diff --git a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/clause/OrderBy.java b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/clause/OrderBy.java
index 56cc765..5932505 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/clause/OrderBy.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/clause/OrderBy.java
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ public class OrderBy implements QueryClause
     /** Indicates the order of the clause. */
     public enum Order
     {
+        /** Ordering by null can be used to suppress sorting in the database when using
+         * a GROUP BY in your query (postgres and mysql only). */
+        NULL,
+
         /** Ascending (nulls last). */
         ASC,
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/BuildVisitor.java b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/BuildVisitor.java
index fc0e495..1923d8f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/BuildVisitor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/BuildVisitor.java
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ import com.samskivert.depot.impl.operator.MultiOperator;
 import com.samskivert.depot.impl.operator.Not;
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
+import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
 import static com.samskivert.Log.log;
 
 /**
@@ -979,17 +980,27 @@ public abstract class BuildVisitor implements FragmentVisitor<Void>
      */
     protected OrderBy.Order validateOrder (OrderBy.Order order)
     {
-        if ((order == OrderBy.Order.ASC_NULLS_FIRST) || (order == OrderBy.Order.DESC_NULLS_LAST)) {
-            if (false /*Boolean.getBoolean("com.samskivert.depot.massageOrderByNulls")*/) {
-                order = (order == OrderBy.Order.ASC_NULLS_FIRST)
-                    ? OrderBy.Order.ASC : OrderBy.Order.DESC;
-            } else {
-                throw new RuntimeException(order + " is not supported on your database.");
-            }
+        checkNotNull(order);
+        if (orderSupported(order)) {
+            return order;
         }
-        return order;
+        // Note: the following code was never "live". If needed it can be made so.
+        // The property name is up for debate.
+//        if (Boolean.getBoolean("com.samskivert.depot.massageNullOrders")) {
+//            switch (order) {
+//            case ASC_NULLS_FIRST: return OrderBy.Order.ASC;
+//            case DESC_NULLS_LAST: return OrderBy.Order.DESC;
+//            }
+//        }
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+            "Order '" + order.name() + "' is not supported by your database.");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Is the specified order supported by this database?
+     */
+    protected abstract boolean orderSupported (OrderBy.Order order);
+
     protected BuildVisitor (DepotTypes types, boolean allowComplexIndices)
     {
         _types = types;
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/HSQLBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/HSQLBuilder.java
index c397453..05fba87 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/HSQLBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/HSQLBuilder.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import com.samskivert.depot.Ops;
 import com.samskivert.depot.PersistentRecord;
 import com.samskivert.depot.annotation.FullTextIndex;
 import com.samskivert.depot.annotation.GeneratedValue;
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.OrderBy;
 import com.samskivert.depot.expression.ColumnExp;
 import com.samskivert.depot.expression.SQLExpression;
 import com.samskivert.depot.impl.expression.AggregateFun;
@@ -183,6 +184,15 @@ public class HSQLBuilder
         @Override protected void appendIdentifier (String field) {
             _builder.append("\"").append(field).append("\"");
         }
+
+        @Override protected boolean orderSupported (OrderBy.Order order)
+        {
+            switch (order) {
+            case ASC: case DESC:
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 
     public HSQLBuilder (DepotTypes types)
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/MySQLBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/MySQLBuilder.java
index 7d7f6f9..707a7f5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/MySQLBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/MySQLBuilder.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import com.samskivert.util.StringUtil;
 
 import com.samskivert.depot.PersistentRecord;
 import com.samskivert.depot.annotation.FullTextIndex;
+import com.samskivert.depot.clause.OrderBy;
 import com.samskivert.depot.expression.ColumnExp;
 import com.samskivert.depot.operator.FullText;
 
@@ -162,6 +163,15 @@ public class MySQLBuilder
         {
             _builder.append("() values ()");
         }
+
+        @Override protected boolean orderSupported (OrderBy.Order order)
+        {
+            switch (order) {
+            case NULL: case ASC: case DESC:
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 
     protected static String massageFTQuery (FullText fullText)
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/PostgreSQLBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/PostgreSQLBuilder.java
index f287840..4edd388 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/PostgreSQLBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/depot/impl/PostgreSQLBuilder.java
@@ -119,8 +119,13 @@ public class PostgreSQLBuilder
             _builder.append("\"").append(field).append("\"");
         }
 
-        @Override protected OrderBy.Order validateOrder (OrderBy.Order order) {
-            return order;
+        @Override protected boolean orderSupported (OrderBy.Order order)
+        {
+            switch (order) {
+            case NULL: case ASC: case DESC: case ASC_NULLS_FIRST: case DESC_NULLS_LAST:
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
         }
 
         protected PGBuildVisitor (DepotTypes types)