diff --git a/lib/router.js b/lib/router.js
index a07ae87..048c16f 100644
--- a/lib/router.js
+++ b/lib/router.js
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@ var router = module.exports = function (req, res, next) {
     , method = req.method
     , path = '/'
   ;
+
+  // query sugar for JSON based query strings
+  // eg ?q={"foo": {"bar": true}}
+  if(req.query && req.query.q && req.query.q[0] === '{') {
+    req.query = JSON.parse(req.query.q);
+    if (req.query.$orderby) {
+      req.sort = req.query.$orderby;
+      delete req.query.$orderby;
+    }
+  }
   
   // sanitize parts
   if(!parts[0]) parts.shift();
diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index 1107628..ba65c1c 100644
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -38,11 +38,6 @@ middleware.listen = function (callback) {
     // by default pause the request
     req.pause();
     
-    // query sugar for JSON based query strings
-    // eg ?q={"foo": {"bar": true}}
-    if(req.query && req.query.q && req.query.q[0] === '{') {
-      req.query = JSON.parse(req.query.q);
-    }
     
     if(req.method === 'GET' || req.method === 'DELETE') return next();
     
@@ -146,10 +141,10 @@ middleware.listen = function (callback) {
     if(err instanceof Error) {
       res.statusCode = 500;
       res.send({message: err.message});
+    } else {
+      res.statusCode = err.status || 400;
+      res.send(err);  
     }
-    
-    res.statusCode = err.status || 400;
-    res.send(err);
   });
   
   // start the server
diff --git a/lib/validation.js b/lib/validation.js
index fd79c30..7f2fc60 100644
--- a/lib/validation.js
+++ b/lib/validation.js
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ module.exports = function (req, res, next) {
         try {
           sanitized[key] = new Date(req.body[key]).toISOString();
         } catch(e) {
-          sanitized[key] = false;
+          sanitized[key] = 'invalid date';
         }
-
+      } else if (resource.properties[key].type === 'boolean' && !req.body[key]) {
+        sanitized[key] = false;
       } else {
         sanitized[key] = req.body[key];
       }
@@ -134,7 +135,8 @@ function transform(validation) {
   }
   
   // rename and add human readable errors
-  validation.validation = validation.errors;
+  // validation.validation = validation.errors;
+  delete validation.valid;
   validation.errors = err;
   
   return validation;
diff --git a/test/support.js b/test/support.js
index b0319d3..3664c9f 100644
--- a/test/support.js
+++ b/test/support.js
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ data = {
           optional: false
         },
         completed: {
-          type: "boolean",
-          optional: true
+          type: "boolean"
         },
         order: {
           type: "number",
diff --git a/test/validation.test.js b/test/validation.test.js
index 5dd1ca1..ad49fcf 100644
--- a/test/validation.test.js
+++ b/test/validation.test.js
@@ -8,14 +8,35 @@ describe('Resource Actions', function(){
         })
       })
     })
+
+    it('should support the $orderby flag', function(done) {
+      var query = {
+        $orderby: {title: 1}
+      };
+      var queryJson = encodeURI(JSON.stringify(query));
+
+      todos.post({title: 'c'}, function(e1) {
+        todos.post({title: 'b'}, function(e2) {
+          todos.post({title: 'a'}, function(e3) {
+            todos.use('?q=' + queryJson).get(function(err, body, req, res) {
+              expect(body).to.exist;
+              expect(body.length).to.equal(3);
+              expect(body[0].title).to.equal('a');
+              expect(body[1].title).to.equal('b');
+              expect(body[2].title).to.equal('c');
+              done(e1, e2, e3, err);
+            });
+          });
+        });
+      });
+
+    });
   })
   
   describe('POST /todos', function(){
     it('should return an error when provided invalid data', function(done) {
       todos.post({foo: 123, completed: 'flarg'}, function (err, todo, req, res) {
         expect(err).to.exist;
-        expect(err.valid).to.equal(false);
-        expect(err.validation).to.have.length(2);
         expect(err.errors).to.be.a('object');
         expect(todo).to.not.exist;
         done();