diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/angular/discover.js b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/angular/discover.js
index 05ca748c777bf3..9b8b32b51cfd8c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/angular/discover.js
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/angular/discover.js
@@ -1011,7 +1011,11 @@ function discoverController(
       $scope.indexPattern.popularizeField(columnName, 1);
     }
     const columns = columnActions.removeColumn($scope.state.columns, columnName);
-    setAppState({ columns });
+    // The state's sort property is an array of [sortByColumn,sortDirection]
+    const sort = $scope.state.sort.length
+      ? $scope.state.sort.filter((subArr) => subArr[0] !== columnName)
+      : [];
+    setAppState({ columns, sort });
   };
 
   $scope.moveColumn = function moveColumn(columnName, newIndex) {
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/discover/_discover.js b/test/functional/apps/discover/_discover.js
index de9606f3d02ed1..906f0b83e99e77 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/discover/_discover.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/discover/_discover.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import expect from '@kbn/expect';
 
 export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
+  const browser = getService('browser');
   const log = getService('log');
   const retry = getService('retry');
   const esArchiver = getService('esArchiver');
@@ -268,5 +269,19 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         expect(toastMessage).to.be('Invalid time range');
       });
     });
+
+    describe('managing fields', function () {
+      it('should add a field, sort by it, remove it and also sorting by it', async function () {
+        await PageObjects.timePicker.setDefaultAbsoluteRangeViaUiSettings();
+        await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('discover');
+        await PageObjects.discover.clickFieldListItemAdd('_score');
+        await PageObjects.discover.clickFieldSort('_score');
+        const currentUrlWithScore = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
+        expect(currentUrlWithScore).to.contain('_score');
+        await PageObjects.discover.clickFieldListItemAdd('_score');
+        const currentUrlWithoutScore = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
+        expect(currentUrlWithoutScore).not.to.contain('_score');
+      });
+    });
   });
 }
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/discover_page.ts b/test/functional/page_objects/discover_page.ts
index 9ba3c9c1c2c889..7e083d41895b66 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/discover_page.ts
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/discover_page.ts
@@ -242,6 +242,10 @@ export function DiscoverPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProvider
       return await testSubjects.click(`field-${field}`);
     }
 
+    public async clickFieldSort(field: string) {
+      return await testSubjects.click(`docTableHeaderFieldSort_${field}`);
+    }
+
     public async clickFieldListItemAdd(field: string) {
       await testSubjects.moveMouseTo(`field-${field}`);
       await testSubjects.click(`fieldToggle-${field}`);