diff --git a/core/server/models/plugins/filter.js b/core/server/models/plugins/filter.js
index 657161ee9a..3f56014da1 100644
--- a/core/server/models/plugins/filter.js
+++ b/core/server/models/plugins/filter.js
@@ -139,15 +139,6 @@ filter = function filter(Bookshelf) {
                     .query('leftOuterJoin', 'posts_authors', 'posts_authors.post_id', '=', 'posts.id')
                     .query('leftOuterJoin', 'users as authors', 'posts_authors.author_id', '=', 'authors.id');
 
-                // The order override should ONLY happen if we are doing an "IN" query
-                // TODO move the order handling to the query building that is currently inside pagination
-                // TODO make the order handling in pagination handle orderByRaw
-                // TODO extend this handling to all joins
-                if (gql.json.findStatement(this._filters.statements, {prop: /^authors/, op: 'IN'})) {
-                    // TODO make this count the number of MATCHING authors, not just the number of authors
-                    this.query('orderByRaw', 'count(authors.id) DESC');
-                }
-
                 // We need to add a group by to counter the double left outer join
                 // TODO improve on the group by handling
                 options.groups = options.groups || [];
diff --git a/core/server/models/post.js b/core/server/models/post.js
index 40c7f25477..bc5b9a8faf 100644
--- a/core/server/models/post.js
+++ b/core/server/models/post.js
@@ -590,6 +590,11 @@ Post = ghostBookshelf.Model.extend({
             order = `count(tags.id) DESC, ${order}`;
         }
 
+        // CASE: if the filter contains an `IN` operator, we should return the posts first, which match both authors
+        if (options.filter && options.filter.match(/(authors|author):\s?\[.*\]/)) {
+            order = `count(authors.id) DESC, ${order}`;
+        }
+
         return order;
     },
 
diff --git a/core/test/unit/models/post_spec.js b/core/test/unit/models/post_spec.js
index a774e8c56b..6c46a71830 100644
--- a/core/test/unit/models/post_spec.js
+++ b/core/test/unit/models/post_spec.js
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ describe('Unit: models/post', function () {
                 withRelated: ['authors', 'tags']
             }).then(() => {
                 queries.length.should.eql(2);
-                queries[0].sql.should.eql('select count(distinct posts.id) as aggregate from `posts` left outer join `posts_tags` on `posts_tags`.`post_id` = `posts`.`id` left outer join `tags` on `posts_tags`.`tag_id` = `tags`.`id` left outer join `posts_authors` on `posts_authors`.`post_id` = `posts`.`id` left outer join `users` as `authors` on `posts_authors`.`author_id` = `authors`.`id` where (`posts`.`page` = ? and `posts`.`status` = ?) and (`authors`.`slug` in (?, ?) and (`tags`.`slug` = ? or `posts`.`feature_image` is not null)) order by count(authors.id) DESC');
+                queries[0].sql.should.eql('select count(distinct posts.id) as aggregate from `posts` left outer join `posts_tags` on `posts_tags`.`post_id` = `posts`.`id` left outer join `tags` on `posts_tags`.`tag_id` = `tags`.`id` left outer join `posts_authors` on `posts_authors`.`post_id` = `posts`.`id` left outer join `users` as `authors` on `posts_authors`.`author_id` = `authors`.`id` where (`posts`.`page` = ? and `posts`.`status` = ?) and (`authors`.`slug` in (?, ?) and (`tags`.`slug` = ? or `posts`.`feature_image` is not null))');
                 queries[0].bindings.should.eql([
                     false,
                     'published',