diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 202b0e8c5..5d1be1ad8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 ### Bug Fixes
 
 - Fix styling images with empty tile layers ([#1650](../../pull/1650))
+- Add a guard around sorting item lists ([#1663](../../pull/1663))
 
 ## 1.29.11
 
diff --git a/girder/girder_large_image/web_client/views/itemList.js b/girder/girder_large_image/web_client/views/itemList.js
index f506c87a6..99920e962 100644
--- a/girder/girder_large_image/web_client/views/itemList.js
+++ b/girder/girder_large_image/web_client/views/itemList.js
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ wrap(ItemListWidget, 'initialize', function (initialize, settings) {
                 };
             });
             update = true;
-        } else if (this._confList() && this._confList().defaultSort && this._confList().defaultSort.length) {
+        } else if (this._confList && this._confList() && this._confList().defaultSort && this._confList().defaultSort.length) {
             this._lastSort = this._confList().defaultSort;
             update = true;
         }