diff --git a/src/database/mongo/sorted.js b/src/database/mongo/sorted.js
index 3fee97fa2f..cd90546e39 100644
--- a/src/database/mongo/sorted.js
+++ b/src/database/mongo/sorted.js
@@ -39,7 +39,11 @@ module.exports = function (db, module) {
 			if (!key.length) {
 				return setImmediate(callback, null, []);
 			}
-			key = { $in: key };
+			if (key.length > 1) {
+				key = { $in: key };
+			} else {
+				key = key[0];
+			}
 		}
 
 		var query = { _key: key };
diff --git a/src/topics/sorted.js b/src/topics/sorted.js
index b5328d0c6d..3ace0585c2 100644
--- a/src/topics/sorted.js
+++ b/src/topics/sorted.js
@@ -49,16 +49,7 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 				if (params.term === 'alltime') {
 					var key = 'topics:' + params.sort;
 					if (params.cids) {
-						key = params.cids.map(function (cid) {
-							if (params.sort === 'recent') {
-								return 'cid:' + cid + ':tids:lastposttime';
-							} else if (params.sort === 'votes') {
-								return 'cid:' + cid + ':tids:votes';
-							} else if (params.sort === 'posts') {
-								return 'cid:' + cid + ':tids:posts';
-							}
-							return 'cid:' + cid + ':tids';
-						});
+						key = getCidSets(params.cids, params.sort);
 					}
 
 					db.getSortedSetRevRange(key, 0, 199, next);
@@ -67,7 +58,7 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 				}
 			},
 			function (tids, next) {
-				if (params.term !== 'alltime') {
+				if (params.term !== 'alltime' || (params.cids && params.sort !== 'recent')) {
 					sortTids(tids, params, next);
 				} else {
 					next(null, tids);
@@ -79,6 +70,19 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 		], callback);
 	}
 
+	function getCidSets(cids, sort) {
+		const keys = [];
+		cids.forEach(function (cid) {
+			if (sort === 'recent') {
+				keys.push('cid:' + cid + ':tids:lastposttime');
+				return;
+			}
+			keys.push('cid:' + cid + ':tids' + (sort ? ':' + sort : ''));
+			keys.push('cid:' + cid + ':tids:pinned');
+		});
+		return keys;
+	}
+
 	function sortTids(tids, params, callback) {
 		async.waterfall([
 			function (next) {