diff --git a/persistence/album_repository.go b/persistence/album_repository.go
index f04f12dd8..c4229389c 100644
--- a/persistence/album_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/album_repository.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func NewAlbumRepository(ctx context.Context, o orm.QueryExecutor) model.AlbumRep
 		"name":           "order_album_name asc, order_album_artist_name asc",
 		"artist":         "compilation asc, order_album_artist_name asc, order_album_name asc",
 		"random":         "RANDOM()",
-		"max_year":       "max_year asc, name, order_album_name asc",
+		"max_year":       "max_year, coalesce(nullif(original_date, ''), nullif(release_date, '')), name, order_album_name asc",
 		"recently_added": recentlyAddedSort(),
 	}
 	r.filterMappings = map[string]filterFunc{
diff --git a/persistence/sql_base_repository.go b/persistence/sql_base_repository.go
index 61d68d909..d1ecf2d18 100644
--- a/persistence/sql_base_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/sql_base_repository.go
@@ -97,14 +97,16 @@ func (r sqlRepository) buildSortOrder(sort, order string) string {
 }
 
 func splitFunc(delimiter rune) func(c rune) bool {
-	open := false
+	open := 0
 	return func(c rune) bool {
-		if open {
-			open = c != ')'
+		if c == '(' {
+			open++
 			return false
 		}
-		if c == '(' {
-			open = true
+		if open > 0 {
+			if c == ')' {
+				open--
+			}
 			return false
 		}
 		return c == delimiter
diff --git a/persistence/sql_base_repository_test.go b/persistence/sql_base_repository_test.go
index 42b8bc866..8309a492f 100644
--- a/persistence/sql_base_repository_test.go
+++ b/persistence/sql_base_repository_test.go
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ var _ = Describe("sqlRepository", func() {
 				sql := r.buildSortOrder("name desc, substr(id, 7), status asc", "desc")
 				Expect(sql).To(Equal("name asc, substr(id, 7) desc, status desc"))
 			})
+			It("handles nested functions", func() {
+				sql := r.buildSortOrder("name desc, coalesce(nullif(release_date, ''), nullif(original_date, '')), status asc", "desc")
+				Expect(sql).To(Equal("name asc, coalesce(nullif(release_date, ''), nullif(original_date, '')) desc, status desc"))
+			})
 		})
 	})
 })