diff --git a/models/db/search.go b/models/db/search.go
index 704a48ed1eb40..ade61b3409046 100644
--- a/models/db/search.go
+++ b/models/db/search.go
@@ -4,11 +4,29 @@
 
 package db
 
+import "xorm.io/xorm"
+
 // SearchOrderBy is used to sort the result
 type SearchOrderBy string
 
 func (s SearchOrderBy) String() string {
-	return string(s)
+	switch s {
+	case SearchOrderByAlphabetically, SearchOrderByAlphabeticallyReverse, SearchOrderByLeastUpdated,
+		SearchOrderByRecentUpdated, SearchOrderByOldest, SearchOrderByNewest,
+		SearchOrderBySize, SearchOrderBySizeReverse, SearchOrderByID,
+		SearchOrderByIDReverse, SearchOrderByStars, SearchOrderByStarsReverse,
+		SearchOrderByForks, SearchOrderByForksReverse:
+		return string(s)
+	default:
+		return ""
+
+	}
+}
+
+func (s SearchOrderBy) Builder() func(sess *xorm.Session) *xorm.Session {
+	return func(sess *xorm.Session) *xorm.Session {
+		return sess.OrderBy(s.String())
+	}
 }
 
 // Strings for sorting result
diff --git a/models/repo_list.go b/models/repo_list.go
index 906b7548d4a64..d7946eccaa66e 100644
--- a/models/repo_list.go
+++ b/models/repo_list.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
 
 	"xorm.io/builder"
+	"xorm.io/xorm"
 )
 
 // RepositoryListDefaultPageSize is the default number of repositories
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ type SearchRepoOptions struct {
 	OwnerID         int64
 	PriorityOwnerID int64
 	TeamID          int64
-	OrderBy         db.SearchOrderBy
+	OrderBy         func(sess *xorm.Session) *xorm.Session
 	Private         bool // Include private repositories in results
 	StarredByID     int64
 	WatchedByID     int64
@@ -552,16 +553,20 @@ func searchRepositoryByCondition(ctx context.Context, opts *SearchRepoOptions, c
 		opts.Page = 1
 	}
 
-	if len(opts.OrderBy) == 0 {
-		opts.OrderBy = db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically
+	if opts.OrderBy == nil {
+		opts.OrderBy = db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically.Builder()
 	}
 
 	if opts.PriorityOwnerID > 0 {
-		opts.OrderBy = db.SearchOrderBy(fmt.Sprintf("CASE WHEN owner_id = %d THEN 0 ELSE owner_id END, %s", opts.PriorityOwnerID, opts.OrderBy))
+		opts.OrderBy = func(sess *xorm.Session) *xorm.Session {
+			return sess.SQL("ORDER BY CASE WHEN owner_id = ? THEN 0 ELSE owner_id END, ?", opts.PriorityOwnerID, db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically.String())
+		}
 	} else if strings.Count(opts.Keyword, "/") == 1 {
 		// With "owner/repo" search times, prioritise results which match the owner field
 		orgName := strings.Split(opts.Keyword, "/")[0]
-		opts.OrderBy = db.SearchOrderBy(fmt.Sprintf("CASE WHEN owner_name LIKE '%s' THEN 0 ELSE 1 END, %s", orgName, opts.OrderBy))
+		opts.OrderBy = func(sess *xorm.Session) *xorm.Session {
+			return sess.SQL("ORDER BY CASE WHEN owner_name LIKE ? THEN 0 ELSE 1 END, ?", orgName, db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically.String())
+		}
 	}
 
 	sess := db.GetEngine(ctx)
@@ -577,7 +582,12 @@ func searchRepositoryByCondition(ctx context.Context, opts *SearchRepoOptions, c
 		}
 	}
 
-	sess = sess.Where(cond).OrderBy(opts.OrderBy.String())
+	if opts.OrderBy != nil {
+		sess = opts.OrderBy(sess.Where(cond))
+	} else {
+		sess = sess.Where(cond)
+	}
+
 	if opts.PageSize > 0 {
 		sess = sess.Limit(opts.PageSize, (opts.Page-1)*opts.PageSize)
 	}
@@ -674,8 +684,8 @@ func FindUserAccessibleRepoIDs(user *user_model.User) ([]int64, error) {
 
 // GetUserRepositories returns a list of repositories of given user.
 func GetUserRepositories(opts *SearchRepoOptions) (RepositoryList, int64, error) {
-	if len(opts.OrderBy) == 0 {
-		opts.OrderBy = "updated_unix DESC"
+	if opts.OrderBy == nil {
+		opts.OrderBy = db.SearchOrderByRecentUpdated.Builder()
 	}
 
 	cond := builder.NewCond()
@@ -695,7 +705,11 @@ func GetUserRepositories(opts *SearchRepoOptions) (RepositoryList, int64, error)
 		return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("Count: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	sess = sess.Where(cond).OrderBy(opts.OrderBy.String())
+	if opts.OrderBy != nil {
+		sess = opts.OrderBy(sess.Where(cond))
+	} else {
+		sess = sess.Where(cond)
+	}
 	repos := make(RepositoryList, 0, opts.PageSize)
 	return repos, count, db.SetSessionPagination(sess, opts).Find(&repos)
 }
diff --git a/modules/indexer/issues/indexer.go b/modules/indexer/issues/indexer.go
index 7adc938dccbad..1edb9e03652e2 100644
--- a/modules/indexer/issues/indexer.go
+++ b/modules/indexer/issues/indexer.go
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ func populateIssueIndexer(ctx context.Context) {
 		}
 		repos, _, err := models.SearchRepositoryByName(&models.SearchRepoOptions{
 			ListOptions: db.ListOptions{Page: page, PageSize: models.RepositoryListDefaultPageSize},
-			OrderBy:     db.SearchOrderByID,
+			OrderBy:     db.SearchOrderByID.Builder(),
 			Private:     true,
 			Collaborate: util.OptionalBoolFalse,
 		})
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/issue.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/issue.go
index 62959c3a76da5..c27301df7b28d 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/issue.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/issue.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func SearchIssues(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 		Collaborate: util.OptionalBoolNone,
 		// This needs to be a column that is not nil in fixtures or
 		// MySQL will return different results when sorting by null in some cases
-		OrderBy: db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically,
+		OrderBy: db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically.Builder(),
 		Actor:   ctx.Doer,
 	}
 	if ctx.IsSigned {
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/repo.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/repo.go
index 8485ffbac2145..3a7ade50d096f 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/repo.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/repo.go
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func Search(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 		}
 		if searchModeMap, ok := context.SearchOrderByMap[sortOrder]; ok {
 			if orderBy, ok := searchModeMap[sortMode]; ok {
-				opts.OrderBy = orderBy
+				opts.OrderBy = orderBy.Builder()
 			} else {
 				ctx.Error(http.StatusUnprocessableEntity, "", fmt.Errorf("Invalid sort mode: \"%s\"", sortMode))
 				return
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/user/repo.go b/routers/api/v1/user/repo.go
index 05cecf508b383..ddf78f011cf40 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/user/repo.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/user/repo.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/db"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/perm"
 	access_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/perm/access"
 	user_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/user"
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ func listUserRepos(ctx *context.APIContext, u *user_model.User, private bool) {
 		Actor:       u,
 		Private:     private,
 		ListOptions: opts,
-		OrderBy:     "id ASC",
+		OrderBy:     db.SearchOrderByID.Builder(),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		ctx.Error(http.StatusInternalServerError, "GetUserRepositories", err)
diff --git a/routers/web/explore/repo.go b/routers/web/explore/repo.go
index 3e8aa2bb0fda7..ef23cdaf146d3 100644
--- a/routers/web/explore/repo.go
+++ b/routers/web/explore/repo.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func RenderRepoSearch(ctx *context.Context, opts *RepoSearchOptions) {
 			PageSize: opts.PageSize,
 		},
 		Actor:              ctx.Doer,
-		OrderBy:            orderBy,
+		OrderBy:            orderBy.Builder(),
 		Private:            opts.Private,
 		Keyword:            keyword,
 		OwnerID:            opts.OwnerID,
diff --git a/routers/web/org/home.go b/routers/web/org/home.go
index 24a0f13b542e1..36d9ea1ac92e6 100644
--- a/routers/web/org/home.go
+++ b/routers/web/org/home.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func Home(ctx *context.Context) {
 		},
 		Keyword:            keyword,
 		OwnerID:            org.ID,
-		OrderBy:            orderBy,
+		OrderBy:            orderBy.Builder(),
 		Private:            ctx.IsSigned,
 		Actor:              ctx.Doer,
 		Language:           language,
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/issue.go b/routers/web/repo/issue.go
index 079ccbf6cf968..c2f60d3e3a226 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/issue.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/issue.go
@@ -2152,7 +2152,7 @@ func SearchIssues(ctx *context.Context) {
 		Collaborate: util.OptionalBoolNone,
 		// This needs to be a column that is not nil in fixtures or
 		// MySQL will return different results when sorting by null in some cases
-		OrderBy: db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically,
+		OrderBy: db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically.Builder(),
 		Actor:   ctx.Doer,
 	}
 	if ctx.IsSigned {
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/repo.go b/routers/web/repo/repo.go
index 30cb888dce989..180e9fe5edde5 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/repo.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/repo.go
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ func SearchRepo(ctx *context.Context) {
 		}
 		if searchModeMap, ok := context.SearchOrderByMap[sortOrder]; ok {
 			if orderBy, ok := searchModeMap[sortMode]; ok {
-				opts.OrderBy = orderBy
+				opts.OrderBy = orderBy.Builder()
 			} else {
 				ctx.Error(http.StatusUnprocessableEntity, fmt.Sprintf("Invalid sort mode: \"%s\"", sortMode))
 				return
diff --git a/routers/web/user/profile.go b/routers/web/user/profile.go
index 8bce5460ccec1..b81eae1425bbb 100644
--- a/routers/web/user/profile.go
+++ b/routers/web/user/profile.go
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ func Profile(ctx *context.Context) {
 			},
 			Actor:              ctx.Doer,
 			Keyword:            keyword,
-			OrderBy:            orderBy,
+			OrderBy:            orderBy.Builder(),
 			Private:            ctx.IsSigned,
 			StarredByID:        ctx.ContextUser.ID,
 			Collaborate:        util.OptionalBoolFalse,
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ func Profile(ctx *context.Context) {
 			},
 			Actor:              ctx.Doer,
 			Keyword:            keyword,
-			OrderBy:            orderBy,
+			OrderBy:            orderBy.Builder(),
 			Private:            ctx.IsSigned,
 			WatchedByID:        ctx.ContextUser.ID,
 			Collaborate:        util.OptionalBoolFalse,
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func Profile(ctx *context.Context) {
 			Actor:              ctx.Doer,
 			Keyword:            keyword,
 			OwnerID:            ctx.ContextUser.ID,
-			OrderBy:            orderBy,
+			OrderBy:            orderBy.Builder(),
 			Private:            ctx.IsSigned,
 			Collaborate:        util.OptionalBoolFalse,
 			TopicOnly:          topicOnly,