diff --git a/Octokit.Tests/Clients/SearchClientTests.cs b/Octokit.Tests/Clients/SearchClientTests.cs
index ccb4f369..7a7daf1c 100644
--- a/Octokit.Tests/Clients/SearchClientTests.cs
+++ b/Octokit.Tests/Clients/SearchClientTests.cs
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ namespace Octokit.Tests.Clients
                 //get repos where the Description contains rails and user/org is 'github'
                 var request = new SearchRepositoriesRequest("rails");
                 request.Sort = RepoSearchSort.Forks;
-
+                
                 client.SearchRepo(request);
 
                 connection.Received().GetAll<Repository>(Arg.Is<Uri>(u => u.ToString() == "search/repositories"), Arg.Any<Dictionary<string, string>>());
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ namespace Octokit.Tests.Clients
                 connection.Received().GetAll<Issue>(
                     Arg.Is<Uri>(u => u.ToString() == "search/issues"), 
                     Arg.Is<Dictionary<string, string>>(d => 
-                        d["sort"] == "Comments"));
+                        d["sort"] == "comments"));
             }
 
             [Fact]
@@ -254,15 +254,30 @@ namespace Octokit.Tests.Clients
                 var client = new SearchClient(connection);
                 var request = new SearchIssuesRequest("something");
                 request.Sort = IssueSearchSort.Updated;
-                request.Order = SortDirection.Descending;
+                request.Order = SortDirection.Ascending;
+
+                client.SearchIssues(request);
+
+                connection.Received().GetAll<Issue>(
+                    Arg.Is<Uri>(u => u.ToString() == "search/issues"),
+                    Arg.Is<Dictionary<string, string>>(d =>
+                        d["sort"] == "updated" &&
+                        d["order"] == "asc"));
+            }
+
+            [Fact]
+            public void TestingTheDefaultOrderParameter()
+            {
+                var connection = Substitute.For<IApiConnection>();
+                var client = new SearchClient(connection);
+                var request = new SearchIssuesRequest("something");
 
                 client.SearchIssues(request);
 
                 connection.Received().GetAll<Issue>(
                     Arg.Is<Uri>(u => u.ToString() == "search/issues"), 
                     Arg.Is<Dictionary<string, string>>(d => 
-                        d["sort"] == "Updated" &&
-                        d["order"] == "Descending"));
+                        d["order"] == "desc"));
             }
 
             [Fact]
diff --git a/Octokit/Helpers/EnumExtensions.cs b/Octokit/Helpers/EnumExtensions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..267196f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Octokit/Helpers/EnumExtensions.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+using System;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Reflection;
+using Octokit.Internal;
+
+namespace Octokit
+{
+    static class EnumExtensions
+    {
+        public static string ToParameter(this Enum prop)
+        {
+            if (prop == null) return null;
+     
+            var member = prop.GetType().GetMember(prop.ToString()).FirstOrDefault();
+            if (member == null) return null;
+
+            var attribute = member.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(ParameterAttribute), false)
+                .Cast<ParameterAttribute>()
+                .FirstOrDefault();
+
+            return attribute != null ? attribute.Value : null;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Octokit/Models/Request/SearchIssuesRequest.cs b/Octokit/Models/Request/SearchIssuesRequest.cs
index b1aaa783..b54ca2bc 100644
--- a/Octokit/Models/Request/SearchIssuesRequest.cs
+++ b/Octokit/Models/Request/SearchIssuesRequest.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ using System.Linq;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using System.Globalization;
+using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 
 namespace Octokit
 {
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ namespace Octokit
         /// <summary>
         /// https://help.github.com/articles/searching-issues#type
         /// </summary>
-        [System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Naming", "CA1721:PropertyNamesShouldNotMatchGetMethods")]
+        [SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Naming", "CA1721:PropertyNamesShouldNotMatchGetMethods")]
         public IssueTypeQualifier? Type { get; set; }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ namespace Octokit
             return String.Join("+", parameters);
         }
 
-        [System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Globalization", "CA1305:SpecifyIFormatProvider", MessageId = "System.Int32.ToString")]
+        [SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Globalization", "CA1305:SpecifyIFormatProvider", MessageId = "System.Int32.ToString")]
         public IDictionary<string, string> Parameters
         {
             get
@@ -241,8 +242,8 @@ namespace Octokit
                 var d = new Dictionary<string, string>();
                 d.Add("page", Page.ToString());
                 d.Add("per_page", PerPage.ToString());
-                d.Add("sort", Sort.ToString());
-                d.Add("order", Order.ToString());
+                d.Add("sort", Sort.ToParameter());
+                d.Add("order", Order.ToParameter());
                 var mergedParameters = MergeParameters();
                 d.Add("q", Term + (mergedParameters.IsNotBlank() ? "+" + mergedParameters : ""));
                 return d;
@@ -254,14 +255,17 @@ namespace Octokit
         /// <summary>
         /// search by number of comments
         /// </summary>
+        [Parameter(Value = "comments")]
         Comments,
         /// <summary>
         /// search by created
         /// </summary>
+        [Parameter(Value = "created")]
         Created,
         /// <summary>
         /// search by last updated
         /// </summary>
+        [Parameter(Value = "updated")]
         Updated
     }
 
diff --git a/Octokit/Octokit-netcore45.csproj b/Octokit/Octokit-netcore45.csproj
index 6f0a70d0..bb077574 100644
--- a/Octokit/Octokit-netcore45.csproj
+++ b/Octokit/Octokit-netcore45.csproj
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Exceptions\LoginAttemptsExceededException.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Exceptions\RateLimitExceededException.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Helpers\CollectionExtensions.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Helpers\EnumExtensions.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Helpers\IApiPagination.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Helpers\IReadOnlyPagedCollection.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Helpers\ModelExtensions.cs" />
diff --git a/Octokit/Octokit.csproj b/Octokit/Octokit.csproj
index f14a7134..febcad07 100644
--- a/Octokit/Octokit.csproj
+++ b/Octokit/Octokit.csproj
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@
     <Compile Include="Clients\SearchClient.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Clients\ISearchClient.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Models\Request\BaseSearchRequest.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Helpers\EnumExtensions.cs">
+      <SubType>Code</SubType>
+    </Compile>
     <Compile Include="Models\Request\SearchCodeRequest.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Models\Request\SearchIssuesRequest.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Models\Request\SearchQualifierOperator.cs" />