diff --git a/address.py b/address.py
index c0e3f14487..03b037ca27 100644
--- a/address.py
+++ b/address.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ class Address(OSV):
     "Partner Address"
     _name = 'partner.address'
     _description = __doc__
-    _order = 'partner, sequence, id'
     partner = fields.Many2One('partner.partner', 'Partner', required=True,
            ondelete='cascade', select=True,  states=STATES)
     name = fields.Char('Contact Name', size=64, states=STATES)
@@ -30,6 +29,12 @@ class Address(OSV):
     active = fields.Boolean('Active')
     sequence = fields.Integer("Sequence")
 
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(Address, self).__init__()
+        self._order.insert(0, ('partner', 'ASC'))
+        self._order.insert(1, ('sequence', 'ASC'))
+        self._order.insert(2, ('id', 'ASC'))
+
     def default_active(self, cursor, user, context=None):
         return 1
 
diff --git a/category.py b/category.py
index 4010a369f2..c9bad36e08 100644
--- a/category.py
+++ b/category.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ class Category(OSV):
     "Partner Category"
     _name = "partner.category"
     _description = __doc__
-    _order = 'parent,name'
     _parent_name = 'parent'
     name = fields.Char('Category Name', required=True, size=64,
            states=STATES)
@@ -26,6 +25,8 @@ class Category(OSV):
             ('check_recursion',
              'Error! You can not create recursive categories.', ['parent'])
         ]
+        self._order.insert(0, ('parent', 'ASC'))
+        self._order.insert(1, ('name', 'ASC'))
 
     def default_active(self, cursor, user, context=None):
         return 1
diff --git a/country.py b/country.py
index 70da986540..784b97ae53 100644
--- a/country.py
+++ b/country.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ class Country(OSV):
     'Country'
     _name = 'partner.country'
     _description = __doc__
-    _order='code'
     name = fields.Char('Country Name', size=64,
            help='The full name of the country.', required=True, translate=True)
     code = fields.Char('Country Code', size=2,
@@ -24,6 +23,7 @@ class Country(OSV):
             ('code_uniq', 'UNIQUE(code)',
              'The code of the country must be unique!'),
         ]
+        self._order.insert(0, ('code', 'ASC'))
 
     def name_search(self, cr, user, name='', args=None, operator='ilike',
                     context=None, limit=80):
@@ -58,12 +58,15 @@ class State(OSV):
     "State"
     _name = 'partner.country.state'
     _description = __doc__
-    _order = 'code'
     country = fields.Many2One('partner.country', 'Country',
             required=True)
     name = fields.Char('State Name', size=64, required=True)
     code = fields.Char('State Code', size=3, required=True)
 
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(State, self).__init__()
+        self._order.insert(0, ('code', 'ASC'))
+
     def create(self, cursor, user, vals, context=None):
         if 'code' in vals:
             vals['code'] = vals['code'].upper()
diff --git a/partner.py b/partner.py
index 1bbf737ac2..a7ed19142e 100644
--- a/partner.py
+++ b/partner.py
@@ -9,8 +9,12 @@ class PartnerType(OSV):
 
     _name = 'partner.partner.type'
     _description = __doc__
-    _order= 'name'
     name = fields.Char('Name', required=True, size=None)
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(PartnerType, self).__init__()
+        self._order.insert(0, ('name', 'ASC'))
+
 PartnerType()
 
 
@@ -18,7 +22,6 @@ class Partner(OSV):
     "Partner"
     _description = __doc__
     _name = "partner.partner"
-    _order = "name"
 
     name = fields.Char('Name', size=128, required=True, select=1,
            states=STATES)
@@ -44,6 +47,7 @@ class Partner(OSV):
             ('name_uniq', 'unique (name)',
              'The name of the partner must be unique!')
         ]
+        self._order.insert(0, ('name', 'ASC'))
 
     def default_active(self, cursor, user, context=None):
         return 1
@@ -56,7 +60,7 @@ class Partner(OSV):
         address_obj = self.pool.get("partner.address")
         address_ids = address_obj.search(
             cursor, user, [("partner","=",partner_id),("active","=",True)],
-            order="sequence, id", context=context)
+            order=[('sequence', 'ASC'), ('id', 'ASC')], context=context)
         if not address_ids:
             return False
         default_address = address_ids[0]