diff --git a/django/db/models/sql/query.py b/django/db/models/sql/query.py
index 9ac0d0c9600..01fbd3d002c 100644
--- a/django/db/models/sql/query.py
+++ b/django/db/models/sql/query.py
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ class Query(object):
         if self.extra_order_by:
             ordering = self.extra_order_by
         elif not self.default_ordering:
-            ordering = []
+            ordering = self.order_by
         else:
             ordering = self.order_by or self.model._meta.ordering
         qn = self.quote_name_unless_alias
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/queries/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/queries/models.py
index 12822c6f7a1..fc21cef3cc0 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/queries/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/queries/models.py
@@ -973,6 +973,12 @@ Make sure bump_prefix() (an internal Query method) doesn't (re-)break.
 >>> query.bump_prefix()
 >>> print query.as_sql()[0]
 SELECT U0."id" FROM "queries_tag" U0
+
+Calling order_by() with no parameters removes any existing ordering on the
+model. But it should still be possible to add new ordering after that.
+>>> qs = Author.objects.order_by().order_by('name')
+>>> 'ORDER BY' in qs.query.as_sql()[0]
+True
 """}
 
 # In Python 2.3 and the Python 2.6 beta releases, exceptions raised in __len__