diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/domain/Sort.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/domain/Sort.java
index 8d3c73387..8d733568f 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/domain/Sort.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/domain/Sort.java
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ public class Sort implements
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                         String.format(
-                                "Invalid value '%s' for orders given! Has to be either 'desc' or 'asc'.",
+                                "Invalid value '%s' for orders given! Has to be either 'desc' or 'asc' (case insensitive).",
                                 value), e);
             }
         }
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/OrderBySource.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/OrderBySource.java
index b1bbcbd7e..e7000befc 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/OrderBySource.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/OrderBySource.java
@@ -17,11 +17,12 @@ package org.springframework.data.repository.query.parser;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort.Direction;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort.Order;
-import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 
@@ -36,45 +37,59 @@ import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
  */
 public class OrderBySource {
 
+    private final String BLOCK_SPLIT = "(?<=Asc|Desc)(?=[A-Z])";
+    private final Pattern DIRECTION_SPLIT = Pattern.compile("(.+)(Asc|Desc)$");
+
     private final List<Order> orders;
 
 
     public OrderBySource(String clause) {
 
+        this(clause, null);
+    }
+
+
+    public OrderBySource(String clause, Class<?> domainClass) {
+
         this.orders = new ArrayList<Sort.Order>();
-        List<String> properties = new ArrayList<String>();
 
-        for (String part : clause.split("(?<=[a-z])(?=[A-Z])")) {
+        for (String part : clause.split(BLOCK_SPLIT)) {
 
-            Direction direction = defaultedFrom(part);
+            Matcher matcher = DIRECTION_SPLIT.matcher(part);
 
-            if (direction == null) {
-                properties.add(StringUtils.uncapitalize(part));
-            } else {
-                Assert.notEmpty(
-                        properties,
-                        "Invalid order syntax! You have to provide at least one property before the sort direction.");
-                orders.addAll(Order.create(direction, properties));
-                properties.clear();
+            if (!matcher.find()) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format(
+                        "Invalid order syntax for part %s!", part));
             }
+
+            Direction direction = Direction.fromString(matcher.group(2));
+            this.orders.add(createOrder(matcher.group(1), direction,
+                    domainClass));
         }
     }
 
 
     /**
-     * Tries to resolve a {@link Direction} for the given {@link String}.
-     * Returns {@literal null} if resolving fails.
+     * Creates an {@link Order} instance from the given property source,
+     * direction and domain class. If the domain class is given, we will use it
+     * for nested property traversal checks.
      * 
-     * @param candidate
+     * @see Property#from(String, Class)
+     * @param propertySource
+     * @param direction
+     * @param domainClass can be {@literal null}.
      * @return
      */
-    private Direction defaultedFrom(String candidate) {
+    private Order createOrder(String propertySource, Direction direction,
+            Class<?> domainClass) {
 
-        try {
-            return Direction.fromString(candidate);
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-            return null;
+        if (null == domainClass) {
+            return new Order(direction,
+                    StringUtils.uncapitalize(propertySource));
         }
+
+        Property property = Property.from(propertySource, domainClass);
+        return new Order(direction, property.toDotPath());
     }
 
 
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/PartTree.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/PartTree.java
index 924a0cb55..e0e0116ca 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/PartTree.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/PartTree.java
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ public class PartTree implements Iterable<OrPart> {
 
         buildTree(parts[0], domainClass);
         this.orderBySource =
-                parts.length == 2 ? new OrderBySource(parts[1]) : null;
+                parts.length == 2 ? new OrderBySource(parts[1], domainClass)
+                        : null;
 
     }
 
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/OrderBySourceUnitTests.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/OrderBySourceUnitTests.java
index 122e0f1f2..5f67ed439 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/OrderBySourceUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/parser/OrderBySourceUnitTests.java
@@ -40,11 +40,10 @@ public class OrderBySourceUnitTests {
 
 
     @Test
-    public void handlesSingleDirectionAndMultiplePropertiesCorrectly()
-            throws Exception {
+    public void handlesCamelCasePropertyCorrecty() throws Exception {
 
         assertThat(new OrderBySource("LastnameUsernameDesc").toSort(),
-                is(new Sort(DESC, "lastname", "username")));
+                is(new Sort(DESC, "lastnameUsername")));
     }
 
 
@@ -63,4 +62,25 @@ public class OrderBySourceUnitTests {
 
         new OrderBySource("Desc");
     }
+
+
+    @Test
+    public void usesNestedPropertyCorrectly() throws Exception {
+
+        OrderBySource source = new OrderBySource("BarNameDesc", Foo.class);
+        assertThat(source.toSort(), is(new Sort(new Order(DESC, "bar.name"))));
+
+    }
+
+    @SuppressWarnings("unused")
+    private class Foo {
+
+        private Bar bar;
+    }
+
+    @SuppressWarnings("unused")
+    private class Bar {
+
+        private String name;
+    }
 }