diff --git a/src/components/table/DataTable.tsx b/src/components/table/DataTable.tsx
index 9b164dbd5..c05f05049 100644
--- a/src/components/table/DataTable.tsx
+++ b/src/components/table/DataTable.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 import { TableContentSkeleton } from "@components/skeletons/SkeletonTable";
+import { DataTableInstanceProvider } from "@components/table/DataTableContext";
 import DataTableGlobalSearch from "@components/table/DataTableGlobalSearch";
 import { DataTableHeadingPortal } from "@components/table/DataTableHeadingPortal";
 import { DataTablePagination } from "@components/table/DataTablePagination";
@@ -468,7 +469,7 @@ export function DataTable<TData, TValue>({
     }
   }, [manualColumnFiltering, externalColumnFilters, table]);
 
-  return (
+  const content = (
     <div className={cn("relative table-fixed-scroll", className)}>
       {showSearchAndFilters && (
         <div className={cn("flex gap-x-4 gap-y-6", !minimal && "p-default")}>
@@ -678,4 +679,10 @@ export function DataTable<TData, TValue>({
       />
     </div>
   );
+
+  return (
+    <DataTableInstanceProvider table={table}>
+      {content}
+    </DataTableInstanceProvider>
+  );
 }
diff --git a/src/components/table/DataTableContext.tsx b/src/components/table/DataTableContext.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76a0c664e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/table/DataTableContext.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+"use client";
+
+import type { Table as TanStackTable } from "@tanstack/table-core";
+import React, { createContext, useContext } from "react";
+
+const DataTableInstanceContext = createContext<TanStackTable<any> | null>(null);
+
+type ProviderProps = {
+  table: TanStackTable<any>;
+  children: React.ReactNode;
+};
+
+export function DataTableInstanceProvider({ table, children }: ProviderProps) {
+  return (
+    <DataTableInstanceContext.Provider value={table}>
+      {children}
+    </DataTableInstanceContext.Provider>
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the tanstack table instance for the surrounding DataTable, or null
+ * when used outside of one.
+ */
+export function useOptionalDataTable() {
+  return useContext(DataTableInstanceContext);
+}
diff --git a/src/components/table/DataTableHeader.test.tsx b/src/components/table/DataTableHeader.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..000938ece
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/table/DataTableHeader.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+import type { ColumnDef, SortingState } from "@tanstack/react-table";
+import {
+  getCoreRowModel,
+  getSortedRowModel,
+  useReactTable,
+} from "@tanstack/react-table";
+import { cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import React, { useState } from "react";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { DataTableInstanceProvider } from "./DataTableContext";
+import DataTableHeader from "./DataTableHeader";
+
+// A header click must always replace the sort with the clicked column alone.
+// The peers tables default to a multi-sort ([connected, last_seen, name]), and
+// column.toggleSorting() only toggles in place when the clicked column is that
+// sort's last entry — so the click used to leave the visible order untouched.
+
+const { setSort } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ setSort: vi.fn() }));
+
+vi.mock("@/contexts/ServerPaginationProvider", () => ({
+  useOptionalServerPagination: () => ({ setSort }),
+}));
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup();
+  setSort.mockClear();
+});
+
+type Peer = { name: string; connected: boolean; last_seen: string };
+
+const peers: Peer[] = [
+  { name: "alpha", connected: false, last_seen: "2026-01-01" },
+  { name: "zulu", connected: true, last_seen: "2026-03-01" },
+  { name: "mike", connected: true, last_seen: "2026-02-01" },
+];
+
+const columns: ColumnDef<Peer>[] = [
+  { id: "name", accessorKey: "name", sortingFn: "text" },
+  { id: "connected", accessorKey: "connected" },
+  { id: "last_seen", accessorKey: "last_seen", sortingFn: "text" },
+];
+
+// DataTable augments TanStack's FilterFns and SortingFns interfaces, which makes
+// both options required on every table in the app. Nothing here uses them.
+const filterFns = {
+  fuzzy: () => true,
+  dateRange: () => true,
+  exactMatch: () => true,
+  arrIncludesSomeExact: () => true,
+};
+const sortingFns = { checkbox: () => 0, datetime: () => 0 };
+
+// Mirrors DataTable: sorting state lives in the parent and is fed back through
+// state.sorting / onSortingChange.
+function Harness({
+  initialSorting,
+  columnId,
+  name,
+}: {
+  initialSorting: SortingState;
+  columnId: string;
+  name?: string;
+}) {
+  const [sorting, setSorting] = useState<SortingState>(initialSorting);
+  const table = useReactTable({
+    data: peers,
+    columns,
+    filterFns,
+    sortingFns,
+    state: { sorting },
+    onSortingChange: setSorting,
+    getCoreRowModel: getCoreRowModel(),
+    getSortedRowModel: getSortedRowModel(),
+  });
+
+  return (
+    <DataTableInstanceProvider table={table}>
+      <DataTableHeader column={table.getColumn(columnId)!} name={name}>
+        Header
+      </DataTableHeader>
+      <output data-testid={"sorting"}>{JSON.stringify(sorting)}</output>
+      <ul>
+        {table.getRowModel().rows.map((row) => (
+          <li key={row.id}>{row.original.name}</li>
+        ))}
+      </ul>
+    </DataTableInstanceProvider>
+  );
+}
+
+const defaultSorting: SortingState = [
+  { id: "connected", desc: true },
+  { id: "last_seen", desc: true },
+  { id: "name", desc: false },
+];
+
+const rowOrder = () =>
+  screen.getAllByRole("listitem").map((row) => row.textContent);
+
+const sortingState = () =>
+  JSON.parse(screen.getByTestId("sorting").textContent ?? "");
+
+const clickHeader = () => fireEvent.click(screen.getByText("Header"));
+
+describe("DataTableHeader sorting", () => {
+  it("replaces a default multi-sort when its lowest-priority column is clicked", () => {
+    render(<Harness initialSorting={defaultSorting} columnId={"name"} />);
+    expect(rowOrder()).toEqual(["zulu", "mike", "alpha"]);
+
+    clickHeader();
+
+    expect(rowOrder()).toEqual(["alpha", "mike", "zulu"]);
+    expect(sortingState()).toEqual([{ id: "name", desc: false }]);
+  });
+
+  it("sorts ascending on the first click of a column that does not lead the sort", () => {
+    render(<Harness initialSorting={[]} columnId={"name"} />);
+
+    clickHeader();
+
+    expect(sortingState()).toEqual([{ id: "name", desc: false }]);
+    expect(rowOrder()).toEqual(["alpha", "mike", "zulu"]);
+  });
+
+  it("toggles the direction while the column leads the sort", () => {
+    render(
+      <Harness
+        initialSorting={[{ id: "name", desc: false }]}
+        columnId={"name"}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    clickHeader();
+    expect(sortingState()).toEqual([{ id: "name", desc: true }]);
+    expect(rowOrder()).toEqual(["zulu", "mike", "alpha"]);
+
+    clickHeader();
+    expect(sortingState()).toEqual([{ id: "name", desc: false }]);
+    expect(rowOrder()).toEqual(["alpha", "mike", "zulu"]);
+  });
+
+  it("reports the direction it applied to server-side pagination", () => {
+    render(
+      <Harness
+        initialSorting={defaultSorting}
+        columnId={"name"}
+        name={"name"}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    clickHeader();
+
+    expect(sortingState()).toEqual([{ id: "name", desc: false }]);
+    expect(setSort).toHaveBeenCalledWith("name", "asc");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/table/DataTableHeader.tsx b/src/components/table/DataTableHeader.tsx
index 91aeb876a..738410170 100644
--- a/src/components/table/DataTableHeader.tsx
+++ b/src/components/table/DataTableHeader.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import FullTooltip from "@components/FullTooltip";
+import { useOptionalDataTable } from "@components/table/DataTableContext";
 import { IconSortAscending, IconSortDescending } from "@tabler/icons-react";
 import type { Column } from "@tanstack/table-core";
 import { cn } from "@utils/helpers";
@@ -28,17 +29,27 @@ export default function DataTableHeader({
   name,
 }: Props) {
   const serverPagination = useOptionalServerPagination();
+  const table = useOptionalDataTable();
 
   const handleSort = () => {
+    // A click replaces the sort with this column alone. The direction only
+    // flips while the column already leads the sort; clicking any other column
+    // starts ascending. column.toggleSorting() cannot express this: when the
+    // column is the lowest-priority entry of an existing multi-sort it toggles
+    // in place, which leaves the visible order unchanged.
+    const leadsSort = table?.getState().sorting[0]?.id === column.id;
+    const desc = leadsSort ? column.getIsSorted() !== "desc" : false;
+
     if (onSort) {
       onSort();
+    } else if (table) {
+      table.setSorting([{ id: column.id, desc }]);
     } else {
-      const direction = column.getIsSorted() === "asc" ? "desc" : "asc";
-      column.toggleSorting(direction === "desc");
+      column.toggleSorting(desc);
     }
+
     if (name && serverPagination?.setSort) {
-      const direction = column.getIsSorted() === "asc" ? "desc" : "asc";
-      serverPagination.setSort(name, direction);
+      serverPagination.setSort(name, desc ? "desc" : "asc");
     }
   };