diff --git a/proto/backend.proto b/proto/backend.proto
index 638786a5a..3821ad49f 100644
--- a/proto/backend.proto
+++ b/proto/backend.proto
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ message SortOrder {
         Empty from_config = 1;
         Empty none = 2;
         string custom = 3;
+        BuiltinSearchOrder builtin = 4;
     }
 }
 
@@ -341,3 +342,24 @@ message SearchNotesIn {
 message SearchNotesOut {
     repeated int64 note_ids = 2;
 }
+
+message BuiltinSearchOrder {
+    BuiltinSortKind kind = 1;
+    bool reverse = 2;
+}
+
+enum BuiltinSortKind {
+    NOTE_CREATION = 0;
+    NOTE_MOD = 1;
+    NOTE_FIELD = 2;
+    NOTE_TAGS = 3;
+    NOTE_TYPE = 4;
+    CARD_MOD = 5;
+    CARD_REPS = 6;
+    CARD_DUE = 7;
+    CARD_EASE = 8;
+    CARD_LAPSES = 9;
+    CARD_INTERVAL = 10;
+    CARD_DECK = 11;
+    CARD_TEMPLATE = 12;
+}
diff --git a/pylib/anki/collection.py b/pylib/anki/collection.py
index fb03431a3..b8258adb4 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/collection.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/collection.py
@@ -616,8 +616,16 @@ where c.nid = n.id and c.id in %s group by nid"""
     # Finding cards
     ##########################################################################
 
-    def find_cards(self, query: str, order: Union[bool, str] = False) -> Sequence[int]:
-        return self.backend.search_cards(query, order)
+    # if order=True, use the sort order stored in the collection config
+    # if order=False, do no ordering
+    # if order is a string, that text is added after 'order by' in the sql statement
+    # if order is an int enum, sort using that builtin sort.
+    #
+    # the reverse argument only applies when a BuiltinSortKind is provided.
+    def find_cards(
+        self, query: str, order: Union[bool, str, int] = False, reverse: bool = False,
+    ) -> Sequence[int]:
+        return self.backend.search_cards(query, order, reverse)
 
     def find_notes(self, query: str) -> Sequence[int]:
         return self.backend.search_notes(query)
diff --git a/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py b/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
index 52bdc0d8f..b3d055577 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ from anki.types import assert_impossible_literal
 assert ankirspy.buildhash() == anki.buildinfo.buildhash
 
 SchedTimingToday = pb.SchedTimingTodayOut
+BuiltinSortKind = pb.BuiltinSortKind
 
 try:
     import orjson
@@ -435,13 +436,23 @@ class RustBackend:
     def _db_command(self, input: Dict[str, Any]) -> Any:
         return orjson.loads(self._backend.db_command(orjson.dumps(input)))
 
-    def search_cards(self, search: str, order: Union[bool, str]) -> Sequence[int]:
+    def search_cards(
+        self, search: str, order: Union[bool, str, int], reverse: bool = False
+    ) -> Sequence[int]:
         if isinstance(order, str):
             mode = pb.SortOrder(custom=order)
-        elif not order:
+        elif order is True:
+            mode = pb.SortOrder(from_config=pb.Empty())
+        elif order is False:
             mode = pb.SortOrder(none=pb.Empty())
         else:
-            mode = pb.SortOrder(from_config=pb.Empty())
+            # sadly we can't use the protobuf type in a Union, so we
+            # have to accept an int and convert it
+            kind = BuiltinSortKind.Value(BuiltinSortKind.Name(order))
+            mode = pb.SortOrder(
+                builtin=pb.BuiltinSearchOrder(kind=kind, reverse=reverse)
+            )
+
         return self._run_command(
             pb.BackendInput(search_cards=pb.SearchCardsIn(search=search, order=mode))
         ).search_cards.card_ids
diff --git a/pylib/tests/test_find.py b/pylib/tests/test_find.py
index 16d604b17..10758b56e 100644
--- a/pylib/tests/test_find.py
+++ b/pylib/tests/test_find.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from anki.consts import *
+from anki.rsbackend import BuiltinSortKind
 from tests.shared import getEmptyCol
 
 
@@ -120,6 +121,14 @@ def test_findCards():
     deck.conf["sortBackwards"] = True
     deck.flush()
     assert deck.findCards("", order=True)[0] in latestCardIds
+    assert (
+        deck.find_cards("", order=BuiltinSortKind.CARD_DUE, reverse=False)[0]
+        == firstCardId
+    )
+    assert (
+        deck.find_cards("", order=BuiltinSortKind.CARD_DUE, reverse=True)[0]
+        != firstCardId
+    )
     # model
     assert len(deck.findCards("note:basic")) == 5
     assert len(deck.findCards("-note:basic")) == 0
diff --git a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
index cc9815778..8bbba11a7 100644
--- a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 
 use crate::backend::dbproxy::db_command_bytes;
 use crate::backend_proto::backend_input::Value;
-use crate::backend_proto::{Empty, RenderedTemplateReplacement, SyncMediaIn};
+use crate::backend_proto::{BuiltinSortKind, Empty, RenderedTemplateReplacement, SyncMediaIn};
 use crate::collection::{open_collection, Collection};
+use crate::config::SortKind;
 use crate::err::{AnkiError, NetworkErrorKind, Result, SyncErrorKind};
 use crate::i18n::{tr_args, FString, I18n};
 use crate::latex::{extract_latex, extract_latex_expanding_clozes, ExtractedLatex};
@@ -588,6 +589,10 @@ impl Backend {
                         Some(V::None(_)) => SortMode::NoOrder,
                         Some(V::Custom(s)) => SortMode::Custom(s),
                         Some(V::FromConfig(_)) => SortMode::FromConfig,
+                        Some(V::Builtin(b)) => SortMode::Builtin {
+                            kind: sort_kind_from_pb(b.kind),
+                            reverse: b.reverse,
+                        },
                         None => SortMode::FromConfig,
                     }
                 } else {
@@ -677,3 +682,25 @@ fn media_sync_progress(p: &MediaSyncProgress, i18n: &I18n) -> pb::MediaSyncProgr
         ),
     }
 }
+
+fn sort_kind_from_pb(kind: i32) -> SortKind {
+    use SortKind as SK;
+    match pb::BuiltinSortKind::from_i32(kind) {
+        Some(pbkind) => match pbkind {
+            BuiltinSortKind::NoteCreation => SK::NoteCreation,
+            BuiltinSortKind::NoteMod => SK::NoteMod,
+            BuiltinSortKind::NoteField => SK::NoteField,
+            BuiltinSortKind::NoteTags => SK::NoteTags,
+            BuiltinSortKind::NoteType => SK::NoteType,
+            BuiltinSortKind::CardMod => SK::CardMod,
+            BuiltinSortKind::CardReps => SK::CardReps,
+            BuiltinSortKind::CardDue => SK::CardDue,
+            BuiltinSortKind::CardEase => SK::CardEase,
+            BuiltinSortKind::CardLapses => SK::CardLapses,
+            BuiltinSortKind::CardInterval => SK::CardInterval,
+            BuiltinSortKind::CardDeck => SK::CardDeck,
+            BuiltinSortKind::CardTemplate => SK::CardTemplate,
+        },
+        _ => SortKind::NoteCreation,
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rslib/src/search/cards.rs b/rslib/src/search/cards.rs
index e4d8eaf2a..2c10f1e8d 100644
--- a/rslib/src/search/cards.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/search/cards.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use rusqlite::params;
 pub(crate) enum SortMode {
     NoOrder,
     FromConfig,
+    Builtin { kind: SortKind, reverse: bool },
     Custom(String),
 }
 
@@ -37,6 +38,11 @@ pub(crate) fn search_cards<'a, 'b>(
             sql.push_str(" order by ");
             write_order(&mut sql, &conf.browser_sort_kind, conf.browser_sort_reverse)?;
         }
+        SortMode::Builtin { kind, reverse } => {
+            prepare_sort(req, &kind)?;
+            sql.push_str(" order by ");
+            write_order(&mut sql, &kind, reverse)?;
+        }
         SortMode::Custom(order_clause) => {
             sql.push_str(" order by ");
             sql.push_str(&order_clause);