diff --git a/conf/storage-conf.xml b/conf/storage-conf.xml
index e79f4c6ab5..a5653ad16b 100644
--- a/conf/storage-conf.xml
+++ b/conf/storage-conf.xml
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@
          (ColumnFamilies are closer in meaning to those.)
 
          There is an implicit table named 'system' for Cassandra internals.
+
+         The default ColumnSort is Time for standard column families.
+         For super column families, specifying ColumnSort is not supported;
+         the supercolumns themselves are always name-sorted and their subcolumns
+         are always time-sorted.
     -->
     <Tables>
         <Table Name="Table1">
@@ -51,7 +56,7 @@
             <ColumnFamily ColumnSort="Name" Name="Standard1" FlushPeriodInMinutes="60"/>
             <ColumnFamily ColumnSort="Name" Name="Standard2"/>
             <ColumnFamily ColumnSort="Time" Name="StandardByTime1"/>
-            <ColumnFamily ColumnType="Super" ColumnSort="Name" Name="Super1"/>
+            <ColumnFamily ColumnType="Super" Name="Super1"/>
         </Table>
     </Tables>
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/DatabaseDescriptor.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/DatabaseDescriptor.java
index 8d4e35a6f6..68d73067a8 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/DatabaseDescriptor.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/DatabaseDescriptor.java
@@ -350,9 +350,13 @@ public class DatabaseDescriptor
                     {
                         throw new ConfigurationException("invalid column sort value " + rawColumnIndexType);
                     }
-                    if ("Super".equals(columnType) && !"Name".equals(columnIndexType))
+                    if ("Super".equals(columnType))
                     {
-                        throw new ConfigurationException("Super columnfamilies may only be name-sorted");
+                        if (rawColumnIndexType != null)
+                        {
+                            throw new ConfigurationException("Super columnfamilies are always name-sorted, and their subcolumns are always time-sorted.  You may not specify the ColumnSort attribute on a SuperColumn.");
+                        }
+                        columnIndexType = "Name";
                     }
 
                     // see if flush period is set
diff --git a/test/conf/storage-conf.xml b/test/conf/storage-conf.xml
index 6332c22774..8bdffac7fe 100644
--- a/test/conf/storage-conf.xml
+++ b/test/conf/storage-conf.xml
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@
        <ColumnFamily ColumnSort="Name" Name="Standard2"/>
        <ColumnFamily ColumnSort="Time" Name="StandardByTime1"/>
        <ColumnFamily ColumnSort="Time" Name="StandardByTime2"/>
-       <ColumnFamily ColumnType="Super" ColumnSort="Name" Name="Super1"/>
-       <ColumnFamily ColumnType="Super" ColumnSort="Name" Name="Super2"/>
+       <ColumnFamily ColumnType="Super" Name="Super1"/>
+       <ColumnFamily ColumnType="Super" Name="Super2"/>
      </Table>
      <Table Name = "Table2">
        <ColumnFamily ColumnSort="Name" Name="Standard1"/>