diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 3ba96f0c8..d5d351038 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ require "application_responder"
 class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   include SimpleCaptcha::ControllerHelpers
   include HasFilters
+  include HasOrders
 
   before_action :authenticate_http_basic, if: :http_basic_auth_site?
   before_action :authenticate_user!, unless: :devise_controller?, if: :beta_site?
diff --git a/app/controllers/concerns/has_orders.rb b/app/controllers/concerns/has_orders.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31a98e850
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/concerns/has_orders.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+module HasOrders
+  extend ActiveSupport::Concern
+
+  class_methods do
+    def has_orders(valid_orders, *args)
+      before_action(*args) do
+        @valid_orders = valid_orders
+        @current_order = @valid_orders.include?(params[:order]) ? params[:order] : @valid_orders.first
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/controllers/debates_controller.rb b/app/controllers/debates_controller.rb
index b336a924a..849091afc 100644
--- a/app/controllers/debates_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/debates_controller.rb
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 class DebatesController < ApplicationController
-  before_action :parse_order, only: :index
   before_action :parse_tag_filter, only: :index
   before_action :parse_search_terms, only: :index
   before_action :authenticate_user!, except: [:index, :show]
+  has_orders %w{confidence_score hot_score created_at most_commented random}, only: :index
 
   load_and_authorize_resource
+
   respond_to :html, :js
 
   def index
     @debates = @search_terms.present? ? Debate.search(@search_terms) : Debate.all
     @debates = @debates.tagged_with(@tag_filter) if @tag_filter
-    @debates = @debates.page(params[:page]).for_render.send("sort_by_#{@order}")
+    @debates = @debates.page(params[:page]).for_render.send("sort_by_#{@current_order}")
     @tag_cloud = Debate.tag_counts.order(taggings_count: :desc, name: :asc).limit(20)
     set_debate_votes(@debates)
   end
@@ -82,11 +83,6 @@ class DebatesController < ApplicationController
       @featured_tags = ActsAsTaggableOn::Tag.where(featured: true)
     end
 
-    def parse_order
-      @valid_orders = ['confidence_score', 'hot_score', 'created_at', 'most_commented', 'random']
-      @order = @valid_orders.include?(params[:order]) ? params[:order] : @valid_orders.first
-    end
-
     def parse_tag_filter
       if params[:tag].present?
         @tag_filter = params[:tag] if ActsAsTaggableOn::Tag.where(name: params[:tag]).exists?
diff --git a/app/views/debates/index.html.erb b/app/views/debates/index.html.erb
index bbd77577c..d099f8fd0 100644
--- a/app/views/debates/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/debates/index.html.erb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <section role="main">
 
   <div class="wrap row">
-    <div id="debates" class="debates-list small-12 medium-9 column js-order-<%= @order.dasherize %>">
+    <div id="debates" class="debates-list small-12 medium-9 column js-order-<%= @current_order.dasherize %>">
       <div class="filters">
         <div class="small-12 medium-7 column">
           <% if @search_terms %>
@@ -27,17 +27,7 @@
             <%= t("debates.index.select_order_long") %>
           </h2>
         <% end %>
-          <form class="inline-block">
-             <select class="js-location-changer" name="order-selector">
-               <% @valid_orders.each do |order| %>
-                 <option <%= 'selected' if order == @order %>
-                         value='<%= current_path_with_query_params(order: order, page: 1) %>'>
-                   <%= t("debates.index.orders.#{order}") %>
-                 </option>
-               <% end %>
-             </select>
-          </form>
-        </div>
+        <%= render 'shared/order_select', i18n_namespace: "debates.index" %>
       </div>
       <div class="show-for-small-only">
         <%= link_to t("debates.index.start_debate"), new_debate_path, class: 'button radius expand' %>
diff --git a/app/views/shared/_order_select.html.erb b/app/views/shared/_order_select.html.erb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..de1576199
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/shared/_order_select.html.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<% # Params:
+   #
+   #   i18n_namespace: for example "moderation.debates.index"
+%>
+
+<form class="inline-block">
+   <select class="js-location-changer" name="order-selector">
+     <% @valid_orders.each do |order| %>
+       <option <%= 'selected' if order == @current_order %>
+               value='<%= current_path_with_query_params(order: order, page: 1) %>'>
+         <%= t("#{i18n_namespace}.orders.#{order}") %>
+       </option>
+     <% end %>
+   </select>
+</form>
diff --git a/spec/controllers/concerns/has_orders_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/concerns/has_orders_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..082c4c068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/controllers/concerns/has_orders_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+describe 'HasOrders' do
+
+  class FakeController < ActionController::Base; end
+
+  controller(FakeController) do
+    include HasOrders
+    has_orders ['created_at', 'votes_count', 'flags_count'], only: :index
+
+    def index
+      render text: "#{@current_order} (#{@valid_orders.join(' ')})"
+    end
+  end
+
+  it "has the valid orders set up" do
+    get :index
+    expect(response.body).to eq('created_at (created_at votes_count flags_count)')
+  end
+
+  describe "the current order" do
+    it "defaults to the first one on the list" do
+      get :index
+      expect(response.body).to eq('created_at (created_at votes_count flags_count)')
+    end
+
+    it "can be changed by the order param" do
+      get :index, order: 'votes_count'
+      expect(response.body).to eq('votes_count (created_at votes_count flags_count)')
+    end
+
+    it "defaults to the first one on the list if given a bogus order" do
+      get :index, order: 'foobar'
+      expect(response.body).to eq('created_at (created_at votes_count flags_count)')
+    end
+  end
+end