diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-dataset-view.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-dataset-view.js
index bd16d475e7f..53c6d30eb6f 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-dataset-view.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-dataset-view.js
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ var LibraryDatasetView = Backbone.View.extend({
                         <% } %>
                         <% if (item.get("message")) { %>
                             <tr>
-                                <th scope="row">Message</th>
+                                <th scope="row">Description</th>
                                 <td scope="row"><%= _.escape(item.get("message")) %></td>
                             </tr>
                         <% } %>
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-folderlist-view.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-folderlist-view.js
index 55d210fb633..f55714b96cb 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-folderlist-view.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-folderlist-view.js
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ var FolderListView = Backbone.View.extend({
         "click .folder_row": "selectClickedRow",
         "click .sort-folder-name": "sortColumnClicked",
         "click .sort-folder-file_ext": "sortColumnClicked",
-        "click .sort-folder-description": "sortColumnClicked",
+        "click .sort-folder-message": "sortColumnClicked",
+        "click .sort-folder-update_time": "sortColumnClicked",
+        "click .sort-folder-raw_size": "sortColumnClicked",
         "click .sort-folder-state": "sortColumnClicked"
     },
 
@@ -337,10 +339,11 @@ var FolderListView = Backbone.View.extend({
     },
 
     renderSortIcon: function() {
+        $('[class*="sort-icon"]')
+        .removeClass("fa-sort-alpha-desc")
+        .removeClass("fa-sort-alpha-asc");
+
         if (this.current_sort_order === "asc") {
-            $('[class*="sort-icon"]')
-                .removeClass("fa-sort-alpha-desc")
-                .removeClass("fa-sort-alpha-asc");
             $(`.sort-icon-${this.current_sort_key}`).addClass("fa-sort-alpha-asc");
         } else {
             $(`.sort-icon-${this.current_sort_key}`).addClass("fa-sort-alpha-desc");
@@ -484,22 +487,27 @@ var FolderListView = Backbone.View.extend({
                     </th>
                     <th>
                         <a class="sort-folder-name" title="Click to reverse order" href="#">Name</a>
-                        <span title="Sorted alphabetically"
-                            class="sort-icon-name fa fa-sort-alpha-<%- order %>"></span>
+                        <span title="Sorted by Name" class="sort-icon-name fa fa-sort-alpha-<%- order %>"></span>
                     </th>
                     <th style="width:20%;">
-                        <a class="sort-folder-description" title="Click to reverse order" href="#">Description</a>
-                        <span title="Sorted alphabetically" class="sort-icon-description fa"></span>
+                        <a class="sort-folder-message" title="Click to reverse order" href="#">Description</a>
+                        <span title="Sorted by Desc." class="sort-icon-message fa"></span>
                     </th>
                     <th style="width:5%;">
                         <a class="sort-folder-file_ext" title="Click to reverse order" href="#">Data Type</a>
-                        <span title="Sorted alphabetically" class="sort-icon-file_ext fa"></span>
+                        <span title="Sorted by Type" class="sort-icon-file_ext fa"></span>
+                    </th>
+                    <th style="width:10%;">
+                        <a class="sort-folder-raw_size" title="Click to reverse order" href='#'>Size</a>
+                        <span title="Sorted by Size" class="sort-icon-raw_size fa"></span>
+                    </th>
+                    <th style="width:160px;">
+                        <a class="sort-folder-update_time" title="Click to reverse order" href='#'>Time Updated (UTC)</a>
+                        <span title="Sorted by Date" class="sort-icon-update_time fa"></span>
                     </th>
-                    <th style="width:10%;">Size</th>
-                    <th style="width:160px;">Time Updated (UTC)</th>
                     <th style="width:5%;">
                         <a class="sort-folder-state" title="Click to reverse order" href="#">State</a>
-                        <span title="Sorted alphabetically" class="sort-icon-state fa"></span>
+                        <span title="Sorted by State" class="sort-icon-state fa"></span>
                     </th>
                     <th style="width:160px;"></th> 
                 </thead>
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-model.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-model.js
index 3143f0b6c2e..3d9e594e448 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-model.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-model.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ var Libraries = Backbone.Collection.extend({
     },
 
     sortLibraries: function(sort_key, sort_order) {
-        this.comparator = mod_util.generateLibraryComparator(sort_key, sort_order);
+        this.comparator = mod_util.generateComparator(sort_key, sort_order);
         this.sort();
     }
 });
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ var Folder = Backbone.Collection.extend({
     model: LibraryItem,
 
     sortFolder: function(sort_key, sort_order) {
-        this.comparator = mod_util.generateFolderComparator(sort_key, sort_order);
+        this.comparator = mod_util.generateComparator(sort_key, sort_order);
         this.sort();
     }
 });
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-util.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-util.js
index 17e830e5152..c4d546c4b25 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-util.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/library/library-util.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * @param  {str} sort_order order to sort by (asc, desc)
  * @return {function} two-argument comparator function
  */
-var generateFolderComparator = (sort_key, sort_order) => (itemA, itemB) => {
+var generateComparator = (sort_key, sort_order) => (itemA, itemB) => {
     if (itemA.get("type") === itemB.get("type")) {
         if (!itemA.has(sort_key) && !itemB.has(sort_key)) {
             return 0;
@@ -15,12 +15,24 @@ var generateFolderComparator = (sort_key, sort_order) => (itemA, itemB) => {
         } else if (!itemB.has(sort_key)) {
             return -1;
         }
-        if (itemA.get(sort_key).toLowerCase() > itemB.get(sort_key).toLowerCase()) {
+        var comparable_itemA_key;
+        var comparable_itemB_key;
+        if (typeof itemA.get(sort_key) === "number") {
+            comparable_itemA_key = itemA.get(sort_key);
+            comparable_itemB_key = itemB.get(sort_key);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            comparable_itemA_key = itemA.get(sort_key).toLowerCase();
+            comparable_itemB_key = itemB.get(sort_key).toLowerCase();
+        }
+        if ( comparable_itemA_key > comparable_itemB_key) {
             return sort_order === "asc" ? 1 : -1;
         }
-        if (itemB.get(sort_key).toLowerCase() > itemA.get(sort_key).toLowerCase()) {
+        if (comparable_itemB_key > comparable_itemA_key) {
             return sort_order === "asc" ? -1 : 1;
         }
+        
         return 0; // equal
     } else {
         if (itemA.get("type") === "folder") {
@@ -29,22 +41,6 @@ var generateFolderComparator = (sort_key, sort_order) => (itemA, itemB) => {
         return 1;
     }
 };
-/**
- * Create alphabetical based two-argument comparator
- * @param  {str} sort_key   key to sort by
- * @param  {str} sort_order order to sort by (asc, desc)
- * @return {function} two-argument comparator function
- */
-var generateLibraryComparator = (sort_key, sort_order) => (libraryA, libraryB) => {
-    if (libraryA.get(sort_key).toLowerCase() > libraryB.get(sort_key).toLowerCase()) {
-        return sort_order === "asc" ? 1 : -1;
-    }
-    if (libraryB.get(sort_key).toLowerCase() > libraryA.get(sort_key).toLowerCase()) {
-        return sort_order === "asc" ? -1 : 1;
-    }
-    return 0; // equal
-};
 export default {
-    generateFolderComparator: generateFolderComparator,
-    generateLibraryComparator: generateLibraryComparator
+    generateComparator: generateComparator
 };
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/webapps/galaxy/api/folder_contents.py b/lib/galaxy/webapps/galaxy/api/folder_contents.py
index 890b9d2ba74..a7ecc98481d 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/webapps/galaxy/api/folder_contents.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/webapps/galaxy/api/folder_contents.py
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@ class FolderContentsController(BaseAPIController, UsesLibraryMixin, UsesLibraryM
 
                 # Can user manage the permissions on the dataset?
                 can_manage = is_admin or (trans.user and trans.app.security_agent.can_manage_dataset(current_user_roles, content_item.library_dataset_dataset_association.dataset))
-
-                nice_size = util.nice_size(int(content_item.library_dataset_dataset_association.get_size()))
+                raw_size = int(content_item.library_dataset_dataset_association.get_size())
+                nice_size = util.nice_size(raw_size)
 
                 library_dataset_dict = content_item.to_dict()
                 encoded_ldda_id = trans.security.encode_id(content_item.library_dataset_dataset_association.id)
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ class FolderContentsController(BaseAPIController, UsesLibraryMixin, UsesLibraryM
                                         can_manage=can_manage,
                                         state=library_dataset_dict['state'],
                                         file_size=nice_size,
+                                        raw_size=raw_size,
                                         ldda_id=encoded_ldda_id))
                 if content_item.library_dataset_dataset_association.message:
                     return_item.update(dict(message=content_item.library_dataset_dataset_association.message))