diff --git a/pages/[subdomain]/collection/[username]/[slugName].tsx b/pages/[subdomain]/collection/[username]/[slugName].tsx
index 77c1bc64a..afea7820e 100644
--- a/pages/[subdomain]/collection/[username]/[slugName].tsx
+++ b/pages/[subdomain]/collection/[username]/[slugName].tsx
@@ -88,26 +88,25 @@ export async function getServerSideProps(context: GetServerSidePropsContext) {
 
   const levelIds = collection.levels as Level[];
   const levelIdsAsStrings = levelIds.map(level => level._id.toString()).join(',');
+
   const queryResult = await doQuery(gameId, {
     includeLevelIds: levelIdsAsStrings,
     page: page ? '' + ( 1 + parseInt(page.toString())) : '1',
     search: search ? search.toString() : '',
     statFilter: statFilter ? statFilter.toString() as StatFilter : StatFilter.All,
     timeRange: TimeRange[TimeRange.All],
+    sortBy: 'sortField',
+    sortDir: 'asc',
     // TODO: when filtering, the original collection order is not maintained and instead we sort here
     // maybe need a separate doCollectionQuery function
-    // Or better is to allow getCollection to take a query object
-    sortBy: 'ts',
-    sortDir: 'asc',
   }, reqUser);
 
-  collection.levels = queryResult?.levels ?? [];
-  // sort levels back to original order
-  collection.levels.sort((a, b) => {
-    return levelIds.findIndex(level => level._id.toString() === a._id.toString()) - levelIds.findIndex(level => level._id.toString() === b._id.toString());
-  });
-
-  if (queryResult) {rows = queryResult.totalRows;}
+  if (queryResult) {
+    collection.levels = queryResult.levels;
+    rows = queryResult.totalRows;
+  } else {
+    collection.levels = [];
+  }
 
   return {
     props: {
diff --git a/pages/api/search/index.ts b/pages/api/search/index.ts
index b7913b135..8e53f7f85 100644
--- a/pages/api/search/index.ts
+++ b/pages/api/search/index.ts
@@ -226,6 +226,8 @@ export async function doQuery(gameId: GameId, query: SearchQuery, reqUser?: User
       lookupUserBeforeSort = true;
     } else if (query.sortBy === 'name') {
       sortObj.push(['name', sortDirection]);
+    } else if (query.sortBy === 'sortField') {
+      sortObj.push(['sortField', sortDirection]);
     } else if (query.sortBy === 'leastMoves') {
       sortObj.push(['leastMoves', sortDirection]);
     } else if (query.sortBy === 'ts') {
@@ -429,6 +431,13 @@ export async function doQuery(gameId: GameId, query: SearchQuery, reqUser?: User
               // NB: projection is typically supposed to be the last stage of the pipeline, but we need it here because of potential sorting by calc_playattempts_unique_users_count
               // TODO: instead can have an optional $addFields here, then do the projection after
               { $project: { ...projection } },
+              {
+                $addFields: {
+                  sortField: {
+                    $indexOfArray: [query.includeLevelIds?.split(','), { $toString: '$_id' }],
+                  }
+                }
+              },
               { $sort: sortObj.reduce((acc, cur) => ({ ...acc, [cur[0]]: cur[1] }), {}) },
               ...statLookupAndMatchStage,
               { $skip: skip },