diff --git a/app/controllers/members_controller.rb b/app/controllers/members_controller.rb
index a2d89f21b..ed96e3593 100644
--- a/app/controllers/members_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/members_controller.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class MembersController < ApplicationController
   respond_to :html, :json, :rss
 
   def index
-    @sort = params[:sort]
+    @sort = params[:sort] || 'recently_joined'
     @members = members
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html # index.html.haml
@@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ class MembersController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def members
-    if @sort == 'recently_joined'
-      Member.recently_joined
-    else
+    if @sort == 'alpha'
       Member.order(:login_name)
+    else
+      Member.recently_joined
     end.kept.confirmed.paginate(page: params[:page])
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/members/index.html.haml b/app/views/members/index.html.haml
index 2f37567e4..6421ef046 100644
--- a/app/views/members/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/members/index.html.haml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 = bootstrap_form_tag(url: members_path, method: :get, layout: :inline) do |f|
   = f.select "sort",
         options_for_select({ "alphabetically": 'alpha', "recently joined": "recently_joined" },
-                                      @sort || 'alpha'),
+                                      @sort || 'recently_joined'),
         label: 'Sort by'
   = f.submit "Show"
 
diff --git a/spec/features/members/list_spec.rb b/spec/features/members/list_spec.rb
index 341081179..3cd9acbff 100644
--- a/spec/features/members/list_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/members/list_spec.rb
@@ -14,25 +14,22 @@ describe "members list" do
       visit members_path
     end
 
-    it "default alphabetical sort" do
+    it "default recently joined sort" do
       expect(page).to have_css "#sort"
       expect(page).to have_css "form"
+      expect(subject.first).to have_text testingname.login_name
+      expect(subject.last).to have_text archaeopteryx.login_name
+    end
+
+    it "alphabetical sort" do
+      expect(page).to have_css "#sort"
+      expect(page).to have_css "form"
+      select("alphabetically", from: 'sort')
       click_button('Show')
       # "Show" reloads the whole page. Wait for the new page before reading the list.
       expect(page).to have_current_path(/sort=alpha/)
       expect(subject.first).to have_text archaeopteryx.login_name
       expect(subject.last).to have_text zephyrosaurus.login_name
     end
-
-    it "recently joined sort" do
-      expect(page).to have_css "#sort"
-      expect(page).to have_css "form"
-      select("recently", from: 'sort')
-      click_button('Show')
-      # "Show" reloads the whole page. Wait for the new page before reading the list.
-      expect(page).to have_current_path(/sort=recently_joined/)
-      expect(subject.first).to have_text testingname.login_name
-      expect(subject.last).to have_text archaeopteryx.login_name
-    end
   end
 end