diff --git a/lib/redmine/sort_criteria.rb b/lib/redmine/sort_criteria.rb
index 8193b9b912..2a69694865 100644
--- a/lib/redmine/sort_criteria.rb
+++ b/lib/redmine/sort_criteria.rb
@@ -88,8 +88,7 @@ module Redmine
 
     def normalize!
       self.collect! {|s| s = Array(s); [s.first, (s.last == false || s.last.to_s == 'desc') ? 'desc' : 'asc']}
-      self.slice!(3)
-      self
+      self.replace self.first(3)
     end
 
     # Appends ASC/DESC to the sort criterion unless it has a fixed order
diff --git a/test/unit/query_test.rb b/test/unit/query_test.rb
index aa29b24628..ea0a21353f 100644
--- a/test/unit/query_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/query_test.rb
@@ -1490,6 +1490,12 @@ class QueryTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_equal [['id', 'desc']], q.sort_criteria
   end
 
+  def test_sort_criteria_should_have_no_more_than_three_elements
+    q = IssueQuery.new
+    q.sort_criteria = [['priority', 'desc'], ['tracker', 'asc'], ['priority', 'asc'], ['id', 'asc'], ['project', 'asc'], ['subject', 'asc']]
+    assert_equal [['priority', 'desc'], ['tracker', 'asc'], ['priority', 'asc']], q.sort_criteria
+  end
+
   def test_set_sort_criteria_with_hash
     q = IssueQuery.new
     q.sort_criteria = {'0' => ['priority', 'desc'], '2' => ['tracker']}