diff --git a/app/models/reference_repository.rb b/app/models/reference_repository.rb
index e8d54e579..fa43da61d 100644
--- a/app/models/reference_repository.rb
+++ b/app/models/reference_repository.rb
@@ -102,8 +102,14 @@ def as_indexed_json(_options = {})
       indexes :client_id
       indexes :re3doi
       indexes :re3data_url
-      indexes :created_at, type: :date, format: :date_optional_time
-      indexes :updated_at, type: :date, format: :date_optional_time
+      indexes :created_at, type: :date, format: :date_optional_time,
+        fields: {
+          created_sort: { type: :date }
+        }
+      indexes :updated_at, type: :date, format: :date_optional_time,
+        fields: {
+          updated_sort: { type: :date }
+        }
       indexes :name
       indexes :alternate_name
       indexes :description
@@ -273,7 +279,7 @@ def query(query, options = {})
       def sort_fields
         [
           { _score: { order: "desc" } },
-          { created_at: { order: "asc" } },
+          { "created_at.created_sort": { order: "asc" } },
           { "uid.raw": { order: "asc" } },
         ]
       end
diff --git a/spec/graphql/types/repository_type_spec.rb b/spec/graphql/types/repository_type_spec.rb
index e351ffbef..d402e2062 100644
--- a/spec/graphql/types/repository_type_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/graphql/types/repository_type_spec.rb
@@ -471,10 +471,10 @@
     end
 
     before :all do
+      ReferenceRepository.import(force: true)
       VCR.use_cassette("ReferenceRepositoryType/re3Data/R3XS37") do
         @client = create(:client)
         @ref_repo = create(:reference_repository, client_id: @client.uid, re3doi:  "10.17616/R3XS37")
-        ReferenceRepository.import
         sleep 2
       end
     end