diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/process_instance_report.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/process_instance_report.py
index 3c0e8646d..ad29dd065 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/process_instance_report.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/process_instance_report.py
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ class ProcessInstanceReportModel(SpiffworkflowBaseDBModel):
     created_at_in_seconds = db.Column(db.Integer)
     updated_at_in_seconds = db.Column(db.Integer)
 
+    @classmethod
+    def default_order_by(cls) -> list[str]:
+        return ["-start_in_seconds", "-id"]
+
     @classmethod
     def add_fixtures(cls) -> None:
         """Add_fixtures."""
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/process_api_blueprint.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/process_api_blueprint.py
index d211f1682..d9a7f68a3 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/process_api_blueprint.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/process_api_blueprint.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import json
 import random
 import string
 import uuid
+import re
 from typing import Any
 from typing import Dict
 from typing import Optional
@@ -944,6 +945,7 @@ def process_instance_list(
             UserGroupAssignmentModel.user_id == g.user.id
         )
 
+    instance_metadata_aliases = {}
     stock_columns = ProcessInstanceReportService.get_column_names_for_model(
         ProcessInstanceModel
     )
@@ -951,15 +953,18 @@ def process_instance_list(
         if column["accessor"] in stock_columns:
             continue
         instance_metadata_alias = aliased(ProcessInstanceMetadataModel)
+        instance_metadata_aliases[column['accessor']] = instance_metadata_alias
 
-        filter_for_column = next(
-            (
-                f
-                for f in process_instance_report.report_metadata["filter_by"]
-                if f["field_name"] == column["accessor"]
-            ),
-            None,
-        )
+        filter_for_column = None
+        if 'filter_by' in process_instance_report.report_metadata:
+            filter_for_column = next(
+                (
+                    f
+                    for f in process_instance_report.report_metadata["filter_by"]
+                    if f["field_name"] == column["accessor"]
+                ),
+                None,
+            )
         isouter = True
         conditions = [
             ProcessInstanceModel.id == instance_metadata_alias.process_instance_id,
@@ -974,11 +979,28 @@ def process_instance_list(
             instance_metadata_alias, and_(*conditions), isouter=isouter
         ).add_columns(func.max(instance_metadata_alias.value).label(column["accessor"]))
 
+    order_by_query_array = []
+    order_by_array = process_instance_report.report_metadata['order_by']
+    if len(order_by_array) < 1:
+        order_by_array = ProcessInstanceReportModel.default_order_by()
+    for order_by_option in order_by_array:
+        attribute = re.sub('^-', '', order_by_option)
+        if attribute in stock_columns:
+            if order_by_option.startswith('-'):
+                order_by_query_array.append(getattr(ProcessInstanceModel, attribute).desc())
+            else:
+                order_by_query_array.append(getattr(ProcessInstanceModel, attribute).asc())
+        elif attribute in instance_metadata_aliases:
+            if order_by_option.startswith('-'):
+                order_by_query_array.append(instance_metadata_aliases[attribute].value.desc())
+            else:
+                order_by_query_array.append(instance_metadata_aliases[attribute].value.asc())
+
     process_instances = (
         process_instance_query.group_by(ProcessInstanceModel.id)
         .add_columns(ProcessInstanceModel.id)
         .order_by(
-            ProcessInstanceModel.start_in_seconds.desc(), ProcessInstanceModel.id.desc()  # type: ignore
+            *order_by_query_array
         )
         .paginate(page=page, per_page=per_page, error_out=False)
     )
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/data/nested-task-data-structure/nested-task-data-structure.bpmn b/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/data/nested-task-data-structure/nested-task-data-structure.bpmn
index 4588bef0f..7452216a6 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/data/nested-task-data-structure/nested-task-data-structure.bpmn
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/data/nested-task-data-structure/nested-task-data-structure.bpmn
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
       <bpmn:outgoing>Flow_18gs4jt</bpmn:outgoing>
       <bpmn:script>outer = {}
 invoice_number = 123
-outer["inner"] = 'sweet1'</bpmn:script>
+outer["inner"] = 'sweet1'
+outer['time'] = time.time_ns()</bpmn:script>
     </bpmn:scriptTask>
     <bpmn:sequenceFlow id="Flow_1flxgry" sourceRef="Activity_1bvyv67" targetRef="Event_1tk4dsv" />
     <bpmn:scriptTask id="Activity_1bvyv67" name="First setting of data">
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/spiffworkflow_backend/integration/test_process_api.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/spiffworkflow_backend/integration/test_process_api.py
index a17a38755..05e0977a6 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/spiffworkflow_backend/integration/test_process_api.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/tests/spiffworkflow_backend/integration/test_process_api.py
@@ -2657,3 +2657,86 @@ class TestProcessApi(BaseTest):
             {"Header": "key2", "accessor": "key2", "filterable": True},
             {"Header": "key3", "accessor": "key3", "filterable": True},
         ]
+
+    def test_process_instance_list_can_order_by_metadata(
+        self,
+        app: Flask,
+        client: FlaskClient,
+        with_db_and_bpmn_file_cleanup: None,
+        with_super_admin_user: UserModel,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.create_process_group(
+            client, with_super_admin_user, "test_group", "test_group"
+        )
+        process_model = load_test_spec(
+            "test_group/hello_world",
+            process_model_source_directory="nested-task-data-structure",
+        )
+        ProcessModelService.update_process_model(
+            process_model,
+            {
+                "metadata_extraction_paths": [
+                    {"key": "time_ns", "path": "outer.time"},
+                ]
+            },
+        )
+
+        process_instance_one = self.create_process_instance_from_process_model(
+            process_model
+        )
+        processor = ProcessInstanceProcessor(process_instance_one)
+        processor.do_engine_steps(save=True)
+        assert process_instance_one.status == "complete"
+        process_instance_two = self.create_process_instance_from_process_model(
+            process_model
+        )
+        processor = ProcessInstanceProcessor(process_instance_two)
+        processor.do_engine_steps(save=True)
+        assert process_instance_two.status == "complete"
+
+        report_metadata = {
+            "columns": [
+                {"Header": "id", "accessor": "id"},
+                {"Header": "Time", "accessor": "time_ns"},
+            ],
+            "order_by": ["time_ns"],
+        }
+        report_one = ProcessInstanceReportModel.create_with_attributes(
+            identifier="report_one",
+            report_metadata=report_metadata,
+            user=with_super_admin_user,
+        )
+
+        response = client.get(
+            f"/v1.0/process-instances?report_id={report_one.id}",
+            headers=self.logged_in_headers(with_super_admin_user),
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        assert response.json is not None
+        assert len(response.json["results"]) == 2
+        assert response.json['results'][0]['id'] == process_instance_one.id
+        assert response.json['results'][1]['id'] == process_instance_two.id
+
+        report_metadata = {
+            "columns": [
+                {"Header": "id", "accessor": "id"},
+                {"Header": "Time", "accessor": "time_ns"},
+            ],
+            "order_by": ["-time_ns"],
+        }
+        report_two = ProcessInstanceReportModel.create_with_attributes(
+            identifier="report_two",
+            report_metadata=report_metadata,
+            user=with_super_admin_user,
+        )
+
+        response = client.get(
+            f"/v1.0/process-instances?report_id={report_two.id}",
+            headers=self.logged_in_headers(with_super_admin_user),
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        assert response.json is not None
+        assert len(response.json["results"]) == 2
+        assert response.json['results'][1]['id'] == process_instance_one.id
+        assert response.json['results'][0]['id'] == process_instance_two.id