diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c91b0a953..a2a2824bb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 ### Fixed
 - Do not apply limit to parent items - @ruslantalpa
 - Customize content negotiation per route - @begriffs
+- Allow using nulls order without explicit order direction - @steve-chavez
 
 ### Changed
 - Use HTTP 400 for raise\_exception - @begriffs
diff --git a/src/PostgREST/Parsers.hs b/src/PostgREST/Parsers.hs
index dd556fd25..4b5d6af8c 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/Parsers.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/Parsers.hs
@@ -137,13 +137,14 @@ pOrderTerm :: Parser OrderTerm
 pOrderTerm =
   try ( do
     c <- pFieldName
-    _ <- pDelimiter
-    d <- (string "asc" *> pure OrderAsc)
-         <|> (string "desc" *> pure OrderDesc)
+    d <- optionMaybe (try $ pDelimiter *> (
+               try(string "asc" *> pure OrderAsc)
+           <|> try(string "desc" *> pure OrderDesc)
+         ))
     nls <- optionMaybe (pDelimiter *> (
                  try(string "nullslast" *> pure OrderNullsLast)
              <|> try(string "nullsfirst" *> pure OrderNullsFirst)
            ))
     return $ OrderTerm c d nls
   )
-  <|> OrderTerm <$> (toS <$> pFieldName) <*> pure OrderAsc <*> pure Nothing
+  <|> OrderTerm <$> (toS <$> pFieldName) <*> pure Nothing <*> pure Nothing
diff --git a/src/PostgREST/QueryBuilder.hs b/src/PostgREST/QueryBuilder.hs
index a84ce11ff..438b997c1 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/QueryBuilder.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/QueryBuilder.hs
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ requestToQuery schema isParent (DbRead (Node (Select colSelects tbls conditions
             queryTerm :: OrderTerm -> Text
             queryTerm t = " "
                 <> toS (pgFmtColumn qi $ otTerm t) <> " "
-                <> show (otDirection t) <> " "
+                <> maybe "" show (otDirection t) <> " "
                 <> maybe "" show (otNullOrder t) <> " "
     (joins, selects) = foldr getQueryParts ([],[]) forest
 
diff --git a/src/PostgREST/Types.hs b/src/PostgREST/Types.hs
index 9aee6d9e5..337ee6bfe 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/Types.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/Types.hs
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ instance Show OrderNulls where
 
 data OrderTerm = OrderTerm {
   otTerm      :: Text
-, otDirection :: OrderDirection
+, otDirection :: Maybe OrderDirection
 , otNullOrder :: Maybe OrderNulls
 } deriving (Show, Eq)
 
diff --git a/test/Feature/QuerySpec.hs b/test/Feature/QuerySpec.hs
index ac39f60b6..1be41c015 100644
--- a/test/Feature/QuerySpec.hs
+++ b/test/Feature/QuerySpec.hs
@@ -333,6 +333,17 @@ spec = do
         , matchHeaders = ["Content-Range" <:> "0-1/*"]
         }
 
+    it "by a column with nulls first" $
+      get "/no_pk?order=a.nullsfirst"
+        `shouldRespondWith` ResponseMatcher {
+          matchBody = Just [json| [{"a":null,"b":null},
+                              {"a":"1","b":"0"},
+                              {"a":"2","b":"0"}
+                              ] |]
+        , matchStatus = 200
+        , matchHeaders = ["Content-Range" <:> "0-2/*"]
+        }
+
     it "by a column asc with nulls last" $
       get "/no_pk?order=a.asc.nullslast"
         `shouldRespondWith` ResponseMatcher {