diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b21466c..d1cee5d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@
 - `Torann\LaravelRepository\Repositories\AbstractRepository` renamed to `Torann\LaravelRepository\Repository`
 - `Torann\LaravelRepository\Traits\Cacheable` renamed to `Torann\LaravelRepository\Concerns\Cacheable`
 - Updated existing and added missing type declarations
+- `orderBy()` can only be applied once (intended limitation)
diff --git a/src/Concerns/Ordering.php b/src/Concerns/Ordering.php
index 2ed98fb..60034ec 100644
--- a/src/Concerns/Ordering.php
+++ b/src/Concerns/Ordering.php
@@ -19,29 +19,32 @@ trait Ordering
     protected array $orderBy = [];
 
     /**
-     * One time skip of ordering. This is done when the
-     * ordering is overwritten by the orderBy method.
+     * Override of default order by column and direction pairs.
      */
-    protected bool $skipOrderingOnce = false;
+    protected array|null $orderByOverride = null;
 
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
     public function orderBy(mixed $column, string|null $direction): static
     {
-        // Ensure the sort is valid
-        if (in_array($column, $this->getOrderableKeys()) === false) {
-            return $this;
+        if (in_array($column, $this->getOrderableKeys())) {
+            $this->orderByOverride = [];
+
+            $this->orderByOverride[$column] = in_array(strtolower($direction ?? ''), ['desc', 'asc'])
+                ? $direction
+                : 'asc';
         }
 
-        /** @var Scope|null $scope */
-        if ($scope = $this->resolveScope('order_by')) {
-            $this->skipOrderingOnce = true;
+        return $this;
+    }
 
-            $this->addScopeQuery($scope::make(
-                Arr::get($this->getOrderable(), $column, $column), $direction
-            ));
-        }
+    /**
+     * @return static
+     */
+    public function resetOrderBy(): static
+    {
+        $this->orderByOverride = null;
 
         return $this;
     }
@@ -64,6 +67,16 @@ public function setOrderBy(array $order_by): static
      * @return array
      */
     public function getOrderBy(): array
+    {
+        return $this->orderByOverride ?? $this->getDefaultOrderBy();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Return the default order by array.
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function getDefaultOrderBy(): array
     {
         return $this->orderBy;
     }
@@ -117,6 +130,25 @@ public function getOrderableKeys(): array
         }, $return, array_keys($return)));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param string $column
+     * @param string $direction
+     *
+     * @return $this
+     */
+    protected function applyOrderableScope(string $column, string $direction): static
+    {
+        /** @var Scope|null $scope */
+        if ($scope = $this->resolveScope('order_by')) {
+            $this->addScopeQuery($scope::make(
+                Arr::get($this->getOrderable(), $column, $column),
+                $direction
+            ), 'order_by');
+        }
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Add aa order by join to the query.
      *
diff --git a/src/Concerns/Scopes.php b/src/Concerns/Scopes.php
index 59d6c00..a8a1e1e 100644
--- a/src/Concerns/Scopes.php
+++ b/src/Concerns/Scopes.php
@@ -88,12 +88,22 @@ public function getScopeQuery(): array
      * Add query scope.
      *
      * @param Closure|Scope $scope
+     * @param string|null   $key
      *
      * @return static
      */
-    public function addScopeQuery(Closure|Scope $scope): static
+    public function addScopeQuery(Closure|Scope $scope, string $key = null): static
     {
-        $this->scopeQuery[] = $scope;
+        if ($scope instanceof Scope && $scope->shouldSkip()) {
+            return $this;
+        }
+
+        // Prevent dupes when using some scopes
+        if ($key) {
+            $this->scopeQuery[$key] = $scope;
+        } else {
+            $this->scopeQuery[] = $scope;
+        }
 
         return $this;
     }
diff --git a/src/Concerns/Searching.php b/src/Concerns/Searching.php
index 5541074..551fb2b 100644
--- a/src/Concerns/Searching.php
+++ b/src/Concerns/Searching.php
@@ -86,10 +86,10 @@ public function search(string|array|null $queries): static
             ];
         }
 
-        if (is_array($queries)) {
+        if (is_array($queries) && empty($queries) === false) {
             /** @var Scope|null $scope */
             if ($scope = $this->resolveScope('search')) {
-                $this->addScopeQuery($scope::make($queries));
+                $this->addScopeQuery($scope::make($queries), 'search');
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Contracts/Scope.php b/src/Contracts/Scope.php
index aae8417..c0883a9 100644
--- a/src/Contracts/Scope.php
+++ b/src/Contracts/Scope.php
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ interface Scope
      */
     public static function make(...$arguments): static;
 
+    /**
+     * Determine if the scope be skipped
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function shouldSkip(): bool;
+
     /**
      * Apply the scope
      *
diff --git a/src/Repository.php b/src/Repository.php
index ec8914a..111535a 100755
--- a/src/Repository.php
+++ b/src/Repository.php
@@ -95,16 +95,16 @@ public function newQuery(bool $skipOrdering = false): static
 
         $this->query = $this->getNew()->newQuery();
 
-        // Apply order by
-        if ($skipOrdering === false && $this->skipOrderingOnce === false) {
-            foreach ($this->getOrderBy() as $column => $dir) {
-                $this->query->orderBy($column, $dir);
+        // Apply order by scope. Only one order by is allowed, for more create a
+        // new scope or override the method.
+        if ($skipOrdering === false) {
+            if (empty($order_by = $this->getOrderBy()) === false) {
+                $this->applyOrderableScope(
+                    key($order_by), reset($order_by)
+                );
             }
         }
 
-        // Reset the one time skip
-        $this->skipOrderingOnce = false;
-
         $this->applyScope();
 
         return $this;
diff --git a/src/Scopes/OrderBy.php b/src/Scopes/OrderBy.php
index ae95cde..803ebe0 100644
--- a/src/Scopes/OrderBy.php
+++ b/src/Scopes/OrderBy.php
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ public function __construct(mixed $column, string|null $direction)
         $this->setDirection($direction);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function shouldSkip(): bool
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
diff --git a/src/Scopes/Search.php b/src/Scopes/Search.php
index 43e19b8..633c5f2 100644
--- a/src/Scopes/Search.php
+++ b/src/Scopes/Search.php
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ public function __construct(array $queries)
         });
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function shouldSkip(): bool
+    {
+        return empty($this->queries);
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */