      expect(getSort(['non-sortable', 'asc'], indexPattern)).to.eql(defaultSort);
-      expect(getSort(['lol_nope', 'asc'], indexPattern)).to.eql(defaultSort);
+    it('should return an empty array when passed an unsortable field', function() {
+      expect(getSort(['non-sortable', 'asc'], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
+      expect(getSort(['lol_nope', 'asc'], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
 
       delete indexPattern.timeFieldName;
       expect(getSort(['non-sortable', 'asc'], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
     });
 
-    it('should sort in reverse chrono order otherwise on time based patterns', function() {
-      expect(getSort([], indexPattern)).to.eql(defaultSort);
-      expect(getSort(['foo'], indexPattern)).to.eql(defaultSort);
-      expect(getSort({ foo: 'bar' }, indexPattern)).to.eql(defaultSort);
+    it('should return an empty array ', function() {
+      expect(getSort([], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
+      expect(getSort(['foo'], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
+      expect(getSort({ foo: 'bar' }, indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
     });
 
-    it('should sort by score on non-time patterns', function() {
+    it('should return an empty array on non-time patterns', function() {
       delete indexPattern.timeFieldName;
 
       expect(getSort([], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
@@ -87,16 +86,16 @@ describe('docTable', function() {
       expect(getSort.array([{ bytes: 'desc' }], indexPattern)).to.eql([['bytes', 'desc']]);
     });
 
-    it('should sort by the default when passed an unsortable field', function() {
-      expect(getSort.array([{ 'non-sortable': 'asc' }], indexPattern)).to.eql([['time', 'desc']]);
-      expect(getSort.array([{ lol_nope: 'asc' }], indexPattern)).to.eql([['time', 'desc']]);
+    it('should sort by an empty array when an unsortable field is given', function() {
+      expect(getSort.array([{ 'non-sortable': 'asc' }], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
+      expect(getSort.array([{ lol_nope: 'asc' }], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
 
       delete indexPattern.timeFieldName;
       expect(getSort.array([{ 'non-sortable': 'asc' }], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
     });
 
-    it('should sort by the default when passed an empty sort', () => {
-      expect(getSort.array([], indexPattern)).to.eql([['time', 'desc']]);
+    it('should return an empty array when passed an empty sort array', () => {
+      expect(getSort.array([], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
 
       delete indexPattern.timeFieldName;
       expect(getSort.array([], indexPattern)).to.eql([]);
diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/discover/np_ready/angular/doc_table/lib/get_sort.js b/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/discover/np_ready/angular/doc_table/lib/get_sort.js
index 4cf48b79c5b15..ce32fdaeda237 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/discover/np_ready/angular/doc_table/lib/get_sort.js
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/discover/np_ready/angular/doc_table/lib/get_sort.js
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ export function getSort(sort, indexPattern) {
   return [];
 }
 
-getSort.array = function(sort, indexPattern, defaultSortOrder, useDefault = true) {
-  return getSort(sort, indexPattern, defaultSortOrder, useDefault).map(sortPair =>
+getSort.array = function(sort, indexPattern) {
+  return getSort(sort, indexPattern).map(sortPair =>
     _(sortPair)
       .pairs()
       .pop()