diff --git a/ee/query-service/license/manager.go b/ee/query-service/license/manager.go
index 306fa5a8d1..a3e9ba0771 100644
--- a/ee/query-service/license/manager.go
+++ b/ee/query-service/license/manager.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 
 	"sync"
 
+	baseconstants "go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/constants"
+
 	validate "go.signoz.io/signoz/ee/query-service/integrations/signozio"
 	"go.signoz.io/signoz/ee/query-service/model"
 	basemodel "go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/model"
@@ -92,6 +94,8 @@ func (lm *Manager) SetActive(l *model.License) {
 
 	lm.activeLicense = l
 	lm.activeFeatures = l.FeatureSet
+	// set default features
+	setDefaultFeatures(lm)
 	if !lm.validatorRunning {
 		// we want to make sure only one validator runs,
 		// we already have lock() so good to go
@@ -101,7 +105,13 @@ func (lm *Manager) SetActive(l *model.License) {
 
 }
 
-// LoadActiveLicense loads the most recent active licenseex
+func setDefaultFeatures(lm *Manager) {
+	for k, v := range baseconstants.DEFAULT_FEATURE_SET {
+		lm.activeFeatures[k] = v
+	}
+}
+
+// LoadActiveLicense loads the most recent active license
 func (lm *Manager) LoadActiveLicense() error {
 	var err error
 	active, err := lm.repo.GetActiveLicense(context.Background())
@@ -111,7 +121,10 @@ func (lm *Manager) LoadActiveLicense() error {
 	if active != nil {
 		lm.SetActive(active)
 	} else {
-		zap.S().Info("No active license found.")
+		zap.S().Info("No active license found, defaulting to basic plan")
+		// if no active license is found, we default to basic(free) plan with all default features
+		lm.activeFeatures = basemodel.BasicPlan
+		setDefaultFeatures(lm)
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -278,8 +291,11 @@ func (lm *Manager) Activate(ctx context.Context, key string) (licenseResponse *m
 // CheckFeature will be internally used by backend routines
 // for feature gating
 func (lm *Manager) CheckFeature(featureKey string) error {
-	if _, ok := lm.activeFeatures[featureKey]; ok {
-		return nil
+	if value, ok := lm.activeFeatures[featureKey]; ok {
+		if value {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return basemodel.ErrFeatureUnavailable{Key: featureKey}
 	}
 	return basemodel.ErrFeatureUnavailable{Key: featureKey}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/query-service/app/http_handler.go b/pkg/query-service/app/http_handler.go
index 1d648f4651..473d253585 100644
--- a/pkg/query-service/app/http_handler.go
+++ b/pkg/query-service/app/http_handler.go
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ func (aH *APIHandler) RegisterRoutes(router *mux.Router) {
 	router.HandleFunc("/api/v1/settings/ttl", ViewAccess(aH.getTTL)).Methods(http.MethodGet)
 
 	router.HandleFunc("/api/v1/version", OpenAccess(aH.getVersion)).Methods(http.MethodGet)
+	router.HandleFunc("/api/v1/featureFlags", OpenAccess(aH.getFeatureFlags)).Methods(http.MethodGet)
 
 	router.HandleFunc("/api/v1/getSpanFilters", ViewAccess(aH.getSpanFilters)).Methods(http.MethodPost)
 	router.HandleFunc("/api/v1/getTagFilters", ViewAccess(aH.getTagFilters)).Methods(http.MethodPost)
@@ -1422,7 +1423,7 @@ func (aH *APIHandler) getSpanFilters(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 func (aH *APIHandler) getFilteredSpans(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
-	query, err := parseFilteredSpansRequest(r)
+	query, err := parseFilteredSpansRequest(r, aH)
 	if aH.HandleError(w, err, http.StatusBadRequest) {
 		return
 	}
@@ -1533,6 +1534,20 @@ func (aH *APIHandler) getVersion(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	aH.WriteJSON(w, r, map[string]string{"version": version, "ee": "N"})
 }
 
+func (aH *APIHandler) getFeatureFlags(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	featureSet := aH.FF().GetFeatureFlags()
+	aH.Respond(w, featureSet)
+}
+
+func (aH *APIHandler) FF() interfaces.FeatureLookup {
+	return aH.featureFlags
+}
+
+func (aH *APIHandler) CheckFeature(f string) bool {
+	err := aH.FF().CheckFeature(f)
+	return err == nil
+}
+
 // inviteUser is used to invite a user. It is used by an admin api.
 func (aH *APIHandler) inviteUser(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	req, err := parseInviteRequest(r)
diff --git a/pkg/query-service/app/parser.go b/pkg/query-service/app/parser.go
index 2fed317973..bfd4042d22 100644
--- a/pkg/query-service/app/parser.go
+++ b/pkg/query-service/app/parser.go
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ func parseSpanFilterRequestBody(r *http.Request) (*model.SpanFilterParams, error
 	return postData, nil
 }
 
-func parseFilteredSpansRequest(r *http.Request) (*model.GetFilteredSpansParams, error) {
+func parseFilteredSpansRequest(r *http.Request, aH *APIHandler) (*model.GetFilteredSpansParams, error) {
 
 	var postData *model.GetFilteredSpansParams
 	err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&postData)
@@ -277,6 +277,20 @@ func parseFilteredSpansRequest(r *http.Request) (*model.GetFilteredSpansParams,
 		postData.Limit = 10
 	}
 
+	if len(postData.Order) != 0 {
+		if postData.Order != constants.Ascending && postData.Order != constants.Descending {
+			return nil, errors.New("order param is not in correct format")
+		}
+		if postData.OrderParam != constants.Duration && postData.OrderParam != constants.Timestamp {
+			return nil, errors.New("order param is not in correct format")
+		}
+		if postData.OrderParam == constants.Duration && !aH.CheckFeature(constants.DurationSort) {
+			return nil, model.ErrFeatureUnavailable{Key: constants.DurationSort}
+		} else if postData.OrderParam == constants.Timestamp && !aH.CheckFeature(constants.TimestampSort) {
+			return nil, model.ErrFeatureUnavailable{Key: constants.TimestampSort}
+		}
+	}
+
 	return postData, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/query-service/app/server.go b/pkg/query-service/app/server.go
index 2b46ae8fed..cbb8a807fa 100644
--- a/pkg/query-service/app/server.go
+++ b/pkg/query-service/app/server.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/app/dashboards"
 	"go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/constants"
 	"go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/dao"
+	"go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/featureManager"
 	"go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/healthcheck"
 	am "go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/integrations/alertManager"
 	"go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/interfaces"
@@ -77,6 +78,10 @@ func NewServer(serverOptions *ServerOptions) (*Server, error) {
 	}
 
 	localDB.SetMaxOpenConns(10)
+
+	// initiate feature manager
+	fm := featureManager.StartManager()
+
 	readerReady := make(chan bool)
 
 	var reader interfaces.Reader
@@ -98,9 +103,10 @@ func NewServer(serverOptions *ServerOptions) (*Server, error) {
 
 	telemetry.GetInstance().SetReader(reader)
 	apiHandler, err := NewAPIHandler(APIHandlerOpts{
-		Reader:      reader,
-		AppDao:      dao.DB(),
-		RuleManager: rm,
+		Reader:       reader,
+		AppDao:       dao.DB(),
+		RuleManager:  rm,
+		FeatureFlags: fm,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/query-service/constants/constants.go b/pkg/query-service/constants/constants.go
index 6e3af77a5e..46b3d4651f 100644
--- a/pkg/query-service/constants/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/query-service/constants/constants.go
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ const TraceTTL = "traces"
 const MetricsTTL = "metrics"
 const LogsTTL = "logs"
 
+const DurationSort = "DurationSort"
+const TimestampSort = "TimestampSort"
+
 func GetAlertManagerApiPrefix() string {
 	if os.Getenv("ALERTMANAGER_API_PREFIX") != "" {
 		return os.Getenv("ALERTMANAGER_API_PREFIX")
@@ -40,6 +43,33 @@ var AmChannelApiPath = GetOrDefaultEnv("ALERTMANAGER_API_CHANNEL_PATH", "v1/rout
 
 var RELATIONAL_DATASOURCE_PATH = GetOrDefaultEnv("SIGNOZ_LOCAL_DB_PATH", "/var/lib/signoz/signoz.db")
 
+var DurationSortFeature = GetOrDefaultEnv("DURATION_SORT_FEATURE", "true")
+
+var TimestampSortFeature = GetOrDefaultEnv("TIMESTAMP_SORT_FEATURE", "true")
+
+func IsDurationSortFeatureEnabled() bool {
+	isDurationSortFeatureEnabledStr := DurationSortFeature
+	isDurationSortFeatureEnabledBool, err := strconv.ParseBool(isDurationSortFeatureEnabledStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return isDurationSortFeatureEnabledBool
+}
+
+func IsTimestampSortFeatureEnabled() bool {
+	isTimestampSortFeatureEnabledStr := TimestampSortFeature
+	isTimestampSortFeatureEnabledBool, err := strconv.ParseBool(isTimestampSortFeatureEnabledStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return isTimestampSortFeatureEnabledBool
+}
+
+var DEFAULT_FEATURE_SET = model.FeatureSet{
+	DurationSort:  IsDurationSortFeatureEnabled(),
+	TimestampSort: IsTimestampSortFeatureEnabled(),
+}
+
 const (
 	TraceID                        = "traceID"
 	ServiceName                    = "serviceName"
diff --git a/pkg/query-service/featureManager/manager.go b/pkg/query-service/featureManager/manager.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c8c953982
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/query-service/featureManager/manager.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package featureManager
+
+import (
+	"go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/constants"
+	"go.signoz.io/signoz/pkg/query-service/model"
+)
+
+type FeatureManager struct {
+	activeFeatures model.FeatureSet
+}
+
+func StartManager() *FeatureManager {
+	fM := &FeatureManager{
+		activeFeatures: constants.DEFAULT_FEATURE_SET,
+	}
+	return fM
+}
+
+// CheckFeature will be internally used by backend routines
+// for feature gating
+func (fm *FeatureManager) CheckFeature(featureKey string) error {
+	if value, ok := fm.activeFeatures[featureKey]; ok {
+		if value {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return model.ErrFeatureUnavailable{Key: featureKey}
+	}
+	return model.ErrFeatureUnavailable{Key: featureKey}
+}
+
+// GetFeatureFlags returns current active features
+func (fm *FeatureManager) GetFeatureFlags() model.FeatureSet {
+	return fm.activeFeatures
+}