diff -r -u roundup.orig/backends/back_anydbm.py /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/backends/back_anydbm.py
--- roundup.orig/backends/back_anydbm.py	2005-12-13 15:28:38.514449881 +0100
+++ /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/backends/back_anydbm.py	2005-12-13 15:26:15.802829282 +0100
@@ -1754,12 +1754,8 @@
                         elif isinstance(propclass, hyperdb.Link):
                             lcn = propclass.classname
                             link = self.db.classes[lcn]
-                            key = None
-                            if link.getprops().has_key('order'):
-                                key = 'order'
-                            elif link.getkey():
-                                key = link.getkey()
-                            if key:
+                            key = link.orderprop()
+                            if key!='id':
                                 if not lcache.has_key(v):
                                     # open the link class db if it's not already
                                     if lcldb is None:
diff -r -u roundup.orig/backends/back_metakit.py /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/backends/back_metakit.py
--- roundup.orig/backends/back_metakit.py	2005-12-13 15:28:38.515449744 +0100
+++ /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/backends/back_metakit.py	2005-12-13 15:21:01.992237691 +0100
@@ -1386,11 +1386,7 @@
                     lv = linkclass.getview()
                     lv = lv.rename('id', propname)
                     v = v.join(lv, prop, 1)
-                    if linkclass.getprops().has_key('order'):
-                        propname = 'order'
-                    else:
-                        propname = linkclass.labelprop()
-                    prop = getattr(v, propname)
+                    prop = getattr(v, linkclass.orderprop())
                 if isreversed:
                     rev.append(prop)
                 sortspec.append(prop)
diff -r -u roundup.orig/backends/back_mysql.py /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/backends/back_mysql.py
--- roundup.orig/backends/back_mysql.py	2005-07-18 03:20:23.000000000 +0200
+++ /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/backends/back_mysql.py	2005-12-13 15:06:35.934428423 +0100
@@ -685,14 +685,13 @@
                     lcn = props[prop].classname
                     link = self.db.classes[lcn]
                     o = '_%s._%s'%(cn, prop)
-                    if link.getprops().has_key('order'):
+                    op = link.orderprop ()
+                    if op != 'id':
                         tn = '_' + lcn
                         loj.append('LEFT OUTER JOIN %s on %s=%s.id'%(tn,
                             o, tn))
-                        ordercols.append(tn + '._order')
-                        o = tn + '._order'
-                    else:
-                        ordercols.append(o)
+                        o = tn + '.%s'%op
+                    ordercols.append(o)
                 elif prop == 'id':
                     o = '_%s.id'%cn
                 else:
diff -r -u roundup.orig/backends/rdbms_common.py /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/backends/rdbms_common.py
--- roundup.orig/backends/rdbms_common.py	2005-12-13 15:28:38.516449607 +0100
+++ /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/backends/rdbms_common.py	2005-12-13 14:56:36.566025034 +0100
@@ -2186,14 +2186,13 @@
                     lcn = props[prop].classname
                     link = self.db.classes[lcn]
                     o = '_%s._%s'%(cn, prop)
-                    if link.getprops().has_key('order'):
+                    op = link.orderprop()
+                    if op != 'id':
                         tn = '_' + lcn
                         loj.append('LEFT OUTER JOIN %s on %s=%s.id'%(tn,
                             o, tn))
-                        ordercols.append(tn + '._order')
-                        o = tn + '._order'
-                    else:
-                        ordercols.append(o)
+                        o = tn + '._%s'%op
+                    ordercols.append(o)
                 elif prop == 'id':
                     o = '_%s.id'%cn
                 else:
diff -r -u roundup.orig/hyperdb.py /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/hyperdb.py
--- roundup.orig/hyperdb.py	2005-12-13 15:28:38.517449470 +0100
+++ /usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/roundup/hyperdb.py	2005-12-13 14:38:07.743505090 +0100
@@ -598,6 +598,14 @@
             raise ValueError, "Not a property name: %s" % labelprop
         self._labelprop = labelprop
 
+    def setorderprop (self, orderprop):
+        """Set the order property. Used for override of orderprop
+           resolution order
+        """
+        if orderprop not in self.getprops () :
+            raise ValueError, "Not a property name: %s" % orderprop
+        self._orderprop = orderprop
+
     def getkey(self):
         """Return the name of the key property for this class or None."""
         raise NotImplementedError
@@ -630,6 +638,14 @@
         props.sort()
         return props[0]
 
+    def orderprop (self):
+        if hasattr (self, '_orderprop') :
+            return self._orderprop
+        props = self.getprops ()
+        if props.has_key ('order'):
+            return 'order'
+        return self.labelprop ()
+
     def lookup(self, keyvalue):
         """Locate a particular node by its key property and return its id.