diff --git a/gtk/gtkliststore.c b/gtk/gtkliststore.c
index e24cd76dd9..3f2f7c4fc3 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkliststore.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkliststore.c
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ gtk_list_store_init (GtkListStore *list_store)
   list_store->seq = g_sequence_new (NULL);
   list_store->sort_list = NULL;
   list_store->stamp = g_random_int ();
-  list_store->sort_column_id = -2;
+  list_store->sort_column_id = GTK_TREE_SORTABLE_UNSORTED_SORT_COLUMN_ID;
   list_store->columns_dirty = FALSE;
   list_store->length = 0;
 }
diff --git a/gtk/gtktreestore.c b/gtk/gtktreestore.c
index 9a522df632..1fb178d375 100644
--- a/gtk/gtktreestore.c
+++ b/gtk/gtktreestore.c
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ gtk_tree_store_init (GtkTreeStore *tree_store)
   while (tree_store->stamp == 0);
 
   tree_store->sort_list = NULL;
-  tree_store->sort_column_id = -2;
+  tree_store->sort_column_id = GTK_TREE_SORTABLE_UNSORTED_SORT_COLUMN_ID;
   tree_store->columns_dirty = FALSE;
 }