diff --git a/packages/ra-core/src/controller/field/ReferenceManyFieldController.tsx b/packages/ra-core/src/controller/field/ReferenceManyFieldController.tsx
index f6b8adc9a3b..f627d7b962a 100644
--- a/packages/ra-core/src/controller/field/ReferenceManyFieldController.tsx
+++ b/packages/ra-core/src/controller/field/ReferenceManyFieldController.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import { ReactElement, FunctionComponent } from 'react';
 
-import {
-    SORT_ASC,
-    SORT_DESC,
-} from '../../reducer/admin/resource/list/queryReducer';
-import { Record, Sort, RecordMap, Identifier, Dispatch } from '../../types';
+import { Record, Sort, RecordMap, Identifier } from '../../types';
 import useReferenceMany from './useReferenceMany';
+import useSort from '../useSort';
+import usePagination from '../usePagination';
 
 interface ChildrenFuncParams {
     currentSort: Sort;
@@ -35,17 +33,6 @@ interface Props {
     total?: number;
 }
 
-const sortReducer = (state: Sort, field: string | Sort): Sort => {
-    if (typeof field !== 'string') {
-        return field;
-    }
-    const order =
-        state.field === field && state.order === SORT_ASC
-            ? SORT_DESC
-            : SORT_ASC;
-    return { field, order };
-};
-
 /**
  * Render related records to the current one.
  *
@@ -100,21 +87,19 @@ export const ReferenceManyFieldController: FunctionComponent<Props> = ({
     filter,
     source,
     basePath,
-    perPage,
-    sort,
+    perPage: initialPerPage,
+    sort: initialSort,
     children,
 }) => {
+    const { sort, sortBy } = useSort(initialSort);
+    const { page, perPage, setPage, setPerPage } = usePagination(
+        initialPerPage
+    );
     const {
-        currentSort,
         data,
         ids,
         loadedOnce,
-        page,
-        currentPerPage,
         referenceBasePath,
-        setPage,
-        setPerPage,
-        setSort,
         total,
     } = useReferenceMany({
         resource,
@@ -125,20 +110,21 @@ export const ReferenceManyFieldController: FunctionComponent<Props> = ({
         source,
         basePath,
         perPage,
+        page,
         sort,
     });
 
     return children({
-        currentSort,
+        currentSort: sort,
         data,
         ids,
         loadedOnce,
         page,
-        perPage: currentPerPage,
+        perPage,
         referenceBasePath,
         setPage,
         setPerPage,
-        setSort,
+        setSort: sortBy,
         total,
     });
 };
diff --git a/packages/ra-core/src/controller/field/useReferenceMany.ts b/packages/ra-core/src/controller/field/useReferenceMany.ts
index 87f50f5e3bd..7744e7bf046 100644
--- a/packages/ra-core/src/controller/field/useReferenceMany.ts
+++ b/packages/ra-core/src/controller/field/useReferenceMany.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
-import { ReactNode, useState, useReducer, useEffect, useMemo } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useMemo } from 'react';
 // @ts-ignore
 import { useSelector, useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
 import get from 'lodash/get';
 
 import { crudGetManyReference } from '../../actions';
-import {
-    SORT_ASC,
-    SORT_DESC,
-} from '../../reducer/admin/resource/list/queryReducer';
 import {
     getIds,
     getReferences,
@@ -17,16 +13,10 @@ import {
 import { Record, Sort, RecordMap, Identifier, Dispatch } from '../../types';
 
 interface ChildrenFuncParams {
-    currentSort: Sort;
     data: RecordMap;
     ids: Identifier[];
     loadedOnce: boolean;
-    page: number;
-    currentPerPage: number;
     referenceBasePath: string;
-    setPage: (page: number) => void;
-    setPerPage: (perPage: number) => void;
-    setSort: (field: string) => void;
     total: number;
 }
 
@@ -36,7 +26,8 @@ interface Options {
     filter?: any;
     ids?: any[];
     loadedOnce?: boolean;
-    perPage?: number;
+    page: number;
+    perPage: number;
     record?: Record;
     reference: string;
     resource: string;
@@ -46,17 +37,6 @@ interface Options {
     total?: number;
 }
 
-const sortReducer = (state: Sort, field: string | Sort): Sort => {
-    if (typeof field !== 'string') {
-        return field;
-    }
-    const order =
-        state.field === field && state.order === SORT_ASC
-            ? SORT_DESC
-            : SORT_ASC;
-    return { field, order };
-};
-
 const defaultFilter = {};
 
 const useReferenceMany = ({
@@ -67,7 +47,8 @@ const useReferenceMany = ({
     filter = defaultFilter,
     source,
     basePath,
-    perPage = 25,
+    page,
+    perPage,
     sort = { field: 'id', order: 'DESC' },
 }: Options): ChildrenFuncParams => {
     const referenceId = get(record, source);
@@ -81,11 +62,6 @@ const useReferenceMany = ({
         relatedTo,
     ]);
     const total = useSelector(selectTotal(relatedTo), [relatedTo]);
-    const [page, setPage] = useState(1);
-    const [currentPerPage, setPerPage] = useState(perPage);
-    useEffect(() => setPerPage(perPage), [perPage]);
-    const [currentSort, setSort] = useReducer(sortReducer, sort);
-    useEffect(() => setSort(sort), [sort.field, sort.order]);
 
     const dispatch = useDispatch();
 
@@ -98,8 +74,8 @@ const useReferenceMany = ({
             filter,
             source,
             page,
-            perPage: currentPerPage,
-            sort: currentSort,
+            perPage,
+            sort,
             dispatch,
         }),
         [
@@ -111,25 +87,19 @@ const useReferenceMany = ({
             source,
             crudGetManyReference,
             page,
-            currentPerPage,
-            currentSort.field,
-            currentSort.order,
+            perPage,
+            sort.field,
+            sort.order,
         ]
     );
 
     const referenceBasePath = basePath.replace(resource, reference);
 
     return {
-        currentSort,
         data,
         ids,
         loadedOnce: typeof ids !== 'undefined',
-        page,
-        currentPerPage,
         referenceBasePath,
-        setPage,
-        setPerPage,
-        setSort,
         total,
     };
 };
diff --git a/packages/ra-core/src/controller/usePagination.ts b/packages/ra-core/src/controller/usePagination.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5808f152e8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ra-core/src/controller/usePagination.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+
+interface PaginationProps {
+    page: number;
+    perPage: number;
+    setPage: (page: number) => void;
+    setPerPage: (perPage: number) => void;
+}
+
+export default (initialPerPage: number = 25): PaginationProps => {
+    const [page, setPage] = useState(1);
+    const [perPage, setPerPage] = useState(initialPerPage);
+    useEffect(() => setPerPage(initialPerPage), [initialPerPage]);
+
+    return {
+        page,
+        perPage,
+        setPage,
+        setPerPage,
+    };
+};
diff --git a/packages/ra-core/src/controller/useSort.ts b/packages/ra-core/src/controller/useSort.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..03acbc5499b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ra-core/src/controller/useSort.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { useReducer, useEffect } from 'react';
+
+import {
+    SORT_ASC,
+    SORT_DESC,
+} from '../reducer/admin/resource/list/queryReducer';
+import { Sort } from '../types';
+
+const sortReducer = (state: Sort, field: string | Sort): Sort => {
+    if (typeof field !== 'string') {
+        return field;
+    }
+    const order =
+        state.field === field && state.order === SORT_ASC
+            ? SORT_DESC
+            : SORT_ASC;
+    return { field, order };
+};
+
+export default (initialSort: Sort = { field: 'id', order: 'DESC' }) => {
+    const [sort, dispatch] = useReducer(sortReducer, initialSort);
+    useEffect(() => dispatch(initialSort), [
+        initialSort.field,
+        initialSort.order,
+    ]);
+
+    return {
+        sortBy: (field: string) => dispatch(field),
+        sort,
+    };
+};