diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
index 86b7ecc20a53315548b18c1387638e69fb1af350..7370734e05b658ca66fa7edc8650f28178b107d5 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ def _assets_json(request, course_key):
         'totalCount': total_count,
         'assets': assets_in_json_format,
         'sort': request_options['requested_sort'],
+        'direction': request_options['requested_sort_direction'],
+        'assetTypes': _get_requested_file_types_from_requested_filter(request_options['requested_asset_type']),
     }
 
     return JsonResponse(response_payload)
@@ -166,7 +168,7 @@ def _parse_request_to_dictionary(request):
         'requested_page_size': int(_get_requested_attribute(request, 'page_size')),
         'requested_sort': _get_requested_attribute(request, 'sort'),
         'requested_sort_direction': _get_requested_attribute(request, 'direction'),
-        'requested_asset_type': _get_requested_attribute(request, 'asset_type')
+        'requested_asset_type': _get_requested_attribute(request, 'asset_type'),
     }
 
 
@@ -254,7 +256,7 @@ def _get_files_and_upload_type_filters():
 
 
 def _get_requested_file_types_from_requested_filter(requested_filter):
-    return requested_filter.split(',')
+    return requested_filter.split(',') if requested_filter else []
 
 
 def _get_extensions_for_file_type(requested_file_type):
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_assets.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_assets.py
index cde9a4582943aa6ea1c65d29c88e852ec005355e..0eb64734caa368a8424e44ee9eb51782651cdf4a 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_assets.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/tests/test_assets.py
@@ -242,6 +242,8 @@ class PaginationTestCase(AssetsTestCase):
             url + '?sort=' + sort + '&direction=' + direction, HTTP_ACCEPT='application/json')
         json_response = json.loads(resp.content)
         assets_response = json_response['assets']
+        self.assertEquals(sort, json_response['sort'])
+        self.assertEquals(direction, json_response['direction'])
         name1 = assets_response[0][sort]
         name2 = assets_response[1][sort]
         name3 = assets_response[2][sort]
@@ -257,7 +259,7 @@ class PaginationTestCase(AssetsTestCase):
         Get from the url w/ a filter option and ensure items honor that filter
         """
 
-        filter_value_split = filter_value.split(',')
+        filter_value_split = filter_value.split(',') if filter_value else []
 
         requested_file_extensions = []
         all_file_extensions = []
@@ -276,6 +278,7 @@ class PaginationTestCase(AssetsTestCase):
             url + '?' + filter_type + '=' + filter_value, HTTP_ACCEPT='application/json')
         json_response = json.loads(resp.content)
         assets_response = json_response['assets']
+        self.assertEquals(filter_value_split, json_response['assetTypes'])
 
         if filter_value is not '':
             content_types = [asset['content_type'].lower()