diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3e8f6411028..92ec1c78652 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ## [`master`](https://github.com/elastic/eui/tree/master)
 
-No public interface changes since `30.2.0`.
+**Bug fixes**
+
+- Fixed a condition in `EuiInMemoryTable` to avoid mistaken assignment of `sortName` ([#4138](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/4138))
 
 ## [`30.2.0`](https://github.com/elastic/eui/tree/v30.2.0)
 
diff --git a/src/components/basic_table/in_memory_table.test.tsx b/src/components/basic_table/in_memory_table.test.tsx
index 0c2512c5ae8..fe66b22edbb 100644
--- a/src/components/basic_table/in_memory_table.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/basic_table/in_memory_table.test.tsx
@@ -978,6 +978,33 @@ describe('EuiInMemoryTable', () => {
       expect(component).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 
+    test('pagination with actions column and sorting set to true', async () => {
+      const props: EuiInMemoryTableProps<BasicItem> = {
+        ...requiredProps,
+        items: [
+          { id: '1', name: 'name1' },
+          { id: '2', name: 'name2' },
+          { id: '3', name: 'name3' },
+          { id: '4', name: 'name4' },
+        ],
+        columns: [
+          {
+            name: 'Actions',
+            actions: [],
+          },
+        ],
+        sorting: true,
+        pagination: {
+          pageSizeOptions: [2, 4, 6],
+        },
+      };
+      const component = mount(<EuiInMemoryTable {...props} />);
+
+      component
+        .find('EuiButtonEmpty[data-test-subj="pagination-button-1"]')
+        .simulate('click');
+    });
+
     test('onTableChange callback', () => {
       const props: EuiInMemoryTableProps<BasicItem> = {
         ...requiredProps,
diff --git a/src/components/basic_table/in_memory_table.tsx b/src/components/basic_table/in_memory_table.tsx
index 2c11b8f0495..6c7cc1bc2bc 100644
--- a/src/components/basic_table/in_memory_table.tsx
+++ b/src/components/basic_table/in_memory_table.tsx
@@ -416,7 +416,10 @@ export class EuiInMemoryTable<T> extends Component<
     // map back to `name` if this is the case
     for (let i = 0; i < this.props.columns.length; i++) {
       const column = this.props.columns[i];
-      if ((column as EuiTableFieldDataColumnType<T>).field === sortName) {
+      if (
+        'field' in column &&
+        (column as EuiTableFieldDataColumnType<T>).field === sortName
+      ) {
         sortName = column.name as keyof T;
         break;
       }