diff --git a/sbin/bectl/bectl_list.c b/sbin/bectl/bectl_list.c
--- a/sbin/bectl/bectl_list.c
+++ b/sbin/bectl/bectl_list.c
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
  */
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <err.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -314,6 +316,13 @@
 		printf("\n");
 }
 
+static bool
+prop_must_exist(char *property)
+{
+
+	return (strcmp(property, "origin") != 0);
+}
+
 /*
  * Sort the given nvlist of boot environments by property.
  */
@@ -322,7 +331,7 @@
 {
 	nvpair_t *nvp;
 	nvlist_t *nvl;
-	int i, nvp_count;
+	int error, i, nvp_count;
 	uint64_t lval, rval;
 	struct sort_column sc_prev, sc_next;
 
@@ -335,13 +344,35 @@
 		nvp = nvlist_next_nvpair(nvl, NULL);
 		nvpair_value_nvlist(nvp, &sc_prev.nvl);
 		nvlist_lookup_string(sc_prev.nvl, "name", &sc_prev.name);
-		nvlist_lookup_string(sc_prev.nvl, property, &sc_prev.val);
+		error = nvlist_lookup_string(sc_prev.nvl, property,
+		    &sc_prev.val);
+		if (error != 0) {
+			if (prop_must_exist(property)) {
+				fprintf(stderr,
+				    "bectl list: sort field '%s' on BE '%s': %s\n",
+				    property, sc_prev.name, strerror(error));
+				return (error);
+			}
+
+			sc_prev.val = "";
+		}
 
 		while ((nvp = nvlist_next_nvpair(nvl, nvp)) != NULL) {
 
 			nvpair_value_nvlist(nvp, &sc_next.nvl);
 			nvlist_lookup_string(sc_next.nvl, "name", &sc_next.name);
-			nvlist_lookup_string(sc_next.nvl, property, &sc_next.val);
+			error = nvlist_lookup_string(sc_next.nvl, property,
+			    &sc_next.val);
+			if (error != 0) {
+				if (prop_must_exist(property)) {
+					fprintf(stderr,
+					    "bectl list: sort field '%s' on BE '%s': %s\n",
+					    property, sc_next.name, strerror(error));
+					return (error);
+				}
+
+				sc_next.val = "";
+			}
 
 			/* properties that use numerical comparison */
 			if (strcmp(property, "creation") == 0 ||
@@ -379,7 +410,7 @@
 
 	be_prop_list_free(nvl);
 
-	return 0;
+	return (0);
 }
 
 int
@@ -451,7 +482,10 @@
 	if (column == NULL)
 		column = strdup("name");
 
-	prop_list_sort(props, column, reverse);
+	if (prop_list_sort(props, column, reverse) != 0) {
+		/*  Error reported already in prop_list_sort(). */
+		return (1);
+	}
 
 	/* Force -D off if either -a or -s are specified */
 	if (pc.show_all_datasets || pc.show_snaps)
diff --git a/sbin/bectl/tests/bectl_test.sh b/sbin/bectl/tests/bectl_test.sh
--- a/sbin/bectl/tests/bectl_test.sh
+++ b/sbin/bectl/tests/bectl_test.sh
@@ -292,6 +292,20 @@
 	atf_check -e ignore bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT destroy default2
 	atf_check -o save:list.out bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list
 	atf_check -s not-exit:0 grep 'default2' list.out
+
+	# Valid sort keys
+	atf_check -o ignore bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list -c name
+	atf_check -o ignore bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list -c origin
+	atf_check -o ignore bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list -c creation
+	atf_check -o ignore bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list -c used
+	atf_check -o ignore bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list -c usedds
+	atf_check -o ignore bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list -c usedsnap
+	atf_check -o ignore bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list -c usedrefreserv
+
+	# Invalid sort key
+	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -o ignore -e not-empty \
+	    bectl -r ${zpool}/ROOT list -c creatio
+
 	# XXX TODO: Formatting checks
 }
 bectl_list_cleanup()