diff --git nodecomment.module nodecomment.module
index e71eccd..571f78d 100644
--- nodecomment.module
+++ nodecomment.module
@@ -1183,15 +1183,13 @@ function nodecomment_page_count($comment, $node = NULL) {
   }
 
   if ($order == COMMENT_ORDER_NEWEST_FIRST) {
-    $order = 'DESC';
     $op = ' >= ';
   }
   else {
-    $order = 'ASC';
     $op = ' <= ';
   }
 
-  $query = "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node_comments} nc INNER JOIN {node} n ON n.nid = nc.cid WHERE $field $op $value AND n.status <> 0 AND n.nid != %d AND nc.nid = %d ORDER BY $field $order";
+  $query = "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node_comments} nc INNER JOIN {node} n ON n.nid = nc.cid WHERE $field $op $value AND n.status <> 0 AND n.nid != %d AND nc.nid = %d";
 
   $count = db_result(db_query($query, $arg, $comment->nid, $node->nid));
   $pageno =  intval($count / $comments_per_page);