diff --git a/services/sync/modules/engines.js b/services/sync/modules/engines.js
index 0d55fe8e01bb..78296be61fdf 100644
--- a/services/sync/modules/engines.js
+++ b/services/sync/modules/engines.js
@@ -448,13 +448,14 @@ SyncEngine.prototype = {
     // 50 is hardcoded here because of URL length restrictions.
     // (GUIDs can be up to 64 chars long)
     let fetchNum = Infinity;
-    if (Svc.Prefs.get("client.type") == "mobile")
-      fetchNum = 50;
 
     let newitems = new Collection(this.engineURL, this._recordObj);
+    if (Svc.Prefs.get("client.type") == "mobile") {
+      fetchNum = 50;
+      newitems.sort = "index";
+    }
     newitems.newer = this.lastSync;
     newitems.full = true;
-    newitems.sort = "index";
     newitems.limit = fetchNum;
 
     let count = {applied: 0, reconciled: 0};