diff --git a/youtube_dl/__init__.py b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
index e58b169fc..179e34ed8 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/__init__.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ def _real_main(argv=None):
         'skip_download': opts.skip_download,
         'format': opts.format,
         'format_sort': opts.format_sort,
+        'format_sort_force': opts.format_sort_force,
         'listformats': opts.listformats,
         'outtmpl': outtmpl,
         'autonumber_size': opts.autonumber_size,
diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py
index 33122c431..35913e153 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py
@@ -1358,19 +1358,35 @@ class InfoExtractor(object):
         if not formats:
             raise ExtractorError('No video formats found')
 
-        sort = self._downloader.params.get('format_sort', '')
-        sort = sort.split(',') if isinstance(sort, str) else []
-        if isinstance(field_preference, (list, tuple)):
-            sort += [f for f in field_preference if f not in sort]
-        sort += [f for f in
-                 ['preference', 'language_preference', 'quality', 'tbr',  # default order
+        def _get_sort_list():
+            sort = self._downloader.params.get('format_sort', '')
+            sort = sort.split(',') if isinstance(sort, str) else []
+            if self._downloader.params.get('verbose', False):
+                self._downloader.to_screen('[debug] Sort order diven by user: %s' % sort)
+                self._downloader.to_screen('[debug] Sort order diven by extractor: %s' % field_preference)
+
+            return  (tuple()
+                        if self._downloader.params.get('format_sort_force')
+                        else ('preference', 'language_preference')) + \
+                    tuple(sort) + \
+                    (tuple(field_preference)
+                        if isinstance(field_preference, (list, tuple))
+                        else tuple()) + \
+                    ('preference', 'language_preference', 'quality', 'tbr',  # default order
                      'filesize', 'vbr', 'height', 'width',
                      'proto_preference', 'ext_preference',
                      'abr', 'audio_ext_preference', 'fps',
-                     'filesize_approx', 'source_preference', 'format_id']
-                 if f not in sort]
+                     'filesize_approx', 'source_preference', 'format_id')
+
+        sort = {}
+        for item in _get_sort_list():
+            if item[:1] == "+":
+                sort.setdefault(item[1:], True) # Value = reverse?
+            else:
+                sort.setdefault(item, False)
         if self._downloader.params.get('verbose', False):
-            self._downloader.to_screen('[debug] Formats sorted by: %s' % sort)
+            self._downloader.to_screen('[debug] Formats sorted by: %s'
+                % [("+" + i) if sort[i] else i for i in sort])
 
         for f in formats:
             # Automatically determine tbr when missing based on abr and vbr (improves
@@ -1423,10 +1439,11 @@ class InfoExtractor(object):
                         'audio_ext_preference': audio_ext_preference}
 
             return tuple(
-                prefVars.get(field)
-                if prefVars.get(field) is not None
-                else (f.get(field) if f.get(field) is not None
-                      else ('' if field == 'format_id' else -1))
+                (-1 if field != 'format_id' and sort[field] else 1)*(
+                    prefVars.get(field)
+                    if prefVars.get(field) is not None
+                    else (f.get(field) if f.get(field) is not None
+                        else ('' if field == 'format_id' else -1)))
                 for field in sort)
 
         formats.sort(key=_formats_key)
diff --git a/youtube_dl/options.py b/youtube_dl/options.py
index 616194d23..c1e5c36d5 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/options.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/options.py
@@ -398,10 +398,19 @@ def parseOpts(overrideArguments=None):
         '--format-sort',
         action='store', dest='format_sort', metavar='FORMAT', default=None,
         help=(
-            'Specify the fields used to sort the formats (e.g. height,width,tbr). '
+            'Sort the formats by the fields given (e.g. height,width,-filesize,tbr). '
             'Available fields: language_preference, quality, height, width, fps, '
-            'filesize, filesize_approx, tbr, vbr, abr, format_id, '
-            'proto_preference, ext_preference, audio_ext_preference, source_preference'))
+            'filesize, filesize_approx, tbr, vbr, abr, format_id, preference'
+            'proto_preference, ext_preference, audio_ext_preference, source_preference. '
+            'Prefix the field (except format_id) by a + to sort it in reverse. '
+            'preference and language_preference will always have the highest priority '
+            'unless --format-sort-force is given'))
+    video_format.add_option(
+        '--format-sort-force',
+        action='store_true', dest='format_sort_force', metavar='FORMAT', default=False,
+        help=(
+            'User specified sort order takes priority even over '
+            'preference and language_preference'))
     video_format.add_option(
         '--all-formats',
         action='store_const', dest='format', const='all',