diff --git a/src/Query/SqlWalker.php b/src/Query/SqlWalker.php
index a943deb050f..d53da61845c 100644
--- a/src/Query/SqlWalker.php
+++ b/src/Query/SqlWalker.php
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ class SqlWalker
      */
     public const HINT_PARTIAL = 'doctrine.partial';
 
+    /**
+     * Used to prevent nested ORDER BY statements which cause an exception in SQL Server
+     */
+    public const HINT_DISABLE_COLLECTION_ORDER_BY = 'doctrine.disableCollectionOrderBy';
+
     private readonly ResultSetMapping $rsm;
 
     /**
@@ -511,9 +516,11 @@ protected function createSqlForFinalizer(AST\SelectStatement $selectStatement):
             $sql .= $this->walkOrderByClause($selectStatement->orderByClause);
         }
 
-        $orderBySql = $this->generateOrderedCollectionOrderByItems();
-        if (! $selectStatement->orderByClause && $orderBySql) {
-            $sql .= ' ORDER BY ' . $orderBySql;
+        if (! $this->query->getHint(self::HINT_DISABLE_COLLECTION_ORDER_BY)) {
+            $orderBySql = $this->generateOrderedCollectionOrderByItems();
+            if (!$selectStatement->orderByClause && $orderBySql) {
+                $sql .= ' ORDER BY ' . $orderBySql;
+            }
         }
 
         $this->assertOptimisticLockingHasAllClassesVersioned();
diff --git a/src/Tools/Pagination/CountOutputWalker.php b/src/Tools/Pagination/CountOutputWalker.php
index b42123907f4..f1289b41afc 100644
--- a/src/Tools/Pagination/CountOutputWalker.php
+++ b/src/Tools/Pagination/CountOutputWalker.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\ParserResult;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\ResultSetMapping;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\SqlOutputWalker;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Query\SqlWalker;
 use RuntimeException;
 
 use function array_diff;
@@ -56,6 +57,10 @@ public function __construct(Query $query, ParserResult $parserResult, array $que
     protected function createSqlForFinalizer(SelectStatement $selectStatement): string
     {
         if ($this->platform instanceof SQLServerPlatform) {
+            // disable collection‑based ORDER BY for the inner select
+            $query = $this->getQuery();
+            $query->setHint(SqlWalker::HINT_DISABLE_COLLECTION_ORDER_BY, true);
+            // preserve original clearing also that is only partially sufficient
             $selectStatement->orderByClause = null;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Tools/Pagination/LimitSubqueryOutputWalker.php b/src/Tools/Pagination/LimitSubqueryOutputWalker.php
index a7450257d32..05e97bcf76c 100644
--- a/src/Tools/Pagination/LimitSubqueryOutputWalker.php
+++ b/src/Tools/Pagination/LimitSubqueryOutputWalker.php
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\QueryException;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\ResultSetMapping;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\SqlOutputWalker;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Query\SqlWalker;
 use LogicException;
 use RuntimeException;
 
@@ -103,6 +104,11 @@ public function __construct(
         $this->maxResults  = $cloneQuery->getMaxResults();
         $cloneQuery->setFirstResult(0)->setMaxResults(null);
 
+        if ($this->platform instanceof SQLServerPlatform) {
+            // disable collection‑based ORDER BY for the inner select
+            $cloneQuery->setHint(SqlWalker::HINT_DISABLE_COLLECTION_ORDER_BY, true);
+        }
+
         $this->em            = $cloneQuery->getEntityManager();
         $this->quoteStrategy = $this->em->getConfiguration()->getQuoteStrategy();
 
diff --git a/src/Tools/Pagination/Paginator.php b/src/Tools/Pagination/Paginator.php
index d74ab6c63f8..310b0b2d603 100644
--- a/src/Tools/Pagination/Paginator.php
+++ b/src/Tools/Pagination/Paginator.php
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@
 use Doctrine\Common\Collections\Collection;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Internal\SQLResultCasing;
 use Doctrine\ORM\NoResultException;
+use Doctrine\DBAL\Platforms\SQLServerPlatform;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\Parameter;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\Parser;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Query\ResultSetMapping;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Query\SqlWalker;
 use Doctrine\ORM\QueryBuilder;
 use IteratorAggregate;
 use Traversable;
@@ -122,6 +124,12 @@ public function getIterator(): Traversable
                 $this->unbindUnusedQueryParams($subQuery);
             }
 
+            // disable collection ordering for SQL Server
+            $platform = $subQuery->getEntityManager()->getConnection()->getDatabasePlatform();
+            if ($platform instanceof SQLServerPlatform) {
+                $subQuery->setHint(SqlWalker::HINT_DISABLE_COLLECTION_ORDER_BY, true);
+            }
+
             $subQuery->setFirstResult($offset)->setMaxResults($length);
 
             $foundIdRows = $subQuery->getScalarResult();