Index: query.php
===================================================================
--- query.php	(revision 24556)
+++ query.php	(working copy)
@@ -2371,11 +2371,23 @@
 			$q['orderby'] = addslashes_gpc($q['orderby']);
 
 			$orderby_array = array();
-			foreach ( explode( ' ', $q['orderby'] ) as $i => $orderby ) {
+			$orderby_parts = preg_split( '/[, ]/', $q['orderby'], -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY );
+			foreach ( $orderby_parts as $i => $orderby ) {
 				// Only allow certain values for safety
 				if ( ! in_array($orderby, $allowed_keys) )
 					continue;
 
+				// If the next word is ASC or DESC, use it
+				// for this sort key and cancel $q['order']
+				$order = '';
+				if ( isset( $orderby_parts[ $i + 1 ] ) ) {
+					$next_part = strtoupper( $orderby_parts[ $i + 1 ] );
+					if ( in_array( $next_part, array( 'ASC', 'DESC' ) ) ) {
+						$q['order'] = '';
+						$order = $next_part;
+					}
+				}
+
 				switch ( $orderby ) {
 					case 'menu_order':
 						$orderby = "$wpdb->posts.menu_order";
@@ -2400,14 +2412,14 @@
 						$orderby = "$wpdb->posts.post_" . $orderby;
 				}
 
-				$orderby_array[] = $orderby;
+				$orderby_array[] = trim( "$orderby $order" );
 			}
-			$orderby = implode( ',', $orderby_array );
+			$orderby = implode( ', ', $orderby_array );
 
 			if ( empty( $orderby ) )
-				$orderby = "$wpdb->posts.post_date ".$q['order'];
-			else
-				$orderby .= " {$q['order']}";
+				$orderby = "$wpdb->posts.post_date";
+
+			$orderby = trim( "$orderby {$q['order']}" );
 		}
 
 		if ( is_array( $post_type ) && count( $post_type ) > 1 ) {