diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodel.h b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodel.h
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodel.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodel.h
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@
 
 protected:
     void onGroupedSortingChanged(bool current) override;
-    void onSortRoleChanged(const QByteArray& current, const QByteArray& previous) override;
+    void onSortRoleChanged(const QByteArray& current, const QByteArray& previous, bool resortItems = true) override;
     void onSortOrderChanged(Qt::SortOrder current, Qt::SortOrder previous) override;
 
 private slots:
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodel.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodel.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodel.cpp
@@ -789,7 +789,7 @@
     m_groups.clear();
 }
 
-void KFileItemModel::onSortRoleChanged(const QByteArray& current, const QByteArray& previous)
+void KFileItemModel::onSortRoleChanged(const QByteArray& current, const QByteArray& previous, bool resortItems)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(previous);
     m_sortRole = typeForRole(current);
@@ -800,7 +800,9 @@
         setRoles(newRoles);
     }
 
-    resortAllItems();
+    if (resortItems) {
+        resortAllItems();
+    }
 }
 
 void KFileItemModel::onSortOrderChanged(Qt::SortOrder current, Qt::SortOrder previous)
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.h b/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.h
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.h
@@ -85,8 +85,9 @@
      * Sets the sort-role to \a role. The method KItemModelBase::onSortRoleChanged() will be
      * called so that model-implementations can react on the sort-role change. Afterwards the
      * signal sortRoleChanged() will be emitted.
+     * The implementation should resort only if \a resortItems is true.
      */
-    void setSortRole(const QByteArray& role);
+    void setSortRole(const QByteArray& role, bool resortItems = true);
     QByteArray sortRole() const;
 
     /**
@@ -266,8 +267,9 @@
      * Usually the most efficient way is to emit a
      * itemsRemoved() signal for all items, reorder the items internally and to emit a
      * itemsInserted() signal afterwards.
+     * The implementation should resort only if \a resortItems is true.
      */
-    virtual void onSortRoleChanged(const QByteArray& current, const QByteArray& previous);
+    virtual void onSortRoleChanged(const QByteArray& current, const QByteArray& previous, bool resortItems = true);
 
     /**
      * Is invoked if the sort order has been changed by KItemModelBase::setSortOrder(). Allows
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.cpp
@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@
     return m_groupedSorting;
 }
 
-void KItemModelBase::setSortRole(const QByteArray& role)
+void KItemModelBase::setSortRole(const QByteArray& role, bool resortItems)
 {
     if (role != m_sortRole) {
         const QByteArray previous = m_sortRole;
         m_sortRole = role;
-        onSortRoleChanged(role, previous);
+        onSortRoleChanged(role, previous, resortItems);
         emit sortRoleChanged(role, previous);
     }
 }
@@ -152,10 +152,11 @@
     Q_UNUSED(current);
 }
 
-void KItemModelBase::onSortRoleChanged(const QByteArray& current, const QByteArray& previous)
+void KItemModelBase::onSortRoleChanged(const QByteArray& current, const QByteArray& previous, bool resortItems)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(current);
     Q_UNUSED(previous);
+    Q_UNUSED(resortItems);
 }
 
 void KItemModelBase::onSortOrderChanged(Qt::SortOrder current, Qt::SortOrder previous)
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistheaderwidget.cpp b/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistheaderwidget.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistheaderwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistheaderwidget.cpp
@@ -220,10 +220,11 @@
             // Change the sort role and reset to the ascending order
             const QByteArray previous = m_model->sortRole();
             const QByteArray current = m_columns[m_pressedRoleIndex];
-            m_model->setSortRole(current);
+            const bool resetSortOrder = m_model->sortOrder() == Qt::DescendingOrder;
+            m_model->setSortRole(current, !resetSortOrder);
             emit sortRoleChanged(current, previous);
 
-            if (m_model->sortOrder() == Qt::DescendingOrder) {
+            if (resetSortOrder) {
                 m_model->setSortOrder(Qt::AscendingOrder);
                 emit sortOrderChanged(Qt::AscendingOrder, Qt::DescendingOrder);
             }