diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/services/discover_state.ts b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/services/discover_state.ts
index bc33b2f1ff09d..86d279ec09c20 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/services/discover_state.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/services/discover_state.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
-import { isEqual, cloneDeep } from 'lodash';
+import { cloneDeep, isEqual } from 'lodash';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import { History } from 'history';
 import { NotificationsStart, IUiSettingsClient } from '@kbn/core/public';
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ import {
   syncQueryStateWithUrl,
 } from '@kbn/data-plugin/public';
 import { DataView } from '@kbn/data-views-plugin/public';
-import { migrateLegacyQuery } from '../../../utils/migrate_legacy_query';
 import { DiscoverGridSettings } from '../../../components/discover_grid/types';
 import { SavedSearch } from '../../../services/saved_searches';
 import { handleSourceColumnState } from '../../../utils/state_helpers';
 import { DISCOVER_APP_LOCATOR, DiscoverAppLocatorParams } from '../../../locator';
 import { VIEW_MODE } from '../../../components/view_mode_toggle';
+import { cleanupUrlState } from '../utils/cleanup_url_state';
 
 export interface AppState {
   /**
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ export interface AppState {
   rowHeight?: number;
 }
 
+export interface AppStateUrl extends Omit<AppState, 'sort'> {
+  /**
+   * Necessary to take care of legacy links [fieldName,direction]
+   */
+  sort?: string[][] | [string, string];
+}
+
 interface GetStateParams {
   /**
    * Default state used for merging with with URL state to get the initial state
@@ -193,17 +200,7 @@ export function getState({
     ...(toasts && withNotifyOnErrors(toasts)),
   });
 
-  const appStateFromUrl = stateStorage.get(APP_STATE_URL_KEY) as AppState;
-
-  if (appStateFromUrl && appStateFromUrl.query && !appStateFromUrl.query.language) {
-    appStateFromUrl.query = migrateLegacyQuery(appStateFromUrl.query);
-  }
-
-  if (appStateFromUrl?.sort && !appStateFromUrl.sort.length) {
-    // If there's an empty array given in the URL, the sort prop should be removed
-    // This allows the sort prop to be overwritten with the default sorting
-    delete appStateFromUrl.sort;
-  }
+  const appStateFromUrl = cleanupUrlState(stateStorage.get(APP_STATE_URL_KEY) as AppStateUrl);
 
   let initialAppState = handleSourceColumnState(
     {
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/utils/cleanup_url_state.test.ts b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/utils/cleanup_url_state.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e76e40a45a316
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/utils/cleanup_url_state.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+import { cleanupUrlState } from './cleanup_url_state';
+import { AppStateUrl } from '../services/discover_state';
+
+describe('cleanupUrlState', () => {
+  test('cleaning up legacy sort', async () => {
+    const state = { sort: ['batman', 'desc'] } as AppStateUrl;
+    expect(cleanupUrlState(state)).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      Object {
+        "sort": Array [
+          Array [
+            "batman",
+            "desc",
+          ],
+        ],
+      }
+    `);
+  });
+  test('not cleaning up broken legacy sort', async () => {
+    const state = { sort: ['batman'] } as unknown as AppStateUrl;
+    expect(cleanupUrlState(state)).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`Object {}`);
+  });
+  test('not cleaning up regular sort', async () => {
+    const state = {
+      sort: [
+        ['batman', 'desc'],
+        ['robin', 'asc'],
+      ],
+    } as AppStateUrl;
+    expect(cleanupUrlState(state)).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      Object {
+        "sort": Array [
+          Array [
+            "batman",
+            "desc",
+          ],
+          Array [
+            "robin",
+            "asc",
+          ],
+        ],
+      }
+    `);
+  });
+  test('removing empty sort', async () => {
+    const state = {
+      sort: [],
+    } as AppStateUrl;
+    expect(cleanupUrlState(state)).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`Object {}`);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/utils/cleanup_url_state.ts b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/utils/cleanup_url_state.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0148931f73c58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/utils/cleanup_url_state.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+import { migrateLegacyQuery } from '../../../utils/migrate_legacy_query';
+import { AppState, AppStateUrl } from '../services/discover_state';
+
+/**
+ * Takes care of the given url state, migrates legacy props and cleans up empty props
+ * @param appStateFromUrl
+ */
+export function cleanupUrlState(appStateFromUrl: AppStateUrl): AppState {
+  if (appStateFromUrl && appStateFromUrl.query && !appStateFromUrl.query.language) {
+    appStateFromUrl.query = migrateLegacyQuery(appStateFromUrl.query);
+  }
+
+  if (typeof appStateFromUrl?.sort?.[0] === 'string') {
+    if (appStateFromUrl?.sort?.[1] === 'asc' || appStateFromUrl.sort[1] === 'desc') {
+      // handling sort props like this[fieldName,direction]
+      appStateFromUrl.sort = [[appStateFromUrl.sort[0], appStateFromUrl.sort[1]]];
+    } else {
+      delete appStateFromUrl.sort;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (appStateFromUrl?.sort && !appStateFromUrl.sort.length) {
+    // If there's an empty array given in the URL, the sort prop should be removed
+    // This allows the sort prop to be overwritten with the default sorting
+    delete appStateFromUrl.sort;
+  }
+  return appStateFromUrl as AppState;
+}