diff --git a/spec/heatmap-spec.js b/spec/heatmap-spec.js
index cba059eb4..53d18a507 100644
--- a/spec/heatmap-spec.js
+++ b/spec/heatmap-spec.js
@@ -154,6 +154,64 @@ describe("dc.heatmap", function() {
 
     });
 
+    describe('override scale domains', function () {
+        beforeEach( function () {
+            chart.rows([1]);
+            chart.cols([1]);
+            chart.render();
+        });
+
+        it ('should only have 1 row on the y axis', function () {
+            var yaxisTexts = chart.selectAll(".rows.axis text");
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0].length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0][0].textContent).toEqual('1');
+        });
+
+        it ('should only have 1 col on the x axis', function () {
+            var xaxisTexts = chart.selectAll(".cols.axis text");
+            expect(xaxisTexts[0].length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(xaxisTexts[0][0].textContent).toEqual('1');
+        });
+
+        it ('should reset the rows to using the chart data on the y axis', function () {
+            chart.rows(null);
+            chart.redraw();
+            var yaxisTexts = chart.selectAll(".rows.axis text");
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0].length).toEqual(2);
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0][0].textContent).toEqual('1');
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0][1].textContent).toEqual('2');
+        });
+
+        it ('should reset the cols to using the chart data on the y axis', function () {
+            chart.cols(null);
+            chart.redraw();
+            var xaxisTexts = chart.selectAll(".cols.axis text");
+            expect(xaxisTexts[0].length).toEqual(2);
+            expect(xaxisTexts[0][0].textContent).toEqual('1');
+            expect(xaxisTexts[0][1].textContent).toEqual('2');
+        });
+    });
+
+    describe('use a custom ordering on x and y axes', function () {
+        beforeEach( function () {
+            chart.rowOrdering(d3.descending);
+            chart.colOrdering(d3.descending);
+            chart.render();
+        });
+
+        it ('should have descending rows', function () {
+            var yaxisTexts = chart.selectAll(".rows.axis text");
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0][0].textContent).toEqual('2');
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0][1].textContent).toEqual('1');
+        });
+
+        it ('should have descending cols', function () {
+            var yaxisTexts = chart.selectAll(".rows.axis text");
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0][0].textContent).toEqual('2');
+            expect(yaxisTexts[0][1].textContent).toEqual('1');
+        });
+    });
+
     describe('change crossfilter', function () {
         var data2, dimension2, group2, originalDomain, newDomain;
 
diff --git a/src/heatmap.js b/src/heatmap.js
index 7b32169d1..16c625f10 100644
--- a/src/heatmap.js
+++ b/src/heatmap.js
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ dc.heatMap = function (parent, chartGroup) {
 
     var _cols;
     var _rows;
+    var _colOrdering = d3.ascending;
+    var _rowOrdering = d3.ascending;
+    var _colScale = d3.scale.ordinal();
+    var _rowScale = d3.scale.ordinal();
+
     var _xBorderRadius = DEFAULT_BORDER_RADIUS;
     var _yBorderRadius = DEFAULT_BORDER_RADIUS;
 
@@ -122,47 +127,55 @@ dc.heatMap = function (parent, chartGroup) {
         return _chart._filter(dc.filters.TwoDimensionalFilter(filter));
     });
 
-    function uniq(d, i, a) {
-        return !i || a[i - 1] !== d;
-    }
-
     /**
      #### .rows([values])
      Gets or sets the values used to create the rows of the heatmap, as an array. By default, all
-     the values will be fetched from the data using the value accessor, and they will be sorted in
-     ascending order.
+     the values will be fetched from the data using the value accessor.
      **/
 
     _chart.rows = function (_) {
-        if (arguments.length) {
-            _rows = _;
-            return _chart;
-        }
-        if (_rows) {
+        if (!arguments.length) {
             return _rows;
         }
-        var rowValues = _chart.data().map(_chart.valueAccessor());
-        rowValues.sort(d3.ascending);
-        return d3.scale.ordinal().domain(rowValues.filter(uniq));
+        _rows = _;
+        return _chart;
+    };
+
+    /**
+     #### .rowOrdering([orderFunction])
+     Get or set an accessor to order the rows.  Default is d3.ascending.
+     */
+    _chart.rowOrdering = function (_) {
+        if (!arguments.length) {
+            return _rowOrdering;
+        }
+        _rowOrdering = _;
+        return _chart;
     };
 
     /**
      #### .cols([keys])
      Gets or sets the keys used to create the columns of the heatmap, as an array. By default, all
-     the values will be fetched from the data using the key accessor, and they will be sorted in
-     ascending order.
+     the values will be fetched from the data using the key accessor.
      **/
     _chart.cols = function (_) {
-        if (arguments.length) {
-            _cols = _;
-            return _chart;
-        }
-        if (_cols) {
+        if (!arguments.length) {
             return _cols;
         }
-        var colValues = _chart.data().map(_chart.keyAccessor());
-        colValues.sort(d3.ascending);
-        return d3.scale.ordinal().domain(colValues.filter(uniq));
+        _cols = _;
+        return _chart;
+    };
+
+    /**
+     #### .colOrdering([orderFunction])
+     Get or set an accessor to order the cols.  Default is ascending.
+     */
+    _chart.colOrdering = function (_) {
+        if (!arguments.length) {
+            return _colOrdering;
+        }
+        _colOrdering = _;
+        return _chart;
     };
 
     _chart._doRender = function () {
@@ -177,9 +190,19 @@ dc.heatMap = function (parent, chartGroup) {
     };
 
     _chart._doRedraw = function () {
-        var rows = _chart.rows(),
-            cols = _chart.cols(),
-            rowCount = rows.domain().length,
+        var data = _chart.data(),
+            rows = _chart.rows() || data.map(_chart.valueAccessor()),
+            cols = _chart.cols() || data.map(_chart.keyAccessor());
+        if (_rowOrdering) {
+            rows = rows.sort(_rowOrdering);
+        }
+        if (_colOrdering) {
+            cols = cols.sort(_colOrdering);
+        }
+        rows = _rowScale.domain(rows);
+        cols = _colScale.domain(cols);
+
+        var rowCount = rows.domain().length,
             colCount = cols.domain().length,
             boxWidth = Math.floor(_chart.effectiveWidth() / colCount),
             boxHeight = Math.floor(_chart.effectiveHeight() / rowCount);