diff --git a/modules/context/form.go b/modules/context/form.go
index f9c4ab6a9..5c0215258 100644
--- a/modules/context/form.go
+++ b/modules/context/form.go
@@ -65,3 +65,8 @@ func (ctx *Context) FormOptionalBool(key string) util.OptionalBool {
 	v = v || strings.EqualFold(s, "on")
 	return util.OptionalBoolOf(v)
 }
+
+func (ctx *Context) SetFormString(key, value string) {
+	_ = ctx.Req.FormValue(key) // force parse form
+	ctx.Req.Form.Set(key, value)
+}
diff --git a/routers/web/admin/orgs.go b/routers/web/admin/orgs.go
index 6a3617d67..d0fd0d500 100644
--- a/routers/web/admin/orgs.go
+++ b/routers/web/admin/orgs.go
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ func Organizations(ctx *context.Context) {
 	ctx.Data["Title"] = ctx.Tr("admin.organizations")
 	ctx.Data["PageIsAdminOrganizations"] = true
 
+	if ctx.FormString("sort") == "" {
+		ctx.SetFormString("sort", explore.UserSearchDefaultAdminSort)
+	}
+
 	explore.RenderUserSearch(ctx, &user_model.SearchUserOptions{
 		Actor: ctx.Doer,
 		Type:  user_model.UserTypeOrganization,
diff --git a/routers/web/admin/users.go b/routers/web/admin/users.go
index 2150bc42f..bd31d9d63 100644
--- a/routers/web/admin/users.go
+++ b/routers/web/admin/users.go
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ func Users(ctx *context.Context) {
 
 	sortType := ctx.FormString("sort")
 	if sortType == "" {
-		sortType = explore.UserSearchDefaultSortType
+		sortType = explore.UserSearchDefaultAdminSort
+		ctx.SetFormString("sort", sortType)
 	}
 	ctx.PageData["adminUserListSearchForm"] = map[string]interface{}{
 		"StatusFilterMap": statusFilterMap,
diff --git a/routers/web/explore/org.go b/routers/web/explore/org.go
index c9fb05ff3..c8b26c35e 100644
--- a/routers/web/explore/org.go
+++ b/routers/web/explore/org.go
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ func Organizations(ctx *context.Context) {
 		visibleTypes = append(visibleTypes, structs.VisibleTypeLimited, structs.VisibleTypePrivate)
 	}
 
+	if ctx.FormString("sort") == "" {
+		ctx.SetFormString("sort", UserSearchDefaultSortType)
+	}
+
 	RenderUserSearch(ctx, &user_model.SearchUserOptions{
 		Actor:       ctx.Doer,
 		Type:        user_model.UserTypeOrganization,
diff --git a/routers/web/explore/user.go b/routers/web/explore/user.go
index e00493c87..a2b5f8009 100644
--- a/routers/web/explore/user.go
+++ b/routers/web/explore/user.go
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ const (
 )
 
 // UserSearchDefaultSortType is the default sort type for user search
-const UserSearchDefaultSortType = "alphabetically"
+const (
+	UserSearchDefaultSortType  = "recentupdate"
+	UserSearchDefaultAdminSort = "alphabetically"
+)
 
 var nullByte = []byte{0x00}
 
@@ -56,14 +59,13 @@ func RenderUserSearch(ctx *context.Context, opts *user_model.SearchUserOptions,
 	)
 
 	// we can not set orderBy to `models.SearchOrderByXxx`, because there may be a JOIN in the statement, different tables may have the same name columns
+
 	ctx.Data["SortType"] = ctx.FormString("sort")
 	switch ctx.FormString("sort") {
 	case "newest":
 		orderBy = "`user`.id DESC"
 	case "oldest":
 		orderBy = "`user`.id ASC"
-	case "recentupdate":
-		orderBy = "`user`.updated_unix DESC"
 	case "leastupdate":
 		orderBy = "`user`.updated_unix ASC"
 	case "reversealphabetically":
@@ -72,10 +74,14 @@ func RenderUserSearch(ctx *context.Context, opts *user_model.SearchUserOptions,
 		orderBy = "`user`.last_login_unix ASC"
 	case "reverselastlogin":
 		orderBy = "`user`.last_login_unix DESC"
-	case UserSearchDefaultSortType: // "alphabetically"
-	default:
+	case "alphabetically":
 		orderBy = "`user`.name ASC"
-		ctx.Data["SortType"] = UserSearchDefaultSortType
+	case "recentupdate":
+		fallthrough
+	default:
+		// in case the sortType is not valid, we set it to recentupdate
+		ctx.Data["SortType"] = "recentupdate"
+		orderBy = "`user`.updated_unix DESC"
 	}
 
 	opts.Keyword = ctx.FormTrim("q")
@@ -127,6 +133,10 @@ func Users(ctx *context.Context) {
 	ctx.Data["PageIsExploreUsers"] = true
 	ctx.Data["IsRepoIndexerEnabled"] = setting.Indexer.RepoIndexerEnabled
 
+	if ctx.FormString("sort") == "" {
+		ctx.SetFormString("sort", UserSearchDefaultSortType)
+	}
+
 	RenderUserSearch(ctx, &user_model.SearchUserOptions{
 		Actor:       ctx.Doer,
 		Type:        user_model.UserTypeIndividual,
diff --git a/tests/integration/setting_test.go b/tests/integration/setting_test.go
index cb8248e6e..a824bd7f2 100644
--- a/tests/integration/setting_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/setting_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func TestSettingShowUserEmailExplore(t *testing.T) {
 	setting.UI.ShowUserEmail = true
 
 	session := loginUser(t, "user2")
-	req := NewRequest(t, "GET", "/explore/users")
+	req := NewRequest(t, "GET", "/explore/users?sort=alphabetically")
 	resp := session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
 	htmlDoc := NewHTMLParser(t, resp.Body)
 	assert.Contains(t,
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func TestSettingShowUserEmailExplore(t *testing.T) {
 
 	setting.UI.ShowUserEmail = false
 
-	req = NewRequest(t, "GET", "/explore/users")
+	req = NewRequest(t, "GET", "/explore/users?sort=alphabetically")
 	resp = session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
 	htmlDoc = NewHTMLParser(t, resp.Body)
 	assert.NotContains(t,