diff --git a/models/migrations/v1_27/v332.go b/models/migrations/v1_27/v332.go
index 05fb8aa1bb..a4bb71552a 100644
--- a/models/migrations/v1_27/v332.go
+++ b/models/migrations/v1_27/v332.go
@@ -10,17 +10,32 @@ import (
 	"xorm.io/xorm/schemas"
 )
 
-// WidenProjectBoardSorting changes project_board.sorting from int8 (TINYINT) to int (INTEGER)
-// so the public API can expose a regular int and lift the 127 column upper bound.
+// WidenProjectBoardSorting changes project_board.sorting from int8 (TINYINT/SMALLINT)
+// to int. The previous int8 type capped projects at 127 columns and forced the API
+// to truncate user-supplied sort values. SQLite uses dynamic typing so the schema
+// type is cosmetic; existing rows already store the wider value.
+//
+// `base.ModifyColumn` is called with DefaultIsEmpty: true because MSSQL's ALTER
+// COLUMN syntax does not accept inline DEFAULT (it would error on the keyword).
+// On MySQL, MODIFY COLUMN without an explicit DEFAULT drops the existing default,
+// so it has to be reapplied. On Postgres and MSSQL the DEFAULT constraint is
+// maintained separately from the column type and is preserved automatically.
 func WidenProjectBoardSorting(x *xorm.Engine) error {
 	if x.Dialect().URI().DBType == schemas.SQLITE {
 		return nil
 	}
-	return base.ModifyColumn(x, "project_board", &schemas.Column{
+	if err := base.ModifyColumn(x, "project_board", &schemas.Column{
 		Name:           "sorting",
 		SQLType:        schemas.SQLType{Name: "INT"},
 		Nullable:       false,
-		Default:        "0",
-		DefaultIsEmpty: false,
-	})
+		DefaultIsEmpty: true,
+	}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if x.Dialect().URI().DBType == schemas.MYSQL {
+		if _, err := x.Exec("ALTER TABLE `project_board` ALTER `sorting` SET DEFAULT 0"); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/models/migrations/v1_27/v332_test.go b/models/migrations/v1_27/v332_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f3ccb6eb10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/models/migrations/v1_27/v332_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package v1_27
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/migrations/base"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func Test_WidenProjectBoardSorting(t *testing.T) {
+	// Pre-migration shape of project_board (only the column we care about plus the
+	// minimum needed to pass NOT NULL constraints during INSERT).
+	type projectBoard struct {
+		ID        int64 `xorm:"pk autoincr"`
+		Title     string
+		Sorting   int8  `xorm:"NOT NULL DEFAULT 0"`
+		ProjectID int64 `xorm:"INDEX NOT NULL"`
+		CreatorID int64 `xorm:"NOT NULL"`
+	}
+
+	x, deferrable := base.PrepareTestEnv(t, 0, new(projectBoard))
+	defer deferrable()
+
+	// Seed two rows: one at the int8 lower bound and one at the upper bound,
+	// proving the migration preserves edge values without truncation.
+	_, err := x.Insert(
+		&projectBoard{Title: "first", Sorting: 0, ProjectID: 1, CreatorID: 1},
+		&projectBoard{Title: "boundary", Sorting: 127, ProjectID: 1, CreatorID: 1},
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.NoError(t, WidenProjectBoardSorting(x))
+
+	// Verify column type widened (skipped on SQLite where the migration is a no-op).
+	if !setting.Database.Type.IsSQLite3() {
+		table := base.LoadTableSchemasMap(t, x)["project_board"]
+		require.NotNil(t, table)
+		col := table.GetColumn("sorting")
+		require.NotNil(t, col)
+		// Each dialect spells INT differently; verify the type is one of the wider
+		// names rather than TINYINT/INT2.
+		assert.Contains(t,
+			[]string{"INT", "INTEGER", "INT4"},
+			col.SQLType.Name,
+			"sorting column should have widened to int",
+		)
+		assert.False(t, col.Nullable, "sorting column should remain NOT NULL")
+		assert.Equal(t, "0", col.Default, "sorting column should keep DEFAULT 0")
+	}
+
+	// Existing rows must be preserved verbatim.
+	type projectBoardWide struct {
+		ID        int64 `xorm:"pk autoincr"`
+		Title     string
+		Sorting   int   `xorm:"NOT NULL DEFAULT 0"`
+		ProjectID int64 `xorm:"INDEX NOT NULL"`
+		CreatorID int64 `xorm:"NOT NULL"`
+	}
+	rows := make([]*projectBoardWide, 0, 2)
+	require.NoError(t, x.Table("project_board").Asc("id").Find(&rows))
+	require.Len(t, rows, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, rows[0].Sorting)
+	assert.Equal(t, 127, rows[1].Sorting)
+
+	// Inserting a value > 127 must succeed after widening (would have failed with
+	// TINYINT/INT2 either by truncation or out-of-range error).
+	_, err = x.Table("project_board").Insert(&projectBoardWide{
+		Title:     "wide",
+		Sorting:   30000,
+		ProjectID: 1,
+		CreatorID: 1,
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var got projectBoardWide
+	has, err := x.Table("project_board").Where("title=?", "wide").Get(&got)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, has)
+	assert.Equal(t, 30000, got.Sorting, "value should round-trip without truncation")
+}