diff --git a/lmfdb/modular_curves/main.py b/lmfdb/modular_curves/main.py
index 40d5b0a997..f2201e8b4d 100644
--- a/lmfdb/modular_curves/main.py
+++ b/lmfdb/modular_curves/main.py
@@ -964,7 +964,7 @@ def __init__(self):
 
     _default = ["level", "index", "genus", "coarse_class_num", "coarse_level", "coarse_num", "fine_num"]
     sorts = [
-        ("level", "level", _default),
+        ("", "level", _default),
         ("index", "index", ["index"] + _default),
         ("genus", "genus", ["genus"] + _default),
         ("rank", "rank", ["rank"] + _default),