diff --git a/lib/thread.cc b/lib/thread.cc
index 9b37143d..1b6feab2 100644
--- a/lib/thread.cc
+++ b/lib/thread.cc
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ _notmuch_thread_create (void *ctx,
     thread->oldest = 0;
     thread->newest = 0;
 
-    notmuch_query_set_sort (thread_id_query, NOTMUCH_SORT_OLDEST_FIRST);
+    notmuch_query_set_sort (thread_id_query, sort);
 
     for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (thread_id_query);
 	 notmuch_messages_valid (messages);
@@ -332,6 +332,8 @@ _notmuch_thread_create (void *ctx,
 	if (unlikely (matched_query == NULL))
 	    return NULL;
 
+	notmuch_query_set_sort (matched_query, sort);
+
 	for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (matched_query);
 	     notmuch_messages_valid (messages);
 	     notmuch_messages_move_to_next (messages))