diff --git a/src/tablesort.js b/src/tablesort.js
index a037385..e71c12f 100644
--- a/src/tablesort.js
+++ b/src/tablesort.js
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@
         } else if (sortOrder === 'descending') {
           sortOrder = 'ascending';
         } else {
-          sortOrder = that.options.descending ? 'ascending' : 'descending';
+          sortOrder = that.options.descending ? 'descending' : 'ascending';
         }
 
         header.setAttribute('aria-sort', sortOrder);
@@ -216,9 +216,9 @@
         // the double negatives cancel out
         if (sortOrder === 'descending') {
           newRows.sort(stabilize(sortFunction, true));
-          newRows.reverse();
         } else {
           newRows.sort(stabilize(sortFunction, false));
+          newRows.reverse();
         }
 
         // append rows that already exist rather than creating new ones
diff --git a/test/spec/tablesort.js b/test/spec/tablesort.js
index db1fadd..9e8c016 100644
--- a/test/spec/tablesort.js
+++ b/test/spec/tablesort.js
@@ -68,30 +68,30 @@ tape('uses data-sort-order', function(t) {
   event.initEvent('click', true, false);
   el1.dispatchEvent(event);
 
-  t.equal(table.rows[1].cells[0].innerHTML, '3');
+  t.equal(table.rows[1].cells[0].innerHTML, '1');
   t.equal(table.rows[2].cells[0].innerHTML, '2');
-  t.equal(table.rows[3].cells[0].innerHTML, '1');
+  t.equal(table.rows[3].cells[0].innerHTML, '3');
 
   event.initEvent('click', true, false);
   el1.dispatchEvent(event);
 
-  t.equal(table.rows[1].cells[0].innerHTML, '1');
+  t.equal(table.rows[1].cells[0].innerHTML, '3');
   t.equal(table.rows[2].cells[0].innerHTML, '2');
-  t.equal(table.rows[3].cells[0].innerHTML, '3');
+  t.equal(table.rows[3].cells[0].innerHTML, '1');
 
   event.initEvent('click', true, false);
   el2.dispatchEvent(event);
 
-  t.equal(tableDescend.rows[1].cells[0].innerHTML, '1');
+  t.equal(tableDescend.rows[1].cells[0].innerHTML, '3');
   t.equal(tableDescend.rows[2].cells[0].innerHTML, '2');
-  t.equal(tableDescend.rows[3].cells[0].innerHTML, '3');
+  t.equal(tableDescend.rows[3].cells[0].innerHTML, '1');
 
   event.initEvent('click', true, false);
   el2.dispatchEvent(event);
 
-  t.equal(tableDescend.rows[1].cells[0].innerHTML, '3');
+  t.equal(tableDescend.rows[1].cells[0].innerHTML, '1');
   t.equal(tableDescend.rows[2].cells[0].innerHTML, '2');
-  t.equal(tableDescend.rows[3].cells[0].innerHTML, '1');
+  t.equal(tableDescend.rows[3].cells[0].innerHTML, '3');
 
   t.end();
 });