diff --git a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action.py b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action.py
index 5cbc89f6d..cd0c44363 100644
--- a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action.py
+++ b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action.py
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ class ActionsController(rest.RestController):
                                 resource_url=None,
                                 action_plan_uuid=None, audit_uuid=None):
         limit = api_utils.validate_limit(limit)
-        sort_dir = api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
+        api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
 
         marker_obj = None
         if marker:
diff --git a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action_plan.py b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action_plan.py
index 7e741dc6d..a565dfec5 100644
--- a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action_plan.py
+++ b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action_plan.py
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class ActionPlansController(rest.RestController):
                                      resource_url=None, audit_uuid=None):
 
         limit = api_utils.validate_limit(limit)
-        sort_dir = api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
+        api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
 
         marker_obj = None
         if marker:
diff --git a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit.py b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit.py
index 5dc36539e..296e0adf9 100644
--- a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit.py
+++ b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit.py
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ class AuditsController(rest.RestController):
                                sort_key, sort_dir, expand=False,
                                resource_url=None, audit_template=None):
         limit = api_utils.validate_limit(limit)
-        sort_dir = api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
+        api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
 
         marker_obj = None
         if marker:
diff --git a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit_template.py b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit_template.py
index 9b223b718..4b850c9c2 100644
--- a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit_template.py
+++ b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/audit_template.py
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ class AuditTemplatesController(rest.RestController):
         api_utils.validate_search_filters(
             filters, objects.audit_template.AuditTemplate.fields.keys())
         limit = api_utils.validate_limit(limit)
-        sort_dir = api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
+        api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
 
         marker_obj = None
         if marker:
diff --git a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/goal.py b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/goal.py
index 7c37e1ca9..27a0ab6d9 100644
--- a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/goal.py
+++ b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/goal.py
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ class GoalsController(rest.RestController):
                               resource_url=None, goal_name=None):
 
         limit = api_utils.validate_limit(limit)
-        sort_dir = api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
+        api_utils.validate_sort_dir(sort_dir)
 
         goals = []
 
diff --git a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/utils.py b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/utils.py
index 18b4c625a..a69695114 100644
--- a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/utils.py
+++ b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/utils.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ def validate_sort_dir(sort_dir):
         raise wsme.exc.ClientSideError(_("Invalid sort direction: %s. "
                                          "Acceptable values are "
                                          "'asc' or 'desc'") % sort_dir)
-    return sort_dir
 
 
 def validate_search_filters(filters, allowed_fields):
diff --git a/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_utils.py b/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_utils.py
index a5e0bc86a..e5541ddc2 100644
--- a/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_utils.py
+++ b/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_utils.py
@@ -40,8 +40,11 @@ class TestApiUtils(base.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(wsme.exc.ClientSideError, utils.validate_limit, 0)
 
     def test_validate_sort_dir(self):
-        sort_dir = utils.validate_sort_dir('asc')
-        self.assertEqual('asc', sort_dir)
+        # if sort_dir is valid, nothing should happen
+        try:
+            utils.validate_sort_dir('asc')
+        except Exception as exc:
+            self.fail(exc)
 
         # invalid sort_dir parameter
         self.assertRaises(wsme.exc.ClientSideError,