diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs b/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
index bada35623b7f..5c7488401f5b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
@@ -152,20 +152,15 @@ protected override string ApplySystemOrdering(ref Sql<ISqlContext> sql, Ordering
 
         if (ordering.OrderBy.InvariantEquals("published"))
         {
-            // no culture = can only work on the global 'published' flag
+            // no culture, assume invariant and simply order by published.
             if (ordering.Culture.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
             {
-                // see notes in ApplyOrdering: the field MUST be selected + aliased, and we cannot have
-                // the whole CASE fragment in ORDER BY due to it not being detected by NPoco
-                sql = Sql(InsertBefore(sql, "FROM", ", (CASE WHEN pcv.id IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 END) AS ordering "),
-                    sql.Arguments);
-                return "ordering";
+                return SqlSyntax.GetFieldName<DocumentDto>(x => x.Published);
             }
 
             // invariant: left join will yield NULL and we must use pcv to determine published
             // variant: left join may yield NULL or something, and that determines published
 
-
             Sql<ISqlContext> joins = Sql()
                 .InnerJoin<ContentTypeDto>("ctype").On<ContentDto, ContentTypeDto>(
                     (content, contentType) => content.ContentTypeId == contentType.NodeId, aliasRight: "ctype")
@@ -185,9 +180,9 @@ protected override string ApplySystemOrdering(ref Sql<ISqlContext> sql, Ordering
             // the whole CASE fragment in ORDER BY due to it not being detected by NPoco
             var sqlText = InsertBefore(sql.SQL, "FROM",
 
-                // when invariant, ie 'variations' does not have the culture flag (value 1), use the global 'published' flag on pcv.id,
+                // when invariant, ie 'variations' does not have the culture flag (value 1), it should be safe to simply use the published flag on umbracoDocument,
                 // otherwise check if there's a version culture variation for the lang, via ccv.id
-                ", (CASE WHEN (ctype.variations & 1) = 0 THEN (CASE WHEN pcv.id IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 END) ELSE (CASE WHEN ccvp.id IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 END) END) AS ordering "); // trailing space is important!
+                $", (CASE WHEN (ctype.variations & 1) = 0 THEN ({SqlSyntax.GetFieldName<DocumentDto>(x => x.Published)}) ELSE (CASE WHEN ccvp.id IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 END) END) AS ordering "); // trailing space is important!
 
             sql = Sql(sqlText, sql.Arguments);