diff --git a/lib/mongo/util/conversions.rb b/lib/mongo/util/conversions.rb
index 971d7cb..8e807db 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/util/conversions.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo/util/conversions.rb
@@ -32,11 +32,19 @@ module Mongo #:nodoc:
     # <tt>{ "field1" => 1, "field2" => -1}</tt>
     def array_as_sort_parameters(value)
       order_by = OrderedHash.new
-      value.each do |param|
-        if (param.class.name == "String")
-          order_by[param] = 1
+      if value.first.is_a? Array
+        value.each do |param|
+          if (param.class.name == "String")
+            order_by[param] = 1
+          else
+            order_by[param[0]] = sort_value(param[1]) unless param[1].nil?
+          end
+        end
+      else
+        if order_by.size == 1
+          order_by[value.first] = 1
         else
-          order_by[param[0]] = sort_value(param[1]) unless param[1].nil?
+          order_by[value.first] = sort_value(value[1])
         end
       end
       order_by
diff --git a/test/test_cursor.rb b/test/test_cursor.rb
index 198622e..e57c961 100644
--- a/test/test_cursor.rb
+++ b/test/test_cursor.rb
@@ -67,27 +67,30 @@ class CursorTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
   def test_sort
     @@coll.remove
-    5.times{|x| @@coll.insert({"a" => x}) }
+    5.times{|x| @@coll.insert({"age" => x}) }
 
-    assert_kind_of Cursor, @@coll.find().sort(:a, 1)
+    assert_kind_of Cursor, @@coll.find().sort(:age, 1)
 
-    assert_equal 0, @@coll.find().sort(:a, 1).next_document["a"]
-    assert_equal 4, @@coll.find().sort(:a, -1).next_document["a"]
-    assert_equal 0, @@coll.find().sort([["a", :asc]]).next_document["a"]
+    assert_equal 0, @@coll.find().sort(:age, 1).next_document["age"]
+    assert_equal 4, @@coll.find().sort(:age, -1).next_document["age"]
+    assert_equal 0, @@coll.find().sort([["age", :asc]]).next_document["age"]
 
-    assert_kind_of Cursor, @@coll.find().sort([[:a, -1], [:b, 1]])
+    assert_kind_of Cursor, @@coll.find().sort([[:age, -1], [:b, 1]])
 
-    assert_equal 4, @@coll.find().sort(:a, 1).sort(:a, -1).next_document["a"]
-    assert_equal 0, @@coll.find().sort(:a, -1).sort(:a, 1).next_document["a"]
+    assert_equal 4, @@coll.find().sort(:age, 1).sort(:age, -1).next_document["age"]
+    assert_equal 0, @@coll.find().sort(:age, -1).sort(:age, 1).next_document["age"]
+
+    assert_equal 4, @@coll.find().sort([:age, :asc]).sort(:age, -1).next_document["age"]
+    assert_equal 0, @@coll.find().sort([:age, :desc]).sort(:age, 1).next_document["age"]
 
     cursor = @@coll.find()
     cursor.next_document
     assert_raise InvalidOperation do
-      cursor.sort(["a"])
+      cursor.sort(["age"])
     end
 
     assert_raise InvalidSortValueError do
-      @@coll.find().sort(:a, 25).next_document
+      @@coll.find().sort(:age, 25).next_document
     end
 
     assert_raise InvalidSortValueError do
@@ -95,6 +98,20 @@ class CursorTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
   end
 
+  def test_sort_date
+    @@coll.remove
+    5.times{|x| @@coll.insert({"created_at" => Time.utc(2000 + x)}) }
+
+    assert_equal 2000, @@coll.find().sort(:created_at, :asc).next_document["created_at"].year
+    assert_equal 2004, @@coll.find().sort(:created_at, :desc).next_document["created_at"].year
+
+    assert_equal 2000, @@coll.find().sort([:created_at, :asc]).next_document["created_at"].year
+    assert_equal 2004, @@coll.find().sort([:created_at, :desc]).next_document["created_at"].year
+
+    assert_equal 2000, @@coll.find().sort([[:created_at, :asc]]).next_document["created_at"].year
+    assert_equal 2004, @@coll.find().sort([[:created_at, :desc]]).next_document["created_at"].year
+  end
+
   def test_limit
     @@coll.remove