diff --git a/include/field.h b/include/field.h
index 7d85311d4..03e52acf9 100644
--- a/include/field.h
+++ b/include/field.h
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ struct sort_by {
     };
 
     struct eval_t {
-        filter_node_t* filter_trees = nullptr;
+        filter_node_t** filter_trees = nullptr; // Array of filter_node_t pointers.
         std::vector<uint32_t*> eval_ids_vec;
         std::vector<uint32_t> eval_ids_count_vec;
         std::vector<int64_t> scores;
diff --git a/include/filter.h b/include/filter.h
index e6071ebae..59d6fce4e 100644
--- a/include/filter.h
+++ b/include/filter.h
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <map>
-#include <tsl/htrie_map.h>
-#include <json.hpp>
+#include "tsl/htrie_map.h"
+#include "json.hpp"
 #include "store.h"
 
 enum NUM_COMPARATOR {
diff --git a/src/collection.cpp b/src/collection.cpp
index 0bec33508..4fefc0b6e 100644
--- a/src/collection.cpp
+++ b/src/collection.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ struct sort_fields_guard_t {
             for (auto& eval_ids: sort_by_clause.eval.eval_ids_vec) {
                 delete [] eval_ids;
             }
+
+            for (uint32_t i = 0; i < sort_by_clause.eval_expressions.size(); i++) {
+                delete sort_by_clause.eval.filter_trees[i];
+            }
+
             delete [] sort_by_clause.eval.filter_trees;
         }
     }
@@ -1195,11 +1200,11 @@ Option<bool> Collection::validate_and_standardize_sort_fields(const std::vector<
 
             continue;
         } else if (_sort_field.name == sort_field_const::eval) {
-            sort_by sort_field_std(sort_field_const::eval, _sort_field.order);
+            sort_fields_std.emplace_back(sort_field_const::eval, _sort_field.order);
+            auto& sort_field_std = sort_fields_std.back();
 
             auto const& count = _sort_field.eval_expressions.size();
-            sort_field_std.eval.filter_trees = new filter_node_t[count];
-            std::unique_ptr<filter_node_t []> filter_trees_guard(sort_field_std.eval.filter_trees);
+            sort_field_std.eval.filter_trees = new filter_node_t*[count]{nullptr};
 
             for (uint32_t j = 0; j < count; j++) {
                 auto const& filter_exp = _sort_field.eval_expressions[j];
@@ -1207,23 +1212,16 @@ Option<bool> Collection::validate_and_standardize_sort_fields(const std::vector<
                     return Option<bool>(400, "The eval expression in sort_by is empty.");
                 }
 
-                filter_node_t* filter_tree_root = nullptr;
                 Option<bool> parse_filter_op = filter::parse_filter_query(filter_exp, search_schema,
-                                                                          store, "", filter_tree_root);
-                std::unique_ptr<filter_node_t> filter_tree_root_guard(filter_tree_root);
-
+                                                                          store, "", sort_field_std.eval.filter_trees[j]);
                 if (!parse_filter_op.ok()) {
                     return Option<bool>(parse_filter_op.code(), "Error parsing eval expression in sort_by clause.");
                 }
-
-                sort_field_std.eval.filter_trees[j] = std::move(*filter_tree_root);
             }
 
             eval_sort_count++;
             sort_field_std.eval_expressions = _sort_field.eval_expressions;
             sort_field_std.eval.scores = _sort_field.eval.scores;
-            sort_fields_std.emplace_back(sort_field_std);
-            filter_trees_guard.release();
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -1254,22 +1252,6 @@ Option<bool> Collection::validate_and_standardize_sort_fields(const std::vector<
                 sort_field_std.name = actual_field_name;
                 sort_field_std.text_match_buckets = std::stoll(match_parts[1]);
 
-            } else if(actual_field_name == sort_field_const::eval) {
-                const std::string& filter_exp = sort_field_std.name.substr(paran_start + 1,
-                                                                           sort_field_std.name.size() - paran_start -
-                                                                           2);
-                if(filter_exp.empty()) {
-                    return Option<bool>(400, "The eval expression in sort_by is empty.");
-                }
-
-                Option<bool> parse_filter_op = filter::parse_filter_query(filter_exp, search_schema,
-                                                                          store, "", sort_field_std.eval.filter_trees);
-                if(!parse_filter_op.ok()) {
-                    return Option<bool>(parse_filter_op.code(), "Error parsing eval expression in sort_by clause.");
-                }
-
-                sort_field_std.name = actual_field_name;
-                num_sort_expressions++;
             } else if(actual_field_name == sort_field_const::vector_query) {
                 const std::string& vector_query_str = sort_field_std.name.substr(paran_start + 1,
                                                                               sort_field_std.name.size() - paran_start -
diff --git a/src/index.cpp b/src/index.cpp
index d54361315..95213365c 100644
--- a/src/index.cpp
+++ b/src/index.cpp
@@ -6149,7 +6149,7 @@ void Index::populate_sort_mapping(int* sort_order, std::vector<size_t>& geopoint
             auto& eval_exp = sort_fields_std[i].eval;
             auto count = sort_fields_std[i].eval_expressions.size();
             for (uint32_t j = 0; j < count; j++) {
-                auto filter_result_iterator = filter_result_iterator_t("", this, &eval_exp.filter_trees[j],
+                auto filter_result_iterator = filter_result_iterator_t("", this, eval_exp.filter_trees[j],
                                                                        search_begin_us, search_stop_us);
                 auto filter_init_op = filter_result_iterator.init_status();
                 if (!filter_init_op.ok()) {