diff --git a/routers/api/v1/admin/user.go b/routers/api/v1/admin/user.go
index 8aa67b3b0a..de54f21d94 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/admin/user.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/admin/user.go
@@ -436,26 +436,6 @@ func SearchUsers(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 
 	listOptions := utils.GetListOptions(ctx)
 
-	sort := ctx.FormString("sort")
-	var orderBy db.SearchOrderBy
-
-	switch sort {
-	case "oldest":
-		orderBy = db.SearchOrderByOldest
-	case "newest":
-		orderBy = db.SearchOrderByNewest
-	case "alphabetically":
-		orderBy = db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically
-	case "reversealphabetically":
-		orderBy = db.SearchOrderByAlphabeticallyReverse
-	case "recentupdate":
-		orderBy = db.SearchOrderByRecentUpdated
-	case "leastupdate":
-		orderBy = db.SearchOrderByLeastUpdated
-	default:
-		orderBy = db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically
-	}
-
 	intSource, err := strconv.ParseInt(ctx.FormString("source_id"), 10, 64)
 	var sourceID optional.Option[int64]
 	if ctx.FormString("source_id") == "" || err != nil {
@@ -469,7 +449,7 @@ func SearchUsers(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 		Type:        user_model.UserTypeIndividual,
 		LoginName:   ctx.FormTrim("login_name"),
 		SourceID:    sourceID,
-		OrderBy:     orderBy,
+		OrderBy:     utils.GetDbSearchOrder(ctx),
 		ListOptions: listOptions,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/user/user.go b/routers/api/v1/user/user.go
index 5bdd56c892..19f7440047 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/user/user.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/user/user.go
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ func Search(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	//   description: ID of the user to search for
 	//   type: integer
 	//   format: int64
+	// - name: sort
+	//   in: query
+	//   description: sort order of results
+	//   type: string
+	//   enum: [oldest, newest, alphabetically, reversealphabetically, recentupdate, leastupdate]
 	// - name: page
 	//   in: query
 	//   description: page number of results to return (1-based)
@@ -81,6 +86,7 @@ func Search(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 			SearchByEmail: true,
 			Visible:       visible,
 			ListOptions:   listOptions,
+			OrderBy:       utils.GetDbSearchOrder(ctx),
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			ctx.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, map[string]any{
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/utils/db_search_order.go b/routers/api/v1/utils/db_search_order.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f089ba5f16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/routers/api/v1/utils/db_search_order.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// Copyright 2025 The Forgejo Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package utils
+
+import (
+	"forgejo.org/models/db"
+	"forgejo.org/services/context"
+)
+
+func GetDbSearchOrder(ctx *context.APIContext) db.SearchOrderBy {
+	switch ctx.FormString("sort") {
+	case "oldest":
+		return db.SearchOrderByOldest
+	case "newest":
+		return db.SearchOrderByNewest
+	case "alphabetically":
+		return db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically
+	case "reversealphabetically":
+		return db.SearchOrderByAlphabeticallyReverse
+	case "recentupdate":
+		return db.SearchOrderByRecentUpdated
+	case "leastupdate":
+		return db.SearchOrderByLeastUpdated
+	default:
+		return db.SearchOrderByAlphabetically
+	}
+}
diff --git a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
index 7cf3d4301f..e03f5d57c1 100644
--- a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
+++ b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
@@ -20284,6 +20284,20 @@
             "name": "uid",
             "in": "query"
           },
+          {
+            "enum": [
+              "oldest",
+              "newest",
+              "alphabetically",
+              "reversealphabetically",
+              "recentupdate",
+              "leastupdate"
+            ],
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "sort order of results",
+            "name": "sort",
+            "in": "query"
+          },
           {
             "type": "integer",
             "description": "page number of results to return (1-based)",
diff --git a/tests/integration/api_user_search_test.go b/tests/integration/api_user_search_test.go
index 6252c2ebde..0e8f7a123e 100644
--- a/tests/integration/api_user_search_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/api_user_search_test.go
@@ -4,18 +4,25 @@
 package integration
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	auth_model "forgejo.org/models/auth"
+	"forgejo.org/models/db"
 	"forgejo.org/models/unittest"
 	user_model "forgejo.org/models/user"
 	"forgejo.org/modules/setting"
 	api "forgejo.org/modules/structs"
 	"forgejo.org/modules/test"
+	"forgejo.org/modules/timeutil"
 	"forgejo.org/tests"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 type SearchResults struct {
@@ -179,3 +186,61 @@ func TestAPIUserSearchByEmail(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Len(t, results.Data, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, query, results.Data[0].Email)
 }
+
+func TestUsersSearchSorted(t *testing.T) {
+	defer tests.PrepareTestEnv(t)()
+	createTimestamp := time.Now().Unix() - 1000
+	updateTimestamp := time.Now().Unix() - 500
+	sess := db.GetEngine(context.Background())
+
+	for i := int64(1); i <= 10; i++ {
+		name := "sorttest" + strconv.Itoa(int(i))
+		user := &user_model.User{
+			Name:        name,
+			LowerName:   name,
+			LoginName:   name,
+			Email:       name + "@example.com",
+			Passwd:      name + ".password",
+			Avatar:      "xyz",
+			Type:        user_model.UserTypeIndividual,
+			LoginType:   auth_model.OAuth2,
+			CreatedUnix: timeutil.TimeStamp(createTimestamp - i),
+			UpdatedUnix: timeutil.TimeStamp(updateTimestamp - i),
+		}
+		_, err := sess.NoAutoTime().Insert(user)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+
+	session := loginUser(t, "user1")
+	token := getTokenForLoggedInUser(t, session, auth_model.AccessTokenScopeReadUser)
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		sortType      string
+		expectedUsers []string
+	}{
+		{"alphabetically", []string{"sorttest1", "sorttest10", "sorttest2", "sorttest3"}},
+		{"reversealphabetically", []string{"sorttest9", "sorttest8", "sorttest7", "sorttest6"}},
+		{"newest", []string{"sorttest1", "sorttest2", "sorttest3", "sorttest4"}},
+		{"oldest", []string{"sorttest10", "sorttest9", "sorttest8", "sorttest7"}},
+		{"recentupdate", []string{"sorttest1", "sorttest2", "sorttest3", "sorttest4"}},
+		{"leastupdate", []string{"sorttest10", "sorttest9", "sorttest8", "sorttest7"}},
+	}
+
+	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		req := NewRequest(
+			t,
+			"GET",
+			fmt.Sprintf("/api/v1/users/search?q=sorttest&sort=%s&limit=4",
+				testCase.sortType,
+			),
+		).AddTokenAuth(token)
+		resp := session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
+
+		var results SearchResults
+		DecodeJSON(t, resp, &results)
+		assert.Len(t, results.Data, 4)
+		for i, searchData := range results.Data {
+			assert.Equalf(t, testCase.expectedUsers[i], searchData.UserName, "Sort type: %s, index %d", testCase.sortType, i)
+		}
+	}
+}