diff --git a/src/collection-browser.ts b/src/collection-browser.ts
index b8b415f7a..90962c0a7 100644
--- a/src/collection-browser.ts
+++ b/src/collection-browser.ts
@@ -239,6 +239,13 @@ export class CollectionBrowser
    */
   private isResizeToMobile = false;
 
+  /**
+   * Flag indicating that a new data source is currently being installed.
+   * During the install, any URL persistence operation should replace the current entry
+   * instead of creating a new one.
+   */
+  private dataSourceInstallInProgress = false;
+
   private leftColIntersectionObserver?: IntersectionObserver;
 
   private facetsIntersectionObserver?: IntersectionObserver;
@@ -1009,8 +1016,12 @@ export class CollectionBrowser
     this.selectedTitleFilter = queryState.selectedTitleFilter;
     this.selectedCreatorFilter = queryState.selectedCreatorFilter;
 
+    // We set this flag during the update to prevent the URL state persistence
+    // from creating an unwanted extra history entry.
+    this.dataSourceInstallInProgress = true;
     this.requestUpdate();
     await this.updateComplete;
+    this.dataSourceInstallInProgress = false;
 
     if (!this.searchResultsLoading) {
       this.setTotalResultCount(this.dataSource.totalResults);
@@ -1021,7 +1032,6 @@ export class CollectionBrowser
   }
 
   firstUpdated(): void {
-    this.setupStateRestorationObserver();
     this.restoreState();
   }
 
@@ -1175,6 +1185,11 @@ export class CollectionBrowser
     }
   }
 
+  connectedCallback(): void {
+    super.connectedCallback?.();
+    this.setupStateRestorationObserver();
+  }
+
   disconnectedCallback(): void {
     if (this.resizeObserver) {
       this.disconnectResizeObserver(this.resizeObserver);
@@ -1435,8 +1450,9 @@ export class CollectionBrowser
   }
 
   private setupStateRestorationObserver() {
-    if (this.boundNavigationHandler) return;
-    this.boundNavigationHandler = this.historyNavigationHandler.bind(this);
+    if (!this.boundNavigationHandler) {
+      this.boundNavigationHandler = this.historyNavigationHandler.bind(this);
+    }
     // when the user navigates back, we want to update the UI to match the URL
     window.addEventListener('popstate', this.boundNavigationHandler);
   }
@@ -1483,7 +1499,10 @@ export class CollectionBrowser
       selectedTitleFilter: this.selectedTitleFilter ?? undefined,
       selectedCreatorFilter: this.selectedCreatorFilter ?? undefined,
     };
-    this.restorationStateHandler.persistState(restorationState);
+    this.restorationStateHandler.persistState(
+      restorationState,
+      this.dataSourceInstallInProgress
+    );
   }
 
   private emitSearchResultsLoadingChanged(): void {
diff --git a/src/restoration-state-handler.ts b/src/restoration-state-handler.ts
index 7e5a404ed..4199a3adc 100644
--- a/src/restoration-state-handler.ts
+++ b/src/restoration-state-handler.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export interface RestorationState {
 }
 
 export interface RestorationStateHandlerInterface {
-  persistState(state: RestorationState): void;
+  persistState(state: RestorationState, forceReplace?: boolean): void;
   getRestorationState(): RestorationState;
 }
 
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ export class RestorationStateHandler
     this.context = options.context;
   }
 
-  persistState(state: RestorationState): void {
+  persistState(state: RestorationState, forceReplace = false): void {
     if (state.displayMode) this.persistViewStateToCookies(state.displayMode);
-    this.persistQueryStateToUrl(state);
+    this.persistQueryStateToUrl(state, forceReplace);
   }
 
   getRestorationState(): RestorationState {
@@ -85,7 +85,10 @@ export class RestorationStateHandler
     return 'list-compact';
   }
 
-  private persistQueryStateToUrl(state: RestorationState) {
+  private persistQueryStateToUrl(
+    state: RestorationState,
+    forceReplace = false
+  ) {
     const url = new URL(window.location.href);
     const oldParams = new URLSearchParams(url.searchParams);
     const newParams = this.removeRecognizedParams(url.searchParams);
@@ -176,7 +179,9 @@ export class RestorationStateHandler
     //  - If the state has changed, we push a new history entry.
     //  - If only the page number has changed, we replace the current history entry.
     //  - If the state hasn't changed, then do nothing.
-    let historyMethod: 'pushState' | 'replaceState' = 'pushState';
+    let historyMethod: 'pushState' | 'replaceState' = forceReplace
+      ? 'replaceState'
+      : 'pushState';
     const nonQueryParamsMatch = this.paramsMatch(oldParams, newParams, [
       'sin',
       'sort',
diff --git a/src/sort-filter-bar/sort-filter-bar.ts b/src/sort-filter-bar/sort-filter-bar.ts
index d844dc86d..6c9b33d42 100644
--- a/src/sort-filter-bar/sort-filter-bar.ts
+++ b/src/sort-filter-bar/sort-filter-bar.ts
@@ -167,8 +167,14 @@ export class SortFilterBar
   }
 
   willUpdate(changed: PropertyValues) {
-    if (changed.has('selectedSort')) {
-      if (this.sortDirection === null) {
+    if (changed.has('selectedSort') || changed.has('defaultSortField')) {
+      // If the sort is changed from its default without a direction set,
+      // we adopt the default sort direction for that sort type.
+      if (
+        this.selectedSort &&
+        this.selectedSort !== SortField.default &&
+        this.sortDirection === null
+      ) {
         const sortOption = SORT_OPTIONS[this.finalizedSortField];
         this.sortDirection = sortOption.defaultSortDirection;
       }