diff --git a/core/includes/tablesort.inc b/core/includes/tablesort.inc
index 53e5fe3..b42ae26 100644
--- a/core/includes/tablesort.inc
+++ b/core/includes/tablesort.inc
@@ -111,8 +111,9 @@ function tablesort_get_query_parameters() {
  *
  * @return
  *   An associative array describing the criterion, containing the keys:
- *   - "name": The localized title of the table column.
- *   - "sql": The name of the database field to sort on.
+ *   - "field": The name of the field to sort on.
+ *   - "query_field": The name of the database field to sort on.
+ *   - "query_reverse": TRUE for normal sorting, FALSE for reverse sorting.
  */
 function tablesort_get_order($headers) {
   $order = isset($_GET['order']) ? $_GET['order'] : '';
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Query/QueryBase.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Query/QueryBase.php
index 394f91a..b7144f3 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Query/QueryBase.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Query/QueryBase.php
@@ -261,12 +261,6 @@ protected function initializePager() {
    * Implements \Drupal\Core\Entity\Query\QueryInterface::tableSort().
    */
   public function tableSort(&$headers) {
-    // If 'field' is not initialized, the header columns aren't clickable.
-    foreach ($headers as $key =>$header) {
-      if (is_array($header) && isset($header['specifier'])) {
-        $headers[$key]['field'] = '';
-      }
-    }
 
     $ts = tablesort_get_order($headers);
     $direction = tablesort_get_sort($headers);
diff --git a/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/Tests/NodeAdminTest.php b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/Tests/NodeAdminTest.php
index e34f61b..f10195c 100644
--- a/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/Tests/NodeAdminTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/node/lib/Drupal/node/Tests/NodeAdminTest.php
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function testContentAdminSort() {
       ->fetchCol();
 
     $nodes_form = array();
-    $this->drupalGet('admin/content', array('query' => array('sort' => 'asc', 'order' => 'Title')));
+    $this->drupalGet('admin/content', array('query' => array('sort' => 'asc', 'order' => 'n.title')));
     foreach ($this->xpath('//table/tbody/tr/td/div/input/@value') as $input) {
       $nodes_form[] = $input;
     }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Common/TableSortExtenderUnitTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Common/TableSortExtenderUnitTest.php
index c7cc2a9..7e093cf 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Common/TableSortExtenderUnitTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Common/TableSortExtenderUnitTest.php
@@ -55,8 +55,9 @@ function testTableSortInit() {
     // up in $ts['query'].
     $_GET = array();
     $expected_ts = array(
-      'name' => 'foo',
-      'sql' => '',
+      'field' => NULL,
+      'query_field' => NULL,
+      'query_reverse' => false,
       'sort' => 'asc',
       'query' => array(),
     );
@@ -113,9 +114,10 @@ function testTableSortInit() {
     );
     $ts = tablesort_init($headers);
     $expected_ts = array(
-      'name' => '2',
-      'sql' => 'two',
-      'sort' => 'desc',
+      'field' => 'one',
+      'query_field' => 'one',
+      'query_reverse' => false,
+      'sort' => 'asc',
       'query' => array(),
     );
     $this->verbose(strtr('$ts: <pre>!ts</pre>', array('!ts' => check_plain(var_export($ts, TRUE)))));
@@ -131,8 +133,9 @@ function testTableSortInit() {
     );
     $ts = tablesort_init($headers);
     $expected_ts = array(
-      'name' => '1',
-      'sql' => 'one',
+      'field' => 'one',
+      'query_field' => 'one',
+      'query_reverse' => false,
       'sort' => 'asc',
       'query' => array(),
     );
@@ -151,10 +154,13 @@ function testTableSortInit() {
       'alpha' => 'beta',
     );
     $expected_ts = array(
-      'name' => '1',
-      'sql' => 'one',
+      'field' => 'one',
+      'query_field' => 'one',
+      'query_reverse' => false,
       'sort' => 'asc',
-      'query' => array('alpha' => 'beta'),
+      'query' => array(
+        'alpha' => 'beta',
+      ),
     );
     $ts = tablesort_init($headers);
     $this->verbose(strtr('$ts: <pre>!ts</pre>', array('!ts' => check_plain(var_export($ts, TRUE)))));
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Database/SelectTableSortDefaultTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Database/SelectTableSortDefaultTest.php
index 200a82a..62a6577 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Database/SelectTableSortDefaultTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Database/SelectTableSortDefaultTest.php
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ public static function getInfo() {
    */
   function testTableSortQuery() {
     $sorts = array(
-      array('field' => t('Task ID'), 'sort' => 'desc', 'first' => 'perform at superbowl', 'last' => 'eat'),
-      array('field' => t('Task ID'), 'sort' => 'asc', 'first' => 'eat', 'last' => 'perform at superbowl'),
-      array('field' => t('Task'), 'sort' => 'asc', 'first' => 'code', 'last' => 'sleep'),
-      array('field' => t('Task'), 'sort' => 'desc', 'first' => 'sleep', 'last' => 'code'),
+      array('field' => 'tid', 'sort' => 'desc', 'first' => 'perform at superbowl', 'last' => 'eat'),
+      array('field' => 'tid', 'sort' => 'asc', 'first' => 'eat', 'last' => 'perform at superbowl'),
+      array('field' => 'task', 'sort' => 'asc', 'first' => 'code', 'last' => 'sleep'),
+      array('field' => 'task', 'sort' => 'desc', 'first' => 'sleep', 'last' => 'code'),
       // more elements here
 
     );
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ function testTableSortQuery() {
    */
   function testTableSortQueryFirst() {
     $sorts = array(
-      array('field' => t('Task ID'), 'sort' => 'desc', 'first' => 'perform at superbowl', 'last' => 'eat'),
-      array('field' => t('Task ID'), 'sort' => 'asc', 'first' => 'eat', 'last' => 'perform at superbowl'),
-      array('field' => t('Task'), 'sort' => 'asc', 'first' => 'code', 'last' => 'sleep'),
-      array('field' => t('Task'), 'sort' => 'desc', 'first' => 'sleep', 'last' => 'code'),
+      array('field' => 'tid', 'sort' => 'desc', 'first' => 'perform at superbowl', 'last' => 'eat'),
+      array('field' => 'tid', 'sort' => 'asc', 'first' => 'eat', 'last' => 'perform at superbowl'),
+      array('field' => 'task', 'sort' => 'asc', 'first' => 'code', 'last' => 'sleep'),
+      array('field' => 'task', 'sort' => 'desc', 'first' => 'sleep', 'last' => 'code'),
       // more elements here
 
     );
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Entity/EntityQueryTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Entity/EntityQueryTest.php
index f42ea78..caed147 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Entity/EntityQueryTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Entity/EntityQueryTest.php
@@ -355,10 +355,10 @@ protected function testTableSort() {
     // assert that all entities from one bundle are after the other as the
     // order dictates.
     $_GET['sort'] = 'asc';
-    $_GET['order'] = 'Type';
+    $_GET['order'] = 'type';
     $header = array(
-      'id' => array('data' => 'Id', 'specifier' => 'ftid'),
-      'type' => array('data' => 'Type', 'specifier' => 'fttype'),
+      'id' => array('field' => 'id', 'specifier' => 'ftid'),
+      'type' => array('field' => 'type', 'specifier' => 'fttype'),
     );
 
     $this->queryResults = array_values($this->factory->get('test_entity')
@@ -367,15 +367,15 @@ protected function testTableSort() {
     $this->assertBundleOrder('asc');
     $_GET['sort'] = 'desc';
     $header = array(
-      'id' => array('data' => 'Id', 'specifier' => 'ftid'),
-      'type' => array('data' => 'Type', 'specifier' => 'fttype'),
+      'id' => array('field' => 'id', 'specifier' => 'ftid'),
+      'type' => array('field' => 'type', 'specifier' => 'fttype'),
     );
     $this->queryResults = array_values($this->factory->get('test_entity')
       ->tableSort($header)
       ->execute());
     $this->assertBundleOrder('desc');
     // Ordering on ID is definite, however.
-    $_GET['order'] = 'Id';
+    $_GET['order'] = 'id';
     $this->queryResults = $this->factory->get('test_entity')
       ->tableSort($header)
       ->execute();