diff --git a/master/internal/api_experiment.go b/master/internal/api_experiment.go
index 8fd3ec2456c..960239c9407 100644
--- a/master/internal/api_experiment.go
+++ b/master/internal/api_experiment.go
@@ -2495,7 +2495,8 @@ func sortExperiments(sortString *string, experimentQuery *bun.SelectQuery) error
 		sortDirection := sortByMap[paramDetail[1]]
 		switch {
 		case strings.HasPrefix(paramDetail[0], "hp."):
-			hps := strings.ReplaceAll(strings.TrimPrefix(paramDetail[0], "hp."), ".", "'->'")
+			param := strings.ReplaceAll(paramDetail[0], "'", "")
+			hps := strings.ReplaceAll(strings.TrimPrefix(param, "hp."), ".", "'->'")
 			experimentQuery.OrderExpr(
 				fmt.Sprintf("e.config->'hyperparameters'->'%s' %s", hps, sortDirection))
 		case strings.Contains(paramDetail[0], "."):
diff --git a/master/internal/api_experiment_intg_test.go b/master/internal/api_experiment_intg_test.go
index caa0f78c9b2..48fa6962a2d 100644
--- a/master/internal/api_experiment_intg_test.go
+++ b/master/internal/api_experiment_intg_test.go
@@ -813,6 +813,35 @@ func TestSearchExperiments(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, int32(5), resp.Experiments[2].BestTrial.Restarts)
 }
 
+func TestSearchExperimentsMalformed(t *testing.T) {
+	api, curUser, ctx := setupAPITest(t, nil)
+	_, projectIDInt := createProjectAndWorkspace(ctx, t, api)
+	projectID := int32(projectIDInt)
+
+	// No trial doesn't cause errors.
+	exp := createTestExpWithProjectID(t, api, curUser, projectIDInt)
+
+	req := &apiv1.SearchExperimentsRequest{
+		ProjectId: &projectID,
+		Sort:      ptrs.Ptr("wow.it's.mean=asc"),
+	}
+	resp, err := api.SearchExperiments(ctx, req)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, resp.Experiments, 1)
+	require.Nil(t, resp.Experiments[0].BestTrial)
+	require.Equal(t, int32(exp.ID), resp.Experiments[0].Experiment.Id)
+
+	req = &apiv1.SearchExperimentsRequest{
+		ProjectId: &projectID,
+		Sort:      ptrs.Ptr("hp.tests'=asc"),
+	}
+	resp, err = api.SearchExperiments(ctx, req)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, resp.Experiments, 1)
+	require.Nil(t, resp.Experiments[0].BestTrial)
+	require.Equal(t, int32(exp.ID), resp.Experiments[0].Experiment.Id)
+}
+
 // Test that endpoints don't puke when running against old experiments.
 func TestLegacyExperiments(t *testing.T) {
 	err := etc.SetRootPath("../static/srv")