diff --git a/draftlogs/6718_fix.md b/draftlogs/6718_fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..45eac127840
--- /dev/null
+++ b/draftlogs/6718_fix.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Column order changes on hover [[#6718](https://github.com/plotly/plotly.js/pull/6718)]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/plots/plots.js b/src/plots/plots.js
index 2feb453c40d..5a6b5e0466c 100644
--- a/src/plots/plots.js
+++ b/src/plots/plots.js
@@ -3207,6 +3207,14 @@ function sortAxisCategoriesByValue(axList, gd) {
         median: function(values) {return Lib.median(values);}
     };
 
+    function sortAscending(a, b) {
+        return a[1] - b[1];
+    }
+
+    function sortDescending(a, b) {
+        return b[1] - a[1];
+    }
+
     for(i = 0; i < axList.length; i++) {
         var ax = axList[i];
         if(ax.type !== 'category') continue;
@@ -3328,9 +3336,7 @@ function sortAxisCategoriesByValue(axList, gd) {
             }
 
             // Sort by aggregated value
-            categoriesAggregatedValue.sort(function(a, b) {
-                return a[1] - b[1];
-            });
+            categoriesAggregatedValue.sort(order === 'descending' ? sortDescending : sortAscending);
 
             ax._categoriesAggregatedValue = categoriesAggregatedValue;
 
@@ -3339,11 +3345,6 @@ function sortAxisCategoriesByValue(axList, gd) {
                 return c[0];
             });
 
-            // Reverse if descending
-            if(order === 'descending') {
-                ax._initialCategories.reverse();
-            }
-
             // Sort all matching axes
             affectedTraces = affectedTraces.concat(ax.sortByInitialCategories());
         }
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/calcdata_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/calcdata_test.js
index 57134876b50..2111018242a 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/calcdata_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/calcdata_test.js
@@ -1074,8 +1074,14 @@ describe('calculated data and points', function() {
                             if(categoryorder === 'total descending') finalOrder.reverse();
                             var expectedAgg = [['a', 7], ['b', 2], ['c', 3]];
 
-                            if(trace.type === 'ohlc' || trace.type === 'candlestick') expectedAgg = [['a', 14], ['b', 4], ['c', 6]];
-                            if(trace.type.match(/histogram/)) expectedAgg = [['a', 2], ['b', 1], ['c', 1]];
+                            if(trace.type === 'ohlc' || trace.type === 'candlestick') {
+                                expectedAgg = [['a', 14], ['b', 4], ['c', 6]];
+                                if(categoryorder === 'total descending') finalOrder = ['a', 'c', 'b'];
+                            }
+                            if(trace.type.match(/histogram/)) {
+                                expectedAgg = [['a', 2], ['b', 1], ['c', 1]];
+                                if(categoryorder === 'total descending') finalOrder = ['a', 'b', 'c'];
+                            }
 
                             checkAggregatedValue(baseMock, expectedAgg, finalOrder, done);
                         });