diff --git a/webcompat/api/endpoints.py b/webcompat/api/endpoints.py
index f0d620c3d..eeeb461bb 100644
--- a/webcompat/api/endpoints.py
+++ b/webcompat/api/endpoints.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 back to GitHub'''
 
 import json
-import re
 
 from flask import abort
 from flask import Blueprint
@@ -25,6 +24,7 @@
 from webcompat.helpers import get_headers
 from webcompat.helpers import get_request_headers
 from webcompat.helpers import get_user_info
+from webcompat.helpers import normalize_api_params
 from webcompat.issues import filter_untriaged
 from webcompat.issues import proxy_request
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def get_issue_category(issue_category):
 @api.route('/issues/search')
 @limiter.limit('30/minute',
                key_func=lambda: get_username())
-def get_search_results(query_string=None):
+def get_search_results(query_string=None, params=None):
     '''XHR endpoint to get results from GitHub's Search API.
 
     We're specifically searching "issues" here, which seems to make the most
@@ -156,16 +156,17 @@ def get_search_results(query_string=None):
 
     Not cached.
     '''
+    params = params or request.args.copy()
+    query_string = query_string or params.get('q')
     search_uri = 'https://api.github.com/search/issues'
-    # TODO: handle sort and order parameters.
-    params = request.args.copy()
 
-    if query_string is None:
-        query_string = params.get('q')
-        # restrict results to our repo.
+    # restrict results to our repo.
     query_string += " repo:{0}".format(REPO_PATH)
     params['q'] = query_string
 
+    # convert issues api to search api params here.
+    params = normalize_api_params(params)
+
     if g.user:
         request_headers = get_request_headers(g.request_headers)
         results = github.raw_request('GET', 'search/issues', params=params,
@@ -188,13 +189,14 @@ def get_category_from_search(issue_category):
     issues from /issues/category/<issue_category>.
     '''
     category_list = ['contactready', 'needsdiagnosis', 'sitewait']
+    params = request.args.copy()
 
     if issue_category in category_list:
         query_string = 'label:{0}'.format(issue_category)
     elif issue_category == 'untriaged':
         query_string = ('state:open -label:contactready '
                         '-label:sitewait -label:needsdiagnosis')
-    return get_search_results(query_string)
+    return get_search_results(query_string, params)
 
 
 @api.route('/issues/<int:number>/comments', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
diff --git a/webcompat/helpers.py b/webcompat/helpers.py
index 5be16d67a..673613285 100644
--- a/webcompat/helpers.py
+++ b/webcompat/helpers.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 import datetime
 import math
 import urlparse
-import re
 
 from babel.dates import format_timedelta
 from flask import session
@@ -139,6 +138,36 @@ def get_referer(request):
         return None
 
 
+def normalize_api_params(params):
+    '''Normalize GitHub Issues API params to Search API conventions:
+
+    Issues API params        | Search API converted values
+    -------------------------|---------------------------------------
+    state                    | into q as "state:open", "state:closed"
+    creator                  | into q as "author:username"
+    mentioned                | into q as "mentions:username"
+    direction                | order
+    '''
+    if 'direction' in params:
+        params['order'] = params['direction']
+        del params['direction']
+
+    # these params need to be added to the "q" param as substrings
+    if 'state' in params:
+        state_param = ' state:' + params['state']
+        params['q'] += state_param
+        del params['state']
+    if 'creator' in params:
+        creator_param = ' author:' + params['creator']
+        params['q'] += creator_param
+        del params['creator']
+    if 'mentioned' in params:
+        mentioned_param = ' mentions:' + params['mentioned']
+        params['q'] += mentioned_param
+        del params['mentioned']
+    return params
+
+
 def rewrite_links(link_header):
     '''Rewrites Link header Github API endpoints to our own.