diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/search.go b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/search.go
index 7f866943cbe..fc170a36783 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/search.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/search.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"slices"
+	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -198,6 +199,7 @@ func (s *SearchHandler) DoSortable(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 const rootFolder = "general"
 
+//nolint:gocyclo
 func (s *SearchHandler) DoSearch(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	ctx, span := s.tracer.Start(r.Context(), "dashboard.search")
 	defer span.End()
@@ -346,6 +348,14 @@ func (s *SearchHandler) DoSearch(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	if parsedResults != nil && len(searchRequest.SortBy) == 0 {
+		// default sort by resource descending ( folders then dashboards ) then title
+		sort.Slice(parsedResults.Hits, func(i, j int) bool {
+			return parsedResults.Hits[i].Resource > parsedResults.Hits[j].Resource ||
+				(parsedResults.Hits[i].Resource == parsedResults.Hits[j].Resource && strings.ToLower(parsedResults.Hits[i].Title) < strings.ToLower(parsedResults.Hits[j].Title))
+		})
+	}
+
 	s.write(w, parsedResults)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/search_test.go b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/search_test.go
index fbd3a209ff5..83e46a6e6c2 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/search_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/search_test.go
@@ -2,15 +2,19 @@ package dashboard
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/apimachinery/identity"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/apis/dashboard/v0alpha1"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/log"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/tracing"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/user"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/storage/unified/resource"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
 
@@ -177,7 +181,7 @@ func TestSearchFallback(t *testing.T) {
 }
 */
 
-func TestSearchHandlerFields(t *testing.T) {
+func TestSearchHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	// Create a mock client
 	mockClient := &MockClient{}
 
@@ -238,6 +242,33 @@ func TestSearchHandlerFields(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("expected fields %v, got %v", expectedFields, mockClient.LastSearchRequest.Fields)
 		}
 	})
+
+	t.Run("Sort - default sort by resource then title", func(t *testing.T) {
+		rr := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/search", nil)
+		req.Header.Add("content-type", "application/json")
+		req = req.WithContext(identity.WithRequester(req.Context(), &user.SignedInUser{Namespace: "test"}))
+
+		searchHandler.DoSearch(rr, req)
+
+		if mockClient.LastSearchRequest == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("expected Search to be called, but it was not")
+		}
+
+		resp := rr.Result()
+		defer func() {
+			if err := resp.Body.Close(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}()
+
+		p := &v0alpha1.SearchResults{}
+		err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(p)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, len(mockResults), len(p.Hits))
+		assert.Equal(t, mockResults[3].Value, p.Hits[0].Title)
+		assert.Equal(t, mockResults[1].Value, p.Hits[3].Title)
+	})
 }
 
 // MockClient implements the ResourceIndexClient interface for testing
@@ -248,10 +279,59 @@ type MockClient struct {
 	LastSearchRequest *resource.ResourceSearchRequest
 }
 
+type MockResult struct {
+	Name     string
+	Resource string
+	Value    string
+}
+
+var mockResults = []MockResult{
+	{
+		Name:     "d1",
+		Resource: "dashboard",
+		Value:    "Dashboard 1",
+	},
+	{
+		Name:     "d2",
+		Resource: "dashboard",
+		Value:    "Dashboard 2",
+	},
+	{
+		Name:     "f2",
+		Resource: "folder",
+		Value:    "Folder 2",
+	},
+	{
+		Name:     "f1",
+		Resource: "folder",
+		Value:    "Folder 1",
+	},
+}
+
 func (m *MockClient) Search(ctx context.Context, in *resource.ResourceSearchRequest, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (*resource.ResourceSearchResponse, error) {
 	m.LastSearchRequest = in
 
-	return &resource.ResourceSearchResponse{}, nil
+	rows := make([]*resource.ResourceTableRow, len(mockResults))
+	for i, r := range mockResults {
+		rows[i] = &resource.ResourceTableRow{
+			Key: &resource.ResourceKey{
+				Name:     r.Name,
+				Resource: r.Resource,
+			},
+			Cells: [][]byte{
+				[]byte(r.Value),
+			},
+		}
+	}
+
+	return &resource.ResourceSearchResponse{
+		Results: &resource.ResourceTable{
+			Columns: []*resource.ResourceTableColumnDefinition{
+				{Name: resource.SEARCH_FIELD_TITLE},
+			},
+			Rows: rows,
+		},
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func (m *MockClient) GetStats(ctx context.Context, in *resource.ResourceStatsRequest, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (*resource.ResourceStatsResponse, error) {