diff --git a/config/laravilt-query-builder.php b/config/laravilt-query-builder.php
index adb22f0..93ccd11 100644
--- a/config/laravilt-query-builder.php
+++ b/config/laravilt-query-builder.php
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
     |
     */
 
-    'enabled' => env('LARAVILT_QUERY-BUILDER_ENABLED', true),
+    // LARAVILT_QUERY-BUILDER_ENABLED is the pre-1.1 key, still honoured for existing .env files
+    'enabled' => env('LARAVILT_QUERY_BUILDER_ENABLED', env('LARAVILT_QUERY-BUILDER_ENABLED', true)),
 
     // Add your configuration options here
 ];
diff --git a/src/Commands/InstallQueryBuilderCommand.php b/src/Commands/InstallQueryBuilderCommand.php
index 0b41e1b..0d8da82 100644
--- a/src/Commands/InstallQueryBuilderCommand.php
+++ b/src/Commands/InstallQueryBuilderCommand.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 use Illuminate\Console\Command;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Artisan;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Process;
 
 class InstallQueryBuilderCommand extends Command
 {
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ class InstallQueryBuilderCommand extends Command
      */
     public function handle(): int
     {
-        $this->info('Installing {{ name }} plugin...');
+        $this->info('Installing QueryBuilder plugin...');
         $this->newLine();
 
         // Publish config
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ public function handle(): int
             $this->buildAssets();
         }
         $this->newLine();
-        $this->info('✅ {{ name }} plugin installed successfully!');
+        $this->info('✅ QueryBuilder plugin installed successfully!');
         $this->newLine();
 
         return self::SUCCESS;
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ protected function publishConfig(): void
     {
         $this->info('Publishing configuration...');
 
-        $params = ['--tag' => '{{ config }}-config'];
+        $params = ['--tag' => 'laravilt-query-builder-config'];
 
         if ($this->option('force')) {
             $params['--force'] = true;
diff --git a/src/Filters/DateFilter.php b/src/Filters/DateFilter.php
index e21a80f..3bb2190 100644
--- a/src/Filters/DateFilter.php
+++ b/src/Filters/DateFilter.php
@@ -73,11 +73,16 @@ protected function applyDefault(Builder $query, mixed $value): void
     {
         $column = $this->getColumn();
 
-        if ($this->operator === 'between' && is_array($value) && count($value) === 2) {
-            $query->whereBetween($column, $value);
-        } else {
-            $query->where($column, $this->operator, $value);
+        if ($this->operator === 'between') {
+            // `where($column, 'between', ...)` is invalid SQL, so an incomplete range is ignored
+            if (is_array($value) && count($value) === 2) {
+                $query->whereBetween($column, array_values($value));
+            }
+
+            return;
         }
+
+        $query->where($column, $this->operator, $value);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/QueryBuilder.php b/src/QueryBuilder.php
index 2313b23..307fd71 100644
--- a/src/QueryBuilder.php
+++ b/src/QueryBuilder.php
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ public function sortBy(?string $column, ?string $direction = 'asc'): static
     {
         $this->sortBy = $column;
         // Validate sort direction
-        $this->sortDirection = in_array($direction, ['asc', 'desc']) ? $direction : 'asc';
+        $direction = $direction === null ? null : strtolower($direction);
+        $this->sortDirection = in_array($direction, ['asc', 'desc'], true) ? $direction : 'asc';
 
         return $this;
     }
@@ -114,7 +115,8 @@ public function apply(Builder $query): Builder
         foreach ($this->filters as $filter) {
             $value = $this->filterValues[$filter->getName()] ?? null;
 
-            if ($value !== null && $value !== '') {
+            // A cleared multi-select arrives as [], which would otherwise become `whereIn(col, [])` and match nothing
+            if ($value !== null && $value !== '' && $value !== []) {
                 $filter->apply($query, $value);
             }
         }
@@ -126,12 +128,36 @@ public function apply(Builder $query): Builder
 
         // Apply sorting
         if ($this->sortBy !== null) {
-            $query->orderBy($this->sortBy, $this->sortDirection ?? 'asc');
+            $column = $this->resolveSortColumn($this->sortBy);
+
+            if ($column !== null) {
+                $query->orderBy($column, $this->sortDirection ?? 'asc');
+            }
         }
 
         return $query;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Map the requested sort to its column. When sorts are registered they act as an
+     * allow-list (the request carries the Sort name, which may differ from its column);
+     * without registered sorts the value is used as the column directly.
+     */
+    protected function resolveSortColumn(string $sortBy): ?string
+    {
+        if ($this->sorts === []) {
+            return $sortBy;
+        }
+
+        foreach ($this->sorts as $sort) {
+            if ($sort->getName() === $sortBy) {
+                return $sort->getColumn();
+            }
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param  Builder<Model>  $query
      */
diff --git a/tests/Unit/QueryBuilderApplyTest.php b/tests/Unit/QueryBuilderApplyTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a28298
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/QueryBuilderApplyTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+use Laravilt\QueryBuilder\Filters\DateFilter;
+use Laravilt\QueryBuilder\Filters\SelectFilter;
+use Laravilt\QueryBuilder\QueryBuilder;
+use Laravilt\QueryBuilder\Sort;
+
+beforeEach(function () {
+    Schema::create('qb_apply_items', function (Blueprint $table) {
+        $table->id();
+        $table->string('title');
+        $table->string('category');
+        $table->timestamp('published_at')->nullable();
+    });
+
+    $this->model = new class extends Model
+    {
+        protected $table = 'qb_apply_items';
+
+        protected $guarded = [];
+
+        public $timestamps = false;
+    };
+
+    $this->model::create(['title' => 'B', 'category' => 'news', 'published_at' => '2024-01-01']);
+    $this->model::create(['title' => 'A', 'category' => 'tips', 'published_at' => '2024-02-01']);
+    $this->model::create(['title' => 'C', 'category' => 'news', 'published_at' => '2024-03-01']);
+});
+
+afterEach(function () {
+    Schema::dropIfExists('qb_apply_items');
+});
+
+test('sorts by the registered sort column rather than its name', function () {
+    $query = (new QueryBuilder)
+        ->sorts([Sort::make('headline', 'title')])
+        ->sortBy('headline', 'desc')
+        ->apply($this->model::query());
+
+    expect($query->pluck('title')->all())->toBe(['C', 'B', 'A']);
+});
+
+test('ignores a sort that is not registered', function () {
+    $query = (new QueryBuilder)
+        ->sorts([Sort::make('title')])
+        ->sortBy('category', 'desc')
+        ->apply($this->model::query());
+
+    expect($query->toBase()->orders)->toBeNull();
+});
+
+test('accepts an upper-case sort direction', function () {
+    $builder = (new QueryBuilder)->sortBy('title', 'DESC');
+
+    expect($builder->toInertiaProps()['sortDirection'])->toBe('desc')
+        ->and($builder->apply($this->model::query())->pluck('title')->all())->toBe(['C', 'B', 'A']);
+});
+
+test('ignores a cleared multi-select filter', function () {
+    $query = (new QueryBuilder)
+        ->filters([SelectFilter::make('category')->multiple()])
+        ->applyFilters(['category' => []])
+        ->apply($this->model::query());
+
+    expect($query->count())->toBe(3);
+});
+
+test('ignores an incomplete between date range instead of building invalid sql', function () {
+    $query = $this->model::query();
+
+    DateFilter::make('published_at')->between()->apply($query, '2024-01-15');
+
+    expect($query->count())->toBe(3);
+});