diff --git a/api/sample.yaml b/api/sample.yaml
index bb5d9be..5f07b78 100644
--- a/api/sample.yaml
+++ b/api/sample.yaml
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@
         schema:
           type: string
         example: 30
+      - name: sort
+        description: sorting of results, in format 'key-asc/desc'
+        in: query
+        schema:
+          type: string
+        example: color-asc
     responses:
       200:
         description: samples overview
diff --git a/src/routes/sample.spec.ts b/src/routes/sample.spec.ts
index bdda00e..5a32356 100644
--- a/src/routes/sample.spec.ts
+++ b/src/routes/sample.spec.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,59 @@ describe('/sample', () => {
         done();
       });
     });
+    it('sorts the samples ascending', done => {
+      TestHelper.request(server, done, {
+        method: 'get',
+        url: '/samples?status=all&sort=color-asc',
+        auth: {basic: 'janedoe'},
+        httpStatus: 200
+      }).end((err, res) => {
+        if (err) return done(err);
+        should(res.body[0]).have.property('color', 'black');
+        should(res.body[res.body.length - 1]).have.property('color', 'natural');
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+    it('sorts the samples descending', done => {
+      TestHelper.request(server, done, {
+        method: 'get',
+        url: '/samples?status=all&sort=number-desc',
+        auth: {basic: 'janedoe'},
+        httpStatus: 200
+      }).end((err, res) => {
+        if (err) return done(err);
+        should(res.body[0]).have.property('number', 'Rng36');
+        should(res.body[1]).have.property('number', '33');
+        should(res.body[res.body.length - 1]).have.property('number', '1');
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+    it('sorts the samples correctly in combination with paging', done => {
+      TestHelper.request(server, done, {
+        method: 'get',
+        url: '/samples?status=all&sort=color-asc&page-size=2&from-id=400000000000000000000006',
+        auth: {basic: 'janedoe'},
+        httpStatus: 200
+      }).end((err, res) => {
+        if (err) return done(err);
+        should(res.body[0]).have.property('_id', '400000000000000000000006');
+        should(res.body[1]).have.property('_id', '400000000000000000000002');
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+    it('sorts the samples correctly in combination with going pages backward', done => {
+      TestHelper.request(server, done, {
+        method: 'get',
+        url: '/samples?status=all&sort=color-desc&page-size=2&from-id=400000000000000000000004&to-page=-1',
+        auth: {basic: 'janedoe'},
+        httpStatus: 200
+      }).end((err, res) => {
+        if (err) return done(err);
+        should(res.body[0]).have.property('_id', '400000000000000000000002');
+        should(res.body[1]).have.property('_id', '400000000000000000000006');
+        done();
+      });
+    });
     it('rejects a negative page size', done => {
       TestHelper.request(server, done, {
         method: 'get',
diff --git a/src/routes/sample.ts b/src/routes/sample.ts
index 19ec993..7bc1b67 100644
--- a/src/routes/sample.ts
+++ b/src/routes/sample.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import db from '../db';
 
 const router = express.Router();
 
-router.get('/samples', (req, res, next) => {
+router.get('/samples', async (req, res, next) => {
   if (!req.auth(res, ['read', 'write', 'maintain', 'dev', 'admin'], 'all')) return;
 
   const {error, value: filters} = SampleValidate.query(req.query);
@@ -37,29 +37,55 @@ router.get('/samples', (req, res, next) => {
   else {  // default
     status = {status: globals.status.validated};
   }
-  const query = SampleModel.find(status);
+
+
+  const sort = [];
+  let paging = {}
+
+  // sorting
+  filters.sort = filters.sort.split('-');
+  filters.sort[0] = filters.sort[0] === 'added' ? '_id' : filters.sort[0];  // route added sorting criteria to _id
+  filters.sort[1] = filters.sort[1] === 'desc' ? -1 : 1;
+
+  if (!filters['to-page']) {  // set to-page default
+    filters['to-page'] = 0;
+  }
+
+  if (filters['from-id']) {  // from-id specified
+    const fromSample = SampleValidate.output(await SampleModel.findById(filters['from-id']).lean().exec().catch(err => {next(err);}));
+    if (fromSample instanceof Error) return;
+
+    if ((filters['to-page'] === 0 && filters.sort[1] === 1) || (filters.sort[1] * filters['to-page'] > 0)) {  // asc
+      paging = {$or: [{[filters.sort[0]]: {$gt: fromSample[filters.sort[0]]}}, {$and: [{[filters.sort[0]]: fromSample[filters.sort[0]]}, {_id: {$gte: mongoose.Types.ObjectId(filters['from-id'])}}]}]};
+      sort.push([filters.sort[0], 1]);
+      sort.push(['_id', 1]);
+    }
+    else {
+      paging = {$or: [{[filters.sort[0]]: {$lt: fromSample[filters.sort[0]]}}, {$and: [{[filters.sort[0]]: fromSample[filters.sort[0]]}, {_id: {$lte: mongoose.Types.ObjectId(filters['from-id'])}}]}]};
+      sort.push([filters.sort[0], -1]);
+      sort.push(['_id', -1]);
+    }
+  }
+  else {  // sort from beginning
+    sort.push([filters.sort[0], filters.sort[1]]);  // set _id as secondary sort
+    sort.push(['_id', filters.sort[1]]);  // set _id as secondary sort
+  }
+
+  const query = SampleModel.find({$and: [status, paging]});
 
   if (filters['page-size']) {
     query.limit(filters['page-size']);
   }
 
-  if (filters['from-id']) {
-    if (filters['to-page'] && filters['to-page'] < 0) {
-      query.lt('_id', mongoose.Types.ObjectId(filters['from-id']));  // TODO: consider sorting
-      query.sort({_id: -1});
-    }
-    else {
-      query.gte('_id', mongoose.Types.ObjectId(filters['from-id']));  // TODO: consider sorting
-    }
+  if (filters['to-page']) {
+    query.skip(Math.abs(filters['to-page'] + Number(filters['to-page'] < 0)) * filters['page-size'] + Number(filters['to-page'] < 0));
   }
 
-  if (filters['to-page']) {
-    query.skip(Math.abs(filters['to-page'] + Number(filters['to-page'] < 0)) * filters['page-size']);  // TODO: check order for negative numbers
-  }
+  query.sort(sort);
 
   query.lean().exec((err, data) => {
     if (err) return next(err);
-    if (filters['to-page'] && filters['to-page'] < 0) {
+    if (filters['to-page'] < 0) {
       data.reverse();
     }
     res.json(_.compact(data.map(e => SampleValidate.output(e))));  // validate all and filter null values from validation errors
diff --git a/src/routes/validate/sample.ts b/src/routes/validate/sample.ts
index 4b10a7c..7a706c2 100644
--- a/src/routes/validate/sample.ts
+++ b/src/routes/validate/sample.ts
@@ -132,7 +132,8 @@ export default class SampleValidate {
       status: Joi.string().valid('validated', 'new', 'all'),
       'from-id': IdValidate.get(),
       'to-page': Joi.number().integer(),
-      'page-size': Joi.number().integer().min(1)
+      'page-size': Joi.number().integer().min(1),
+      sort: Joi.string().pattern(/^(_id|color|number|type|batch|added)-(asc|desc)$/m).default('_id-asc')  // TODO: material keys
     }).with('to-page', 'page-size').validate(data);
   }
 }
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