diff --git a/COMPONENT_INDEX.md b/COMPONENT_INDEX.md
index 3600d371..2ee61315 100644
--- a/COMPONENT_INDEX.md
+++ b/COMPONENT_INDEX.md
@@ -967,6 +967,8 @@ export interface DataTableCell {
 | selectable          | No       | <code>let</code> | Yes      | <code>boolean</code>                                                | <code>false</code>     | Set to `true` for the selectable variant<br />Automatically set to `true` if `radio` or `batchSelection` are `true` |
 | expandedRowIds      | No       | <code>let</code> | Yes      | <code>ReadonlyArray<DataTableRowId></code>                          | <code>[]</code>        | Specify the row ids to be expanded                                                                                  |
 | expandable          | No       | <code>let</code> | Yes      | <code>boolean</code>                                                | <code>false</code>     | Set to `true` for the expandable variant<br />Automatically set to `true` if `batchExpansion` is `true`             |
+| sortDirection       | No       | <code>let</code> | Yes      | <code>"none" &#124; "ascending" &#124; "descending"</code>          | <code>"none"</code>    | Specify the sort direction                                                                                          |
+| sortKey             | No       | <code>let</code> | Yes      | <code>DataTableKey</code>                                           | <code>null</code>      | Specify the header key to sort by                                                                                   |
 | headers             | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>ReadonlyArray<DataTableHeader></code>                         | <code>[]</code>        | Specify the data table headers                                                                                      |
 | rows                | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>ReadonlyArray<DataTableRow></code>                            | <code>[]</code>        | Specify the rows the data table should render<br />keys defined in `headers` are used for the row ids               |
 | size                | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>"compact" &#124; "short" &#124; "medium" &#124; "tall"</code> | <code>undefined</code> | Set the size of the data table                                                                                      |
@@ -3864,12 +3866,14 @@ None.
 
 ### Props
 
-| Prop name       | Required | Kind             | Reactive | Type                      | Default value                                    | Description                                            |
-| :-------------- | :------- | :--------------- | :------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
-| disableSorting  | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>boolean</code>      | <code>false</code>                               | Set to `true` to disable sorting on this specific cell |
-| scope           | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>string</code>       | <code>"col"</code>                               | Specify the `scope` attribute                          |
-| translateWithId | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>() => string</code> | <code>() => ""</code>                            | Override the default id translations                   |
-| id              | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>string</code>       | <code>"ccs-" + Math.random().toString(36)</code> | Set an id for the top-level element                    |
+| Prop name       | Required | Kind             | Reactive | Type                                                       | Default value                                    | Description                            |
+| :-------------- | :------- | :--------------- | :------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- |
+| sortable        | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>boolean</code>                                       | <code>false</code>                               | Set to `true` for the sortable variant |
+| sortDirection   | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>"none" &#124; "ascending" &#124; "descending"</code> | <code>"none"</code>                              | Specify the sort direction             |
+| active          | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>boolean</code>                                       | <code>false</code>                               | Set to `true` if the column sorting    |
+| scope           | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>string</code>                                        | <code>"col"</code>                               | Specify the `scope` attribute          |
+| translateWithId | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>() => string</code>                                  | <code>() => ""</code>                            | Override the default id translations   |
+| id              | No       | <code>let</code> | No       | <code>string</code>                                        | <code>"ccs-" + Math.random().toString(36)</code> | Set an id for the top-level element    |
 
 ### Slots
 
diff --git a/docs/src/COMPONENT_API.json b/docs/src/COMPONENT_API.json
index 562853ce..56d29bac 100644
--- a/docs/src/COMPONENT_API.json
+++ b/docs/src/COMPONENT_API.json
@@ -2421,6 +2421,30 @@
           "constant": false,
           "reactive": false
         },
+        {
+          "name": "sortKey",
+          "kind": "let",
+          "description": "Specify the header key to sort by",
+          "type": "DataTableKey",
+          "value": "null",
+          "isFunction": false,
+          "isFunctionDeclaration": false,
+          "isRequired": false,
+          "constant": false,
+          "reactive": true
+        },
+        {
+          "name": "sortDirection",
+          "kind": "let",
+          "description": "Specify the sort direction",
+          "type": "\"none\" | \"ascending\" | \"descending\"",
+          "value": "\"none\"",
+          "isFunction": false,
+          "isFunctionDeclaration": false,
+          "isRequired": false,
+          "constant": false,
+          "reactive": true
+        },
         {
           "name": "expandable",
           "kind": "let",
@@ -11843,9 +11867,33 @@
       "filePath": "src/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte",
       "props": [
         {
-          "name": "disableSorting",
+          "name": "sortable",
           "kind": "let",
-          "description": "Set to `true` to disable sorting on this specific cell",
+          "description": "Set to `true` for the sortable variant",
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "value": "false",
+          "isFunction": false,
+          "isFunctionDeclaration": false,
+          "isRequired": false,
+          "constant": false,
+          "reactive": false
+        },
+        {
+          "name": "sortDirection",
+          "kind": "let",
+          "description": "Specify the sort direction",
+          "type": "\"none\" | \"ascending\" | \"descending\"",
+          "value": "\"none\"",
+          "isFunction": false,
+          "isFunctionDeclaration": false,
+          "isRequired": false,
+          "constant": false,
+          "reactive": false
+        },
+        {
+          "name": "active",
+          "kind": "let",
+          "description": "Set to `true` if the column sorting",
           "type": "boolean",
           "value": "false",
           "isFunction": false,
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/components/DataTable.svx b/docs/src/pages/components/DataTable.svx
index 52714f80..2c130b56 100644
--- a/docs/src/pages/components/DataTable.svx
+++ b/docs/src/pages/components/DataTable.svx
@@ -1075,6 +1075,18 @@ and then limit displayed content by using `pageSize` and `page` props, which are
   ]}"
 />
 
+### Programmatic sorting
+
+Use the reactive `sortKey` and `sortDirection` props for programmatic sorting.
+
+By default, the table is not sorted by a specific key. The `sortKey` value must be a valid `key` specified in the `headers` object.
+
+Possible values for `sortDirection` include `"none"` or `"ascending"` or `"descending"`.
+
+Setting `sortKey` to `null` and `sortDirection` to `"none"` should reset the table rows to their initial order.
+
+<FileSource src="/framed/DataTable/DataTableProgrammaticSorting" />
+
 ### Empty column with overflow menu
 
 Some use cases require an empty column in the table body without a corresponding table header.
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/framed/DataTable/DataTableProgrammaticSorting.svelte b/docs/src/pages/framed/DataTable/DataTableProgrammaticSorting.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c86e548f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/src/pages/framed/DataTable/DataTableProgrammaticSorting.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+<script>
+  import { DataTable, Button } from "carbon-components-svelte";
+
+  let sortKey = "port";
+  let sortDirection = "ascending";
+
+  $: console.log("sortKey", sortKey);
+  $: console.log("sortDirection", sortDirection);
+</script>
+
+<Button
+  kind="tertiary"
+  disabled="{sortKey === 'port' && sortDirection === 'ascending'}"
+  on:click="{() => {
+    sortKey = 'port';
+    sortDirection = 'ascending';
+  }}"
+>
+  Sort "port" in ascending order
+</Button>
+
+<Button
+  kind="tertiary"
+  disabled="{sortKey === 'name' && sortDirection === 'descending'}"
+  on:click="{() => {
+    sortKey = 'name';
+    sortDirection = 'descending';
+  }}"
+>
+  Sort "name" in descending order
+</Button>
+
+<Button
+  kind="ghost"
+  on:click="{() => {
+    sortKey = null;
+    sortDirection = 'none';
+  }}"
+>
+  Clear sorting
+</Button>
+
+<DataTable
+  sortable
+  bind:sortKey
+  bind:sortDirection
+  headers="{[
+    { key: 'name', value: 'Name' },
+    { key: 'protocol', value: 'Protocol', sort: false },
+    { key: 'port', value: 'Port' },
+    { key: 'rule', value: 'Rule' },
+  ]}"
+  rows="{[
+    {
+      id: 'a',
+      name: 'Load Balancer 3',
+      protocol: 'HTTP',
+      port: 3000,
+      rule: 'Round robin',
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'b',
+      name: 'Load Balancer 1',
+      protocol: 'HTTP',
+      port: 443,
+      rule: 'Round robin',
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'c',
+      name: 'Load Balancer 2',
+      protocol: 'HTTP',
+      port: 80,
+      rule: 'DNS delegation',
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'd',
+      name: 'Load Balancer 6',
+      protocol: 'HTTP',
+      port: 3000,
+      rule: 'Round robin',
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'e',
+      name: 'Load Balancer 4',
+      protocol: 'HTTP',
+      port: 443,
+      rule: 'Round robin',
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'f',
+      name: 'Load Balancer 5',
+      protocol: 'HTTP',
+      port: 80,
+      rule: 'DNS delegation',
+    },
+  ]}"
+/>
diff --git a/src/DataTable/DataTable.svelte b/src/DataTable/DataTable.svelte
index bd6b79c7..f1472a06 100644
--- a/src/DataTable/DataTable.svelte
+++ b/src/DataTable/DataTable.svelte
@@ -53,6 +53,18 @@
   /** Set to `true` for the sortable variant */
   export let sortable = false;
 
+  /**
+   * Specify the header key to sort by
+   * @type {DataTableKey}
+   */
+  export let sortKey = null;
+
+  /**
+   * Specify the sort direction
+   * @type {"none" | "ascending" | "descending"}
+   */
+  export let sortDirection = "none";
+
   /**
    * Set to `true` for the expandable variant
    * Automatically set to `true` if `batchExpansion` is `true`
@@ -132,18 +144,11 @@
   };
   const dispatch = createEventDispatcher();
   const batchSelectedIds = writable(false);
-  const tableSortable = writable(sortable);
-  const sortHeader = writable({
-    id: null,
-    key: null,
-    sort: undefined,
-    sortDirection: "none",
-  });
   const headerItems = writable([]);
   const tableRows = writable(rows);
   const thKeys = derived(headerItems, () =>
     headers
-      .map(({ key }, i) => ({ key, id: key }))
+      .map(({ key }) => ({ key, id: key }))
       .reduce((a, c) => ({ ...a, [c.key]: c.id }), {})
   );
   const resolvePath = (object, path) => {
@@ -155,8 +160,6 @@
   };
 
   setContext("DataTable", {
-    sortHeader,
-    tableSortable,
     batchSelectedIds,
     tableRows,
     resetSelectedRowIds: () => {
@@ -195,7 +198,6 @@
     expanded = expandedRowIds.length === expandableRowIds.length;
   }
   $: if (radio || batchSelection) selectable = true;
-  $: tableSortable.set(sortable);
   $: headerKeys = headers.map(({ key }) => key);
   $: tableCellsByRowId = rows.reduce(
     (rows, row) => ({
@@ -210,11 +212,11 @@
   );
   $: $tableRows = rows;
   $: sortedRows = [...$tableRows];
-  $: ascending = $sortHeader.sortDirection === "ascending";
-  $: sortKey = $sortHeader.key;
+  $: ascending = sortDirection === "ascending";
   $: sorting = sortable && sortKey != null;
+  $: sortingHeader = headers.find((header) => header.key === sortKey);
   $: if (sorting) {
-    if ($sortHeader.sortDirection === "none") {
+    if (sortDirection === "none") {
       sortedRows = $tableRows;
     } else {
       sortedRows = [...$tableRows].sort((a, b) => {
@@ -225,7 +227,7 @@
           ? resolvePath(b, sortKey)
           : resolvePath(a, sortKey);
 
-        if ($sortHeader.sort) return $sortHeader.sort(itemA, itemB);
+        if (sortingHeader?.sort) return sortingHeader.sort(itemA, itemB);
 
         if (typeof itemA === "number" && typeof itemB === "number")
           return itemA - itemB;
@@ -337,32 +339,26 @@
             />
           </th>
         {/if}
-        {#each headers as header, i (header.key)}
+        {#each headers as header (header.key)}
           {#if header.empty}
             <th scope="col" style="{formatHeaderWidth(header)}"></th>
           {:else}
             <TableHeader
               id="{header.key}"
               style="{formatHeaderWidth(header)}"
-              disableSorting="{header.sort === false}"
+              sortable="{sortable && header.sort !== false}"
+              sortDirection="{sortDirection}"
+              active="{sortKey !== null && sortKey === header.key}"
               on:click="{() => {
                 dispatch('click', { header });
 
                 if (header.sort === false) {
                   dispatch('click:header', { header });
                 } else {
-                  let active = header.key === $sortHeader.key;
-                  let currentSortDirection = active
-                    ? $sortHeader.sortDirection
-                    : 'none';
-                  let sortDirection = sortDirectionMap[currentSortDirection];
+                  sortDirection = sortDirectionMap[sortDirection];
+                  sortKey =
+                    sortDirection === 'none' ? null : $thKeys[header.key];
                   dispatch('click:header', { header, sortDirection });
-                  sortHeader.set({
-                    id: sortDirection === 'none' ? null : $thKeys[header.key],
-                    key: header.key,
-                    sort: header.sort,
-                    sortDirection,
-                  });
                 }
               }}"
             >
diff --git a/src/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte b/src/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte
index 836a3171..a9c4d9c1 100644
--- a/src/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte
+++ b/src/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 <script>
-  /** Set to `true` to disable sorting on this specific cell */
-  export let disableSorting = false;
+  /** Set to `true` for the sortable variant */
+  export let sortable = false;
+
+  /**
+   * Specify the sort direction
+   * @type {"none" | "ascending" | "descending"}
+   */
+  export let sortDirection = "none";
+
+  /** Set to `true` if the column sorting */
+  export let active = false;
 
   /** Specify the `scope` attribute */
   export let scope = "col";
@@ -14,21 +23,17 @@
   /** Set an id for the top-level element */
   export let id = "ccs-" + Math.random().toString(36);
 
-  import { getContext } from "svelte";
   import ArrowUp from "../icons/ArrowUp.svelte";
   import ArrowsVertical from "../icons/ArrowsVertical.svelte";
 
-  const { sortHeader, tableSortable } = getContext("DataTable");
-
-  $: active = $sortHeader.id === id;
   // TODO: translate with id
   $: ariaLabel = translateWithId();
 </script>
 
 <!-- svelte-ignore a11y-mouse-events-have-key-events -->
-{#if $tableSortable && !disableSorting}
+{#if sortable}
   <th
-    aria-sort="{active ? $sortHeader.sortDirection : 'none'}"
+    aria-sort="{active ? sortDirection : 'none'}"
     scope="{scope}"
     data-header="{id}"
     {...$$restProps}
@@ -40,7 +45,7 @@
       class:bx--table-sort="{true}"
       class:bx--table-sort--active="{active}"
       class:bx--table-sort--ascending="{active &&
-        $sortHeader.sortDirection === 'descending'}"
+        sortDirection === 'descending'}"
       on:click
     >
       <div class:bx--table-header-label="{true}">
diff --git a/tests/DataTable.test.svelte b/tests/DataTable.test.svelte
index 301efcf3..0ac2a22b 100644
--- a/tests/DataTable.test.svelte
+++ b/tests/DataTable.test.svelte
@@ -70,7 +70,14 @@
   }
 </script>
 
-<DataTable headers="{headers}" rows="{rows}" style="" class="class" />
+<DataTable
+  headers="{headers}"
+  rows="{rows}"
+  style=""
+  sortKey="name"
+  sortDirection="descending"
+  class="class"
+/>
 
 <DataTable headers="{headers}" rows="{rows}">
   <span slot="cell-header" let:header>
diff --git a/types/DataTable/DataTable.svelte.d.ts b/types/DataTable/DataTable.svelte.d.ts
index 9a0a588b..e3be8ebf 100644
--- a/types/DataTable/DataTable.svelte.d.ts
+++ b/types/DataTable/DataTable.svelte.d.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,18 @@ export interface DataTableProps
    */
   sortable?: boolean;
 
+  /**
+   * Specify the header key to sort by
+   * @default null
+   */
+  sortKey?: DataTableKey;
+
+  /**
+   * Specify the sort direction
+   * @default "none"
+   */
+  sortDirection?: "none" | "ascending" | "descending";
+
   /**
    * Set to `true` for the expandable variant
    * Automatically set to `true` if `batchExpansion` is `true`
diff --git a/types/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte.d.ts b/types/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte.d.ts
index 170a1f03..6252c1b6 100644
--- a/types/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte.d.ts
+++ b/types/DataTable/TableHeader.svelte.d.ts
@@ -4,10 +4,22 @@ import type { SvelteComponentTyped } from "svelte";
 export interface TableHeaderProps
   extends svelte.JSX.HTMLAttributes<HTMLElementTagNameMap["th"]> {
   /**
-   * Set to `true` to disable sorting on this specific cell
+   * Set to `true` for the sortable variant
    * @default false
    */
-  disableSorting?: boolean;
+  sortable?: boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * Specify the sort direction
+   * @default "none"
+   */
+  sortDirection?: "none" | "ascending" | "descending";
+
+  /**
+   * Set to `true` if the column sorting
+   * @default false
+   */
+  active?: boolean;
 
   /**
    * Specify the `scope` attribute