diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/pivot/pivot_model.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/pivot/pivot_model.js
index b45f7a9ffdf..6001b25b3a5 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/pivot/pivot_model.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/pivot/pivot_model.js
@@ -238,9 +238,12 @@ var PivotModel = AbstractModel.extend({
      * @param {string[]} params.colGroupBys
      * @param {string[]} params.measures
      * @param {Object} params.fields
+     * @param {string} params.default_order
      * @returns {Deferred}
      */
     load: function (params) {
+        var self = this;
+
         this.initialDomain = params.domain;
         this.initialRowGroupBys = params.context.pivot_row_groupby || params.rowGroupBys;
         this.fields = params.fields;
@@ -254,7 +257,13 @@ var PivotModel = AbstractModel.extend({
             sorted_column: {},
         };
         this.defaultGroupedBy = params.groupedBy;
-        return this._loadData();
+
+        return this._loadData().then(function () {
+            if (params.default_order) {
+                var info = params.default_order.split(' ');
+                self.sortRows(self.data.main_col.root.id, info[0], info[1] === 'desc');
+            }
+        });
     },
     /**
      * @override
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/pivot/pivot_view.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/pivot/pivot_view.js
index 643ee68a498..9ed3835a39a 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/pivot/pivot_view.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/pivot/pivot_view.js
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ var PivotView = AbstractView.extend({
         this.loadParams.colGroupBys = colGroupBys;
         this.loadParams.rowGroupBys = rowGroupBys;
         this.loadParams.fields = this.fields;
+        this.loadParams.default_order = params.default_order || this.arch.attrs.default_order;
 
         this.controllerParams.title = params.title || this.arch.attrs.string || _t("Untitled");
         this.controllerParams.enableLinking = !this.arch.attrs.disable_linking;
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/pivot_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/pivot_tests.js
index 70eee5b3431..138b620c4e0 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/pivot_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/pivot_tests.js
@@ -1202,4 +1202,22 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
 
         pivot.destroy();
     });
+
+    QUnit.test('pivot view should use default order for auto sorting', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(1);
+
+        var pivot = createView({
+            View: PivotView,
+            model: "partner",
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: '<pivot default_order="foo asc">' +
+                        '<field name="foo" type="measure"/>' +
+                  '</pivot>',
+        });
+
+        assert.ok(pivot.$('thead tr:last th:last').hasClass('o_pivot_measure_row_sorted_asc'),
+                        "Last thead should be sorted in ascending order");
+
+        pivot.destroy();
+    });
 });});
diff --git a/doc/reference/views.rst b/doc/reference/views.rst
index f91dbbaba21..524ce783be8 100644
--- a/doc/reference/views.rst
+++ b/doc/reference/views.rst
@@ -826,6 +826,15 @@ element is ``<pivot>`` which can take the following attributes:
   Set to ``True`` to remove table cell's links to list view.
 ``display_quantity``
   Set to ``true`` to display the Quantity column by default.
+``default_order``
+  The name of the measure and the order (asc or desc) to use as default order
+  in the view.
+
+  .. code-block:: xml 
+
+     <pivot default_order="foo asc">
+        <field name="foo" type="measure"/>
+     </pivot>
 
 The only allowed element within a pivot view is ``field`` which can have the
 following attributes: