diff --git a/browser/components/history/content/history-panel.xul b/browser/components/history/content/history-panel.xul
index 30703f653b2..231f841d878 100644
--- a/browser/components/history/content/history-panel.xul
+++ b/browser/components/history/content/history-panel.xul
@@ -88,21 +88,21 @@
     <toolbarbutton id="viewButton" type="menu" label="&view.label;" selectedsort="day" persist="selectedsort">
       <menupopup>
         <menuitem id="bydayandsite" label="&byDayAndSite.label;" accesskey="&byDayAndSite.accesskey;" type="radio"
-                  oncommand="this.parentNode.parentNode.setAttribute('selectedsort', 'dayandsite'); GroupBy('dayandsite'); SortBy('dayandsite');"/>
+                  oncommand="this.parentNode.parentNode.setAttribute('selectedsort', 'dayandsite'); GroupBy('dayandsite');"/>
         <menuitem id="bysite" label="&bySite.label;" accesskey="&bySite.accesskey;" type="radio"
-                  oncommand="this.parentNode.parentNode.setAttribute('selectedsort', 'site'); GroupBy('none'); SortBy('name');"/>
+                  oncommand="this.parentNode.parentNode.setAttribute('selectedsort', 'site'); GroupBy('site');"/>
         <menuitem id="byday" label="&byDate.label;" accesskey="&byDate.accesskey;"
                   type="radio"
                   oncommand="this.parentNode.parentNode.setAttribute('selectedsort', 'day');
-                             GroupBy('day'); SortBy('day');"/>
+                             GroupBy('day');"/>
         <menuitem id="byvisited" label="&byMostVisited.label;" accesskey="&byMostVisited.accesskey;"
                   type="radio"
                   oncommand="this.parentNode.parentNode.setAttribute('selectedsort', 'visited');
-                             GroupBy('none'); SortBy('visited');"/>
+                             GroupBy('visited');"/>
         <menuitem id="bylastvisited" label="&byLastVisited.label;" accesskey="&byLastVisited.accesskey;"
                   type="radio"
                   oncommand="this.parentNode.parentNode.setAttribute('selectedsort', 'lastvisited');
-                             GroupBy('none'); SortBy('lastvisited');"/>
+                             GroupBy('lastvisited');"/>
       </menupopup>
     </toolbarbutton>
   </hbox>
diff --git a/browser/components/history/content/history.js b/browser/components/history/content/history.js
index a46c245e96c..8556c4a7859 100644
--- a/browser/components/history/content/history.js
+++ b/browser/components/history/content/history.js
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ function HistoryCommonInit()
     else
       document.getElementById("byday").setAttribute("checked", "true");
     gHistoryTree.focus();
+    SortInNewDirection(find_sort_direction(find_sort_column()));
     gHistoryTree.treeBoxObject.view.selection.select(0);
 }
 
@@ -162,14 +163,25 @@ function GroupBy(groupingType)
         break;
     case "site":
         // xxx for now
-        gHistoryTree.setAttribute("ref", "NC:HistoryByDate");
+        gHistoryTree.setAttribute("ref", "NC:HistoryRoot");
+        SortBy("name");
         break;
     case "dayandsite":
         gHistoryTree.setAttribute("ref", "NC:HistoryByDateAndSite");
+        SortBy("dayandsite");
+        break;
+    case "visited":
+        gHistoryTree.setAttribute("ref", "NC:HistoryRoot");
+        SortBy("visited");
+        break;
+    case "lastvisited":
+        gHistoryTree.setAttribute("ref", "NC:HistoryRoot");
+        SortBy("lastvisited");
         break;
     case "day":
     default:
         gHistoryTree.setAttribute("ref", "NC:HistoryByDate");
+        SortBy("day");
         break;
     }
     gSearchBox.value = "";
@@ -254,5 +266,5 @@ function searchHistory(aInput)
 
 function onUnload()
 {
-  GroupBy(gHistoryGrouping);
+  return;
 }