diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/Driver/XmlDriver.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/Driver/XmlDriver.php
index a9f985661..5232791a0 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/Driver/XmlDriver.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/Driver/XmlDriver.php
@@ -272,8 +272,12 @@ class XmlDriver extends AbstractFileDriver
                     $mapping['orphanRemoval'] = (bool)$oneToManyElement->{'orphan-removal'};
                 }
 
-                if (isset($oneToManyElement['order-by'])) {
-                    $mapping['orderBy'] = (string)$oneToManyElement['order-by'];
+                if (isset($oneToManyElement->{'order-by'})) {
+                    $orderBy = array();
+                    foreach ($oneToManyElement->{'order-by'}->{'order-by-field'} AS $orderByField) {
+                        $orderBy[(string)$orderByField['name']] = (string)$orderByField['direction'];
+                    }
+                    $mapping['orderBy'] = $orderBy;
                 }
                 
                 $metadata->mapOneToMany($mapping);
@@ -363,8 +367,12 @@ class XmlDriver extends AbstractFileDriver
                     $mapping['orphanRemoval'] = (bool)$manyToManyElement->{'orphan-removal'};
                 }
 
-                if (isset($manyToManyElement['order-by'])) {
-                    $mapping['orderBy'] = (string)$manyToManyElement['order-by'];
+                if (isset($manyToManyElement->{'order-by'})) {
+                    $orderBy = array();
+                    foreach ($manyToManyElement->{'order-by'}->{'order-by-field'} AS $orderByField) {
+                        $orderBy[(string)$orderByField['name']] = (string)$orderByField['direction'];
+                    }
+                    $mapping['orderBy'] = $orderBy;
                 }
                 
                 $metadata->mapManyToMany($mapping);
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/ManyToManyMapping.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/ManyToManyMapping.php
index 8ebb1c0b9..af9fef5e3 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/ManyToManyMapping.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/ManyToManyMapping.php
@@ -146,18 +146,10 @@ class ManyToManyMapping extends AssociationMapping
         }
 
         if (isset($mapping['orderBy'])) {
-            $parts = explode(",", $mapping['orderBy']);
-            $orderByGroup = array();
-            foreach ($parts AS $part) {
-                $orderByItem = explode(" ", trim($part));
-                if (count($orderByItem) == 1) {
-                    $orderByGroup[$orderByItem[0]] = "ASC";
-                } else {
-                    $orderByGroup[$orderByItem[0]] = array_pop($orderByItem);
-                }
+            if (!is_array($mapping['orderBy'])) {
+                throw new \InvalidArgumentException("'orderBy' is expected to be an array, not ".gettype($mapping['orderBy']));
             }
-
-            $this->orderBy = $orderByGroup;
+            $this->orderBy = $mapping['orderBy'];
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/OneToManyMapping.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/OneToManyMapping.php
index 0de4dcdc7..6ee7de096 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/OneToManyMapping.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Mapping/OneToManyMapping.php
@@ -86,18 +86,10 @@ class OneToManyMapping extends AssociationMapping
                 (bool) $mapping['orphanRemoval'] : false;
 
         if (isset($mapping['orderBy'])) {
-            $parts = explode(",", $mapping['orderBy']);
-            $orderByGroup = array();
-            foreach ($parts AS $part) {
-                $orderByItem = explode(" ", trim($part));
-                if (count($orderByItem) == 1) {
-                    $orderByGroup[$orderByItem[0]] = "ASC";
-                } else {
-                    $orderByGroup[$orderByItem[0]] = array_pop($orderByItem);
-                }
+            if (!is_array($mapping['orderBy'])) {
+                throw new \InvalidArgumentException("'orderBy' is expected to be an array, not ".gettype($mapping['orderBy']));
             }
-
-            $this->orderBy = $orderByGroup;
+            $this->orderBy = $mapping['orderBy'];
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/Routing/RoutingRoute.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/Routing/RoutingRoute.php
index c870f6ca9..0f0f671c1 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/Routing/RoutingRoute.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/Routing/RoutingRoute.php
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ class RoutingRoute
      *     joinColumns={@JoinColumn(name="route_id", referencedColumnName="id")},
      *     inverseJoinColumns={@JoinColumn(name="leg_id", referencedColumnName="id", unique=true)}
      * )
-     * @OrderBy("departureDate ASC")
+     * @OrderBy({"departureDate" = "ASC"})
      */
     public $legs;
 
     /**
      * @OneToMany(targetEntity="RoutingRouteBooking", mappedBy="route")
-     * @OrderBy("passengerName ASC")
+     * @OrderBy({"passengerName" = "ASC"})
      */
     public $bookings = array();
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/OrderedJoinedTableInheritanceCollectionTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/OrderedJoinedTableInheritanceCollectionTest.php
index 7a243903c..0112a86bc 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/OrderedJoinedTableInheritanceCollectionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/OrderedJoinedTableInheritanceCollectionTest.php
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ abstract class OJTIC_Pet
 
     /**
      * @OneToMany(targetEntity="OJTIC_Pet", mappedBy="mother")
-     * @OrderBy("name ASC")
+     * @OrderBy({"name" = "ASC"})
      */
     public $children;
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ abstract class OJTIC_Pet
      * @JoinTable(name="OTJIC_Pet_Friends",
      *     joinColumns={@JoinColumn(name="pet_id", referencedColumnName="id")},
      *     inverseJoinColumns={@JoinColumn(name="friend_id", referencedColumnName="id")})
-     * @OrderBy("name ASC")
+     * @OrderBy({"name" = "ASC"})
      */
     public $friends;
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/AbstractMappingDriverTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/AbstractMappingDriverTest.php
index a41c4a22a..8acbd60ca 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/AbstractMappingDriverTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/AbstractMappingDriverTest.php
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ class User
     /**
      *
      * @OneToMany(targetEntity="Phonenumber", mappedBy="user", cascade={"persist"})
-     * @OrderBy("number ASC")
+     * @OrderBy({"number"="ASC"})
      */
     public $phonenumbers;
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/xml/Doctrine.Tests.ORM.Mapping.User.dcm.xml b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/xml/Doctrine.Tests.ORM.Mapping.User.dcm.xml
index c28baa48e..44ea3ae95 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/xml/Doctrine.Tests.ORM.Mapping.User.dcm.xml
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/xml/Doctrine.Tests.ORM.Mapping.User.dcm.xml
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@
             <join-column name="address_id" referenced-column-name="id"/>
         </one-to-one>
         
-        <one-to-many field="phonenumbers" target-entity="Phonenumber" mapped-by="user" order-by="number ASC">
+        <one-to-many field="phonenumbers" target-entity="Phonenumber" mapped-by="user">
+            <order-by>
+                <order-by-field name="number" direction="ASC" />
+            </order-by>
             <cascade>
                 <cascade-persist/>
             </cascade>
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/yaml/Doctrine.Tests.ORM.Mapping.User.dcm.yml b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/yaml/Doctrine.Tests.ORM.Mapping.User.dcm.yml
index 2e9ed0302..d5f9447c6 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/yaml/Doctrine.Tests.ORM.Mapping.User.dcm.yml
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Mapping/yaml/Doctrine.Tests.ORM.Mapping.User.dcm.yml
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Mapping\User:
     phonenumbers:
       targetEntity: Phonenumber
       mappedBy: user
-      orderBy: number ASC
+      orderBy:
+        number: ASC
       cascade: [ persist ]
   manyToMany:
     groups: