diff --git a/clientv3/integration/kv_test.go b/clientv3/integration/kv_test.go
index 4bdd5de62..efaa337fd 100644
--- a/clientv3/integration/kv_test.go
+++ b/clientv3/integration/kv_test.go
@@ -226,6 +226,21 @@ func TestKVRange(t *testing.T) {
 				{Key: []byte("fop"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 9, ModRevision: 9, Version: 1},
 			},
 		},
+		// range all with SortByKey, missing sorting order (ASCEND by default)
+		{
+			"a", "x",
+			0,
+			[]clientv3.OpOption{clientv3.WithSort(clientv3.SortByKey, clientv3.SortNone)},
+
+			[]*mvccpb.KeyValue{
+				{Key: []byte("a"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 2, ModRevision: 2, Version: 1},
+				{Key: []byte("b"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 3, ModRevision: 3, Version: 1},
+				{Key: []byte("c"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 4, ModRevision: 6, Version: 3},
+				{Key: []byte("foo"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 7, ModRevision: 7, Version: 1},
+				{Key: []byte("foo/abc"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 8, ModRevision: 8, Version: 1},
+				{Key: []byte("fop"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 9, ModRevision: 9, Version: 1},
+			},
+		},
 		// range all with SortByCreateRevision, SortDescend
 		{
 			"a", "x",
@@ -241,6 +256,21 @@ func TestKVRange(t *testing.T) {
 				{Key: []byte("a"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 2, ModRevision: 2, Version: 1},
 			},
 		},
+		// range all with SortByCreateRevision, missing sorting order (ASCEND by default)
+		{
+			"a", "x",
+			0,
+			[]clientv3.OpOption{clientv3.WithSort(clientv3.SortByCreateRevision, clientv3.SortNone)},
+
+			[]*mvccpb.KeyValue{
+				{Key: []byte("a"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 2, ModRevision: 2, Version: 1},
+				{Key: []byte("b"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 3, ModRevision: 3, Version: 1},
+				{Key: []byte("c"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 4, ModRevision: 6, Version: 3},
+				{Key: []byte("foo"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 7, ModRevision: 7, Version: 1},
+				{Key: []byte("foo/abc"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 8, ModRevision: 8, Version: 1},
+				{Key: []byte("fop"), Value: nil, CreateRevision: 9, ModRevision: 9, Version: 1},
+			},
+		},
 		// range all with SortByModRevision, SortDescend
 		{
 			"a", "x",
diff --git a/e2e/ctl_v3_kv_test.go b/e2e/ctl_v3_kv_test.go
index 0f1024236..2e2dc1836 100644
--- a/e2e/ctl_v3_kv_test.go
+++ b/e2e/ctl_v3_kv_test.go
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ func getTest(cx ctlCtx) {
 		{[]string{"key", "--prefix", "--limit=2"}, kvs[:2]},
 		{[]string{"key", "--prefix", "--order=ASCEND", "--sort-by=MODIFY"}, kvs},
 		{[]string{"key", "--prefix", "--order=ASCEND", "--sort-by=VERSION"}, kvs},
+		{[]string{"key", "--prefix", "--sort-by=CREATE"}, kvs}, // ASCEND by default
 		{[]string{"key", "--prefix", "--order=DESCEND", "--sort-by=CREATE"}, revkvs},
 		{[]string{"key", "--prefix", "--order=DESCEND", "--sort-by=KEY"}, revkvs},
 	}
diff --git a/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/get_command.go b/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/get_command.go
index 809ee8df2..5f9c74f3c 100644
--- a/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/get_command.go
+++ b/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/get_command.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func NewGetCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&getConsistency, "consistency", "l", "Linearizable(l) or Serializable(s)")
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&getSortOrder, "order", "", "Order of results; ASCEND or DESCEND")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&getSortOrder, "order", "", "Order of results; ASCEND or DESCEND (ASCEND by default)")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&getSortTarget, "sort-by", "", "Sort target; CREATE, KEY, MODIFY, VALUE, or VERSION")
 	cmd.Flags().Int64Var(&getLimit, "limit", 0, "Maximum number of results")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&getPrefix, "prefix", false, "Get keys with matching prefix")
diff --git a/etcdserver/apply.go b/etcdserver/apply.go
index 6162287b9..dbdc032df 100644
--- a/etcdserver/apply.go
+++ b/etcdserver/apply.go
@@ -304,7 +304,14 @@ func (a *applierV3backend) Range(txnID int64, r *pb.RangeRequest) (*pb.RangeResp
 		pruneKVs(rr, f)
 	}
 
-	if r.SortOrder != pb.RangeRequest_NONE {
+	sortOrder := r.SortOrder
+	if r.SortTarget != pb.RangeRequest_KEY && sortOrder == pb.RangeRequest_NONE {
+		// Since current mvcc.Range implementation returns results
+		// sorted by keys in lexiographically ascending order,
+		// sort ASCEND by default only when target is not 'KEY'
+		sortOrder = pb.RangeRequest_ASCEND
+	}
+	if sortOrder != pb.RangeRequest_NONE {
 		var sorter sort.Interface
 		switch {
 		case r.SortTarget == pb.RangeRequest_KEY:
@@ -319,9 +326,9 @@ func (a *applierV3backend) Range(txnID int64, r *pb.RangeRequest) (*pb.RangeResp
 			sorter = &kvSortByValue{&kvSort{rr.KVs}}
 		}
 		switch {
-		case r.SortOrder == pb.RangeRequest_ASCEND:
+		case sortOrder == pb.RangeRequest_ASCEND:
 			sort.Sort(sorter)
-		case r.SortOrder == pb.RangeRequest_DESCEND:
+		case sortOrder == pb.RangeRequest_DESCEND:
 			sort.Sort(sort.Reverse(sorter))
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/integration/v3_grpc_test.go b/integration/v3_grpc_test.go
index 24c198b8d..36c9a9ffd 100644
--- a/integration/v3_grpc_test.go
+++ b/integration/v3_grpc_test.go
@@ -858,6 +858,12 @@ func TestV3RangeRequest(t *testing.T) {
 					SortOrder:  pb.RangeRequest_DESCEND,
 					SortTarget: pb.RangeRequest_CREATE,
 				},
+				{ // sort ASCEND by default
+					Key: []byte("a"), RangeEnd: []byte("z"),
+					Limit:      10,
+					SortOrder:  pb.RangeRequest_NONE,
+					SortTarget: pb.RangeRequest_CREATE,
+				},
 			},
 
 			[][]string{
@@ -866,8 +872,9 @@ func TestV3RangeRequest(t *testing.T) {
 				{"b"},
 				{"c"},
 				{},
+				{"b", "a", "c", "d"},
 			},
-			[]bool{true, true, true, true, false},
+			[]bool{true, true, true, true, false, false},
 		},
 		// min/max mod rev
 		{