diff --git a/packages/ui-table/src/Table/v1/__tests__/Table.test.tsx b/packages/ui-table/src/Table/v1/__tests__/Table.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..47fe539450
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ui-table/src/Table/v1/__tests__/Table.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/*
+ * The MIT License (MIT).
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2015 - present Instructure, Inc.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ * copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+ * SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { MockInstance, vi } from 'vitest'
+// v1 accepts a plain ReactNode caption, in addition to the caption function
+// that v2 requires
+import { Table } from '../index.js'
+import type { TableColHeaderProps } from '../ColHeader/props'
+import '@testing-library/jest-dom'
+
+describe('<Table /> (v1)', () => {
+  let consoleErrorMock: MockInstance<typeof console.error>
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // Mocking console to prevent test output pollution
+    consoleErrorMock = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {})
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    consoleErrorMock.mockRestore()
+  })
+
+  const renderTable = (colHeaderProps?: TableColHeaderProps) =>
+    render(
+      <Table caption="Movies">
+        <Table.Head>
+          <Table.Row>
+            <Table.ColHeader id="foo" {...colHeaderProps}>
+              Foo
+            </Table.ColHeader>
+            <Table.ColHeader id="bar">Bar</Table.ColHeader>
+          </Table.Row>
+        </Table.Head>
+        <Table.Body>
+          <Table.Row></Table.Row>
+        </Table.Body>
+      </Table>
+    )
+
+  describe('with a string caption', () => {
+    it('uses the caption verbatim when no column is sorted', async () => {
+      const { container } = renderTable()
+
+      expect(container.querySelector('caption')).toHaveTextContent(/^Movies$/)
+      expect(screen.getByRole('table', { name: 'Movies' })).toBeInTheDocument()
+    })
+
+    it('does not describe a sort state that does not exist', async () => {
+      const { container } = renderTable()
+
+      expect(container.querySelector('caption')).not.toHaveTextContent(
+        'Sorted by'
+      )
+      expect(container.querySelector('caption')).not.toHaveTextContent(
+        'undefined'
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('appends the sort state when a column is sorted', async () => {
+      const { container } = renderTable({
+        id: 'foo',
+        sortDirection: 'ascending'
+      })
+
+      expect(container.querySelector('caption')).toHaveTextContent(
+        'Movies Sorted by Foo (ascending)'
+      )
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/ui-table/src/Table/v1/index.tsx b/packages/ui-table/src/Table/v1/index.tsx
index 0aa63d6c9a..d30121e3a5 100644
--- a/packages/ui-table/src/Table/v1/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui-table/src/Table/v1/index.tsx
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class Table extends Component<TableProps> {
         const headerText =
           typeof colHeader.props.children === 'string'
             ? colHeader.props.children
-            : (colHeader.props.children?.props?.children ?? '')
+            : colHeader.props.children?.props?.children ?? ''
         return { header: headerText, direction: colHeader.props.sortDirection }
       }
     }
@@ -174,7 +174,13 @@ class Table extends Component<TableProps> {
     if (typeof caption === 'function') {
       return caption(sortInfo?.header ?? '', sortInfo?.direction ?? 'none')
     }
-    const sortText = ` Sorted by ${sortInfo?.header} (${sortInfo?.direction})`
+    // An unsorted table has no sort state to describe, so use the caption as
+    // given. Falling through would append ' Sorted by undefined (undefined)'
+    // to the accessible name of every unsorted table.
+    if (!sortInfo) {
+      return caption as string
+    }
+    const sortText = ` Sorted by ${sortInfo.header} (${sortInfo.direction})`
 
     return caption ? caption + sortText : sortText.trim()
   }