diff --git a/example/ManifestWrapper.js b/example/ManifestWrapper.js
index 030b259..98e3436 100644
--- a/example/ManifestWrapper.js
+++ b/example/ManifestWrapper.js
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ const definition = [{
   id: 'date',
   label: 'Date',
   sortable: true,
-  cellComponent: CellEpochDate
+  cellComponent: CellEpochDate,
+  sort: 1
 }, {
   id: 'firstName',
   label: 'First Name',
@@ -17,7 +18,8 @@ const definition = [{
 }, {
   id: 'lastName',
   label: 'Last Name',
-  sortable: true
+  sortable: true,
+  sort: 2
 }, {
   id: 'age',
   label: 'Age',
diff --git a/src/containers/Headers.js b/src/containers/Headers.js
index 23ab1df..4996fe0 100644
--- a/src/containers/Headers.js
+++ b/src/containers/Headers.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { bindActionCreators } from 'redux'
 import { connect } from 'react-redux'
-import { compose, withHandlers } from 'recompose'
+import { compose, withHandlers, lifecycle } from 'recompose'
 
 import * as actions from '../actions'
 import Headers from '../components/Headers'
@@ -21,18 +21,47 @@ const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch => bindActionCreators({
 
 const hasClass = (className, classString) => classString.match(className) !== null
 
-const updateFilterSort = (id, isAsc, sorts) => [{id, isAsc}]
+const updateFilterSort = (id, isAsc) => [{id, isAsc}]
 
 const handlers = {
   updateSort: props => event => {
     const isAsc = !hasClass('sorted-asc', event.target.className)
     const id = event.target.getAttribute('data-id')
-    props.refreshData(props.name, {...props.filter, sorts: updateFilterSort(id, isAsc, props.filter.sorts)})
+    props.refreshData(props.name, {...props.filter, sorts: updateFilterSort(id, isAsc)})
+  }
+}
+
+const sort = props => {
+  // multi column sort support not implemented
+  // lowest sort integer column sorts asc
+  let sortRank
+  let sortId
+
+  const filterSort = def => {
+    if (!sortRank && def.sort) {
+      sortRank = def.sort
+      sortId = def.id
+    }
+    if (def.sort && def.sort < sortRank) {
+      sortId = def.id
+    }
+  }
+
+  props.definition.filter(filterSort)
+  if (sortId) {
+    props.refreshData(props.name, {...props.filter, sorts: updateFilterSort(sortId, true)})
+  }
+}
+
+const lifecycleHandlers = {
+  componentWillMount () {
+    sort(this.props)
   }
 }
 
 const enhance = compose(
   connect(mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps),
+  lifecycle(lifecycleHandlers),
   withHandlers(handlers)
 )