diff --git a/dwave/cloud/client.py b/dwave/cloud/client.py
index a660dab..1c7b7e0 100644
--- a/dwave/cloud/client.py
+++ b/dwave/cloud/client.py
@@ -1041,7 +1041,7 @@ class Client(object):
         warnings.warn("'solvers' is deprecated in favor of 'get_solvers'.", DeprecationWarning)
         return self.get_solvers(refresh=refresh, **filters)
 
-    def get_solver(self, name=None, refresh=False, order_by='avg_load', **filters):
+    def get_solver(self, name=None, refresh=False, **filters):
         """Load the configuration for a single solver.
 
         Makes a blocking web call to `{endpoint}/solvers/remote/{solver_name}/`, where `{endpoint}`
@@ -1097,13 +1097,21 @@ class Client(object):
         if name is not None:
             filters.setdefault('name', name)
 
+        # allow `order_by` to be specified as part of solver features dict
+        order_by = filters.pop('order_by', None)
+
         # in absence of other filters, config/env solver filters/name are used
         if not filters and self.default_solver:
             filters = self.default_solver
 
+        # allow `order_by` from default config/init override
+        if order_by is None:
+            order_by = filters.pop('order_by', 'avg_load')
+
         # get the first solver that satisfies all filters
         try:
-            logger.debug("Fetching solvers according to filters=%r", filters)
+            logger.debug("Fetching solvers according to filters=%r, order_by=%r",
+                         filters, order_by)
             return self.get_solvers(refresh=refresh, order_by=order_by, **filters)[0]
         except IndexError:
             raise SolverNotFoundError("Solver with the requested features not available")

diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 9718acc..0ceef46 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -429,7 +429,8 @@ class FeatureBasedSolverSelection(unittest.TestCase):
             },
             "id": "qpu1",
             "description": "QPU Chimera solver",
-            "status": "online"
+            "status": "online",
+            "avg_load": 0.1
         })
         self.qpu2 = StructuredSolver(client=None, data={
             "properties": {
@@ -451,7 +452,8 @@ class FeatureBasedSolverSelection(unittest.TestCase):
                 "vfyc": True
             },
             "id": "qpu2",
-            "description": "QPU Pegasus solver"
+            "description": "QPU Pegasus solver",
+            "avg_load": 0.2
         })
         self.software = StructuredSolver(client=None, data={
             "properties": {
@@ -618,14 +620,14 @@ class FeatureBasedSolverSelection(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(num_qubits__lt=7), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2])
 
         # skip solver if LHS value not defined (None)
-        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__gt=0), [self.software])
-        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__gte=0), [self.software])
-        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__lt=1), [self.software])
-        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__lte=1), [self.software])
+        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__gt=0), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.software])
+        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__gte=0), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.software])
+        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__lt=1), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.software])
+        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__lte=1), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.software])
         self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load=0.7), [self.software])
         self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__eq=0.7), [self.software])
-        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load=None), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.hybrid])
-        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__eq=None), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.hybrid])
+        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load=None), [self.hybrid])
+        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__eq=None), [self.hybrid])
 
     def test_range_ops(self):
         # value within range
@@ -671,8 +673,8 @@ class FeatureBasedSolverSelection(unittest.TestCase):
 
         # invalid LHS
         self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(some_set__contains=1), [self.software])
-        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__in=[None]), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.hybrid])
-        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__in=[None, 0.7]), self.solvers)
+        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__in=[None]), [self.hybrid])
+        self.assertSolvers(self.client.get_solvers(avg_load__in=[None, 0.1, 0.2, 0.7]), self.solvers)
 
     def test_set_ops(self):
         # property issubset
@@ -740,7 +742,7 @@ class FeatureBasedSolverSelection(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_order_by_edgecases(self):
         # default: sort by avg_load
-        self.assertEqual(self.client.get_solvers(), [self.software, self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.hybrid])
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.get_solvers(), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.software, self.hybrid])
 
         # explicit no sort
         self.assertEqual(self.client.get_solvers(order_by=None), self.solvers)
@@ -763,12 +765,45 @@ class FeatureBasedSolverSelection(unittest.TestCase):
             # mock the network call to fetch all solvers
             client._fetch_solvers = lambda **kw: self.solvers
 
-            # the default solver is set on client
+            # the default solver was set on client init
             self.assertEqual(client.get_solver(), self.qpu2)
 
             # the default solver should not change when we add order_by
             self.assertEqual(client.get_solver(order_by='id'), self.qpu2)
 
+        with Client('endpoint', 'token', solver=dict(category='qpu')) as client:
+            # mock the network call to fetch all solvers
+            client._fetch_solvers = lambda **kw: self.solvers
+
+            # test default order_by is avg_load
+            self.assertEqual(client.get_solver(), self.qpu1)
+
+            # but we can change it, without affecting solver filters
+            self.assertEqual(client.get_solver(order_by='-avg_load'), self.qpu2)
+
+    def test_order_by_in_default_solver(self):
+        """order_by can be specified as part of default_solver filters (issue #407)"""
+
+        with Client('endpoint', 'token', solver=dict(order_by='id')) as client:
+            # mock the network call to fetch all solvers
+            client._fetch_solvers = lambda **kw: self.solvers
+
+            # the default solver was set on client init
+            self.assertEqual(client.get_solver(), self.hybrid)
+
+            # the default solver can be overridden
+            self.assertEqual(client.get_solver(order_by='-id'), self.software)
+
+        with Client('endpoint', 'token', solver=dict(qpu=True, order_by='-num_active_qubits')) as client:
+            # mock the network call to fetch all solvers
+            client._fetch_solvers = lambda **kw: self.solvers
+
+            # the default solver was set on client init
+            self.assertEqual(client.get_solver(), self.qpu2)
+
+            # adding order_by doesn't change other default solver features
+            self.assertEqual(client.get_solver(order_by='num_active_qubits'), self.qpu1)
+
     def test_order_by_string(self):
         # sort by Solver inferred properties
         self.assertEqual(self.client.get_solvers(order_by='id'), [self.hybrid, self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.software])
@@ -794,7 +829,7 @@ class FeatureBasedSolverSelection(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_order_by_callable(self):
         # sort by Solver inferred properties
         self.assertEqual(self.client.get_solvers(order_by=lambda solver: solver.id), [self.hybrid, self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.software])
-        self.assertEqual(self.client.get_solvers(order_by=lambda solver: solver.avg_load), [self.software, self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.hybrid])
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.get_solvers(order_by=lambda solver: solver.avg_load), [self.qpu1, self.qpu2, self.software, self.hybrid])
 
         # sort by solver property
         self.assertEqual(self.client.get_solvers(order_by=lambda solver: solver.properties.get('num_qubits')), self.solvers)

Allow `order_by` to be part of solver definition dict, again
 #405 broke the original intentional behavior, where `order_by` could have been specified as part of the solver definition, e.g.:
```
client = Client.from_config(solver=dict(qpu=True, order_by='-num_active_qubits'))
```
tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_order_by_in_default_solver
tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_client_cert_from_config tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_client_cert_from_kwargs tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_client_type tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_custom_kwargs tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_custom_kwargs_overrides_config tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_default tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_headers_from_config tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_headers_from_kwargs tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_legacy_config_load_fallback tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_polling_params_from_config tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_polling_params_from_kwargs tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_solver_features_from_config tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_solver_features_kwargs_override_config tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_solver_name_from_config tests/test_client.py::ClientFactory::test_solver_name_overrides_config_features tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_anneal_schedule tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_availability_combo tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_category tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_default tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_derived_category_properties tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_derived_category_properties_without_category tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_lower_noise_derived_property tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_membership_ops tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_name tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_nested_properties_intermediate_key_lookup tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_nested_properties_leaf_lookup tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_num_qubits tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_online tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_order_by_callable tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_order_by_edgecases tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_order_by_respects_default_solver tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_order_by_string tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_parameter_availability_check tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_property_availability_check tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_range_boolean_combo tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_range_ops tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_regex tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_relational_ops tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_set_ops tests/test_client.py::FeatureBasedSolverSelection::test_solvers_deprecation