diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.test.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.test.ts
index 9a3449b65a941..fafa04447ddfe 100644
--- a/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.test.ts
@@ -108,8 +108,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
               "namespace": undefined,
               "perPage": 500,
               "search": undefined,
-              "sortField": "_id",
-              "sortOrder": "asc",
               "type": Array [
                 "index-pattern",
                 "search",
@@ -256,8 +254,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
               "namespace": undefined,
               "perPage": 500,
               "search": "foo",
-              "sortField": "_id",
-              "sortOrder": "asc",
               "type": Array [
                 "index-pattern",
                 "search",
@@ -345,8 +341,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
               "namespace": "foo",
               "perPage": 500,
               "search": undefined,
-              "sortField": "_id",
-              "sortOrder": "asc",
               "type": Array [
                 "index-pattern",
                 "search",
@@ -399,6 +393,79 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
     ).rejects.toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(`"Can't export more than 1 objects"`);
   });
 
+  test('sorts objects within type', async () => {
+    savedObjectsClient.find.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      total: 3,
+      per_page: 10000,
+      page: 1,
+      saved_objects: [
+        {
+          id: '3',
+          type: 'index-pattern',
+          attributes: {
+            name: 'baz',
+          },
+          references: [],
+        },
+        {
+          id: '1',
+          type: 'index-pattern',
+          attributes: {
+            name: 'foo',
+          },
+          references: [],
+        },
+        {
+          id: '2',
+          type: 'index-pattern',
+          attributes: {
+            name: 'bar',
+          },
+          references: [],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    const exportStream = await getSortedObjectsForExport({
+      exportSizeLimit: 10000,
+      savedObjectsClient,
+      types: ['index-pattern'],
+    });
+    const response = await readStreamToCompletion(exportStream);
+    expect(response).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      Array [
+        Object {
+          "attributes": Object {
+            "name": "foo",
+          },
+          "id": "1",
+          "references": Array [],
+          "type": "index-pattern",
+        },
+        Object {
+          "attributes": Object {
+            "name": "bar",
+          },
+          "id": "2",
+          "references": Array [],
+          "type": "index-pattern",
+        },
+        Object {
+          "attributes": Object {
+            "name": "baz",
+          },
+          "id": "3",
+          "references": Array [],
+          "type": "index-pattern",
+        },
+        Object {
+          "exportedCount": 3,
+          "missingRefCount": 0,
+          "missingReferences": Array [],
+        },
+      ]
+    `);
+  });
+
   test('exports selected objects and sorts them', async () => {
     savedObjectsClient.bulkGet.mockResolvedValueOnce({
       saved_objects: [
diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.ts
index e1a705a36db75..a4dfacfd9e34f 100644
--- a/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 import Boom from 'boom';
 import { createListStream } from '../../../../legacy/utils/streams';
-import { SavedObjectsClientContract } from '../types';
+import { SavedObjectsClientContract, SavedObject } from '../types';
 import { fetchNestedDependencies } from './inject_nested_depdendencies';
 import { sortObjects } from './sort_objects';
 
@@ -105,15 +105,17 @@ async function fetchObjectsToExport({
     const findResponse = await savedObjectsClient.find({
       type: types,
       search,
-      sortField: '_id',
-      sortOrder: 'asc',
       perPage: exportSizeLimit,
       namespace,
     });
     if (findResponse.total > exportSizeLimit) {
       throw Boom.badRequest(`Can't export more than ${exportSizeLimit} objects`);
     }
-    return findResponse.saved_objects;
+
+    // sorts server-side by _id, since it's only available in fielddata
+    return findResponse.saved_objects.sort((a: SavedObject, b: SavedObject) =>
+      a.id > b.id ? 1 : -1
+    );
   } else {
     throw Boom.badRequest('Either `type` or `objects` are required.');
   }
@@ -137,14 +139,17 @@ export async function getSortedObjectsForExport({
     exportSizeLimit,
     namespace,
   });
-  let exportedObjects = [...rootObjects];
+  let exportedObjects = [];
   let missingReferences: SavedObjectsExportResultDetails['missingReferences'] = [];
+
   if (includeReferencesDeep) {
     const fetchResult = await fetchNestedDependencies(rootObjects, savedObjectsClient, namespace);
-    exportedObjects = fetchResult.objects;
+    exportedObjects = sortObjects(fetchResult.objects);
     missingReferences = fetchResult.missingRefs;
+  } else {
+    exportedObjects = sortObjects(rootObjects);
   }
-  exportedObjects = sortObjects(exportedObjects);
+
   const exportDetails: SavedObjectsExportResultDetails = {
     exportedCount: exportedObjects.length,
     missingRefCount: missingReferences.length,