diff --git a/packages/adapter-commons/src/sort.ts b/packages/adapter-commons/src/sort.ts
index d83dcd6880..4ad85fd2b9 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-commons/src/sort.ts
+++ b/packages/adapter-commons/src/sort.ts
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export function compare (a: any, b: any, compareStrings: any = exports.compareNS
 // An in-memory sorting function according to the
 // $sort special query parameter
 export function sorter ($sort: any) {
-  let sortLevels = false; // True if $sort has tags with '.' i.e. '{a: 1, b: -1, "c.x.z": 1}'
+  let sortLevels = 0; // > 0 if $sort has tags with '.' i.e. '{a: 1, b: -1, "c.x.z": 1}'
 
   const getVal = (a: any, sortKeys: any[]) => {
     let keys = sortKeys.map(key => key);
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ export function sorter ($sort: any) {
     const criteria = Object.keys($sort).map(key => {
       const direction = $sort[key];
       const keys = key.split('.');
-      sortLevels = keys.length > 1;
+      sortLevels += (keys.length > 1) ? 1 : 0;
 
       return { keys, direction };
     });
diff --git a/packages/adapter-commons/test/sort.test.ts b/packages/adapter-commons/test/sort.test.ts
index 1dde313091..67964b57a5 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-commons/test/sort.test.ts
+++ b/packages/adapter-commons/test/sort.test.ts
@@ -239,6 +239,55 @@ describe('@feathersjs/adapter-commons', () => {
         { _id: 2, item: { category: "cookies", type: "chocolate chip" }, amount: 50 }
       ]);
     });
+
+    it('embedded sort 3', () => {
+      const sort = sorter({
+        "item.category": 1,
+        "item.type": 1,
+        amount: -1
+      });
+
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(data.sort(sort), [
+        { _id: 6, item: { category: "brownies", type: "blondie" }, amount: 10 },
+        { _id: 5, item: { category: "cake", type: "carrot" }, amount: 20 },
+        { _id: 1, item: { category: "cake", type: "chiffon" }, amount: 10 },
+        { _id: 4, item: { category: "cake", type: "lemon" }, amount: 30 },
+        { _id: 2, item: { category: "cookies", type: "chocolate chip" }, amount: 50 },
+        { _id: 3, item: { category: "cookies", type: "chocolate chip" }, amount: 15 }
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('embedded sort 4', () => {
+      const sort = sorter({
+        amount: -1,
+        "item.category": 1
+      });
+
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(data.sort(sort), [
+        { _id: 2, item: { category: "cookies", type: "chocolate chip" }, amount: 50 },
+        { _id: 4, item: { category: "cake", type: "lemon" }, amount: 30 },
+        { _id: 5, item: { category: "cake", type: "carrot" }, amount: 20 },
+        { _id: 3, item: { category: "cookies", type: "chocolate chip" }, amount: 15 },
+        { _id: 6, item: { category: "brownies", type: "blondie" }, amount: 10 },
+        { _id: 1, item: { category: "cake", type: "chiffon" }, amount: 10 }
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('embedded sort 5', () => {
+      const sort = sorter({
+        "item.category": 1,
+        amount: 1
+      });
+
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(data.sort(sort), [
+        { _id: 6, item: { category: "brownies", type: "blondie" }, amount: 10 },
+        { _id: 1, item: { category: "cake", type: "chiffon" }, amount: 10 },
+        { _id: 5, item: { category: "cake", type: "carrot" }, amount: 20 },
+        { _id: 4, item: { category: "cake", type: "lemon" }, amount: 30 },
+        { _id: 3, item: { category: "cookies", type: "chocolate chip" }, amount: 15 },
+        { _id: 2, item: { category: "cookies", type: "chocolate chip" }, amount: 50 }
+      ]);
+    });
  });
 
 });