diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/NodePrefs.h b/examples/companion_radio/NodePrefs.h
index 6db9a1da..da5a9b36 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/NodePrefs.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/NodePrefs.h
@@ -535,6 +535,11 @@ struct NodePrefs {  // persisted to file
   // ui-new: 0 = big clock + date + unread pill, 1 = compact clock with the
   // clock fields as rows below. The L2 has its own lock screen.
   uint8_t  lock_compact;
+  // Settings > Contacts > "Channel order": how the channel lists are sorted
+  // (after favourites, when those go first): 0 = as the slots are (default),
+  // 1 = latest message first, 2 = by name. See chanctl::order().
+  static const uint8_t CH_SORT_COUNT = 3;
+  uint8_t  ch_sort;
 
   // Single source of truth for the live-share option tables (shared by the Map
   // UI labels and the auto-send engine in UITask).
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/ChannelControl.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/ChannelControl.h
index d7f4b96b..fa4801b7 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/ChannelControl.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/ChannelControl.h
@@ -198,6 +198,62 @@ static void setMelody(NodePrefs* p, uint8_t idx, uint8_t slot) {
 
 static bool favourite(const NodePrefs* p, uint8_t idx) { return p && (p->ch_fav_bitmask & (1ULL << idx)); }
 
+// The channels a list shows, in order: out[] gets the slot numbers, the count
+// comes back. Favourites first (fav_sort), then by ch_sort -- slot order, the
+// channel with the newest message first (channels without one after those,
+// in slot order), or by name. Stable, so equal rows keep their slot order.
+static int order(const NodePrefs* p, const MessageHistory& hist, uint8_t* out, bool fav_only) {
+  int n = 0;
+  for (int i = 0; i < MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS; i++) {
+    ChannelDetails ch;
+    if (!the_mesh.getChannel(i, ch) || ch.name[0] == '\0') continue;
+    if (fav_only && !favourite(p, i)) continue;
+    out[n++] = (uint8_t)i;
+  }
+  const bool fav_first = !p || p->fav_sort;
+  const uint8_t mode = p && p->ch_sort < NodePrefs::CH_SORT_COUNT ? p->ch_sort : 0;
+  if (n < 2 || (!fav_first && mode == 0)) return n;
+
+  uint16_t rank[MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS];   // newest message = 0
+  for (int i = 0; i < MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS; i++) rank[i] = 0xFFFF;
+  if (mode == 1) {
+    int left = n;
+    for (int j = 0; j < hist.chHistCount() && left > 0; j++) {
+      uint8_t c = hist.chAtPos(hist.chHistPosNewest(j)).ch_idx;
+      if (c < MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS && rank[c] == 0xFFFF) { rank[c] = (uint16_t)j; left--; }
+    }
+  }
+  // true when a goes before b
+  auto before = [&](uint8_t a, uint8_t b) {
+    if (fav_first) {
+      bool fa = favourite(p, a), fb = favourite(p, b);
+      if (fa != fb) return fa;
+    }
+    if (mode == 1) return rank[a] < rank[b];
+    if (mode == 2) {
+      ChannelDetails ca, cb;
+      the_mesh.getChannel(a, ca);
+      the_mesh.getChannel(b, cb);
+      const char* x = bareName(ca.name);
+      const char* y = bareName(cb.name);
+      for (;; x++, y++) {
+        char u = *x >= 'A' && *x <= 'Z' ? *x + 32 : *x;
+        char v = *y >= 'A' && *y <= 'Z' ? *y + 32 : *y;
+        if (u != v) return (uint8_t)u < (uint8_t)v;
+        if (!u) return false;
+      }
+    }
+    return false;
+  };
+  for (int i = 1; i < n; i++) {   // insertion sort: stable
+    uint8_t v = out[i];
+    int j = i;
+    while (j > 0 && before(v, out[j - 1])) { out[j] = out[j - 1]; j--; }
+    out[j] = v;
+  }
+  return n;
+}
+
 static void setFavourite(NodePrefs* p, uint8_t idx, bool on) {
   if (!p) return;
   if (on) p->ch_fav_bitmask |= 1ULL << idx; else p->ch_fav_bitmask &= ~(1ULL << idx);
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/SettingsCli.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/SettingsCli.h
index e63e49a2..7694266d 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/SettingsCli.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/SettingsCli.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ static const Key KEYS[] = {
   K("autoadd", manual_add_contacts), KB("autoadd.chat", autoadd_config, 0x02), KB("autoadd.repeater", autoadd_config, 0x04),
   KB("autoadd.room", autoadd_config, 0x08), KB("autoadd.sensor", autoadd_config, 0x10),
   KB("autoadd.overwrite", autoadd_config, 0x01), K("autoadd.max.hops", autoadd_max_hops),
-  K("contacts.expiry", contact_expiry_idx), K("contacts.fav.first", fav_sort), K("dm.resend", dm_resend_count),
+  K("contacts.expiry", contact_expiry_idx), K("contacts.fav.first", fav_sort), K("contacts.channel.order", ch_sort), K("dm.resend", dm_resend_count),
   K("display.brightness", display_brightness), K("display.off", auto_off_secs), K("display.wake", msg_wake),
   K("display.alert", msg_alert), K("lock", auto_lock), K("lock.clock", lock_compact),
   K("display.text.size", ui_text_scale), K("display.icon.size", ui_icon_scale),
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/SettingsSchema.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/SettingsSchema.h
index c406448c..283b542a 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/SettingsSchema.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/SettingsSchema.h
@@ -157,6 +157,10 @@ static void optLockLook(uint8_t v, char* b, int n, const NodePrefs&) { snprintf(
 static void optExpiry(uint8_t v, char* b, int n, const NodePrefs&) {
   snprintf(b, n, "%s", NodePrefs::contactExpiryLabel(v));
 }
+static void optChSort(uint8_t v, char* b, int n, const NodePrefs&) {
+  static const char* L[NodePrefs::CH_SORT_COUNT] = { "Slots", "Newest", "Name" };
+  snprintf(b, n, "%s", L[v < NodePrefs::CH_SORT_COUNT ? v : 0]);
+}
 static void optVolume(uint8_t v, char* b, int n, const NodePrefs&) {
   static const char* L[5] = { "Quietest", "Quiet", "Medium", "Loud", "Loudest" };
   snprintf(b, n, "%s", L[v < 5 ? v : 4]);
@@ -281,6 +285,8 @@ static const Setting ALL[] = {
   IDX("Contact expiry", "Prune after inactivity", SEC_CONTACTS, contact_expiry_idx,
       NodePrefs::CONTACT_EXPIRY_COUNT, optExpiry, nullptr),
   SW("Favourites first", "In contact and node lists", SEC_CONTACTS, fav_sort, nullptr),
+  IDX("Channel order", "Slots, newest message or name", SEC_CONTACTS, ch_sort,
+      NodePrefs::CH_SORT_COUNT, optChSort, nullptr),
 
   // manual_add_contacts bit 0: 0 adds every node heard, 1 only the types below.
   IDX("Add heard nodes", "Every node, or only these types", SEC_AUTO_ADD, manual_add_contacts, 2, optAutoAdd, nullptr),
@@ -333,7 +339,8 @@ static const struct { uint16_t offset; const char* text; } SHORT_LABELS[] = {
   { NP_OFF(gps_interval), "GPS pwr" },           { NP_OFF(clock_12h), "12h clock" },
   { NP_OFF(clock_hide_seconds), "Seconds" },     { NP_OFF(units_imperial), "Imperial" },
   { NP_OFF(dm_resend_count), "Resend" },         { NP_OFF(contact_expiry_idx), "Expire" },
-  { NP_OFF(fav_sort), "Favs top" },              { NP_OFF(buzzer_volume), "Buzzer vol" },
+  { NP_OFF(fav_sort), "Favs top" },              { NP_OFF(ch_sort), "Ch order" },
+  { NP_OFF(buzzer_volume), "Buzzer vol" },
   { NP_OFF(quiet_hours), "Quiet hrs" },          { NP_OFF(quiet_from), " from" },
   { NP_OFF(quiet_to), " until" },                { NP_OFF(notif_melody_dm), "DM sound" },
   { NP_OFF(notif_melody_ch), "Ch sound" },       { NP_OFF(notif_melody_ad), "AD sound" },
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-lvgl/ChatList.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-lvgl/ChatList.h
index 92b2c594..3b468e48 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-lvgl/ChatList.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-lvgl/ChatList.h
@@ -224,16 +224,10 @@ void UITask::fillChats() {
   own();
   bool fav_first = !_prefs || _prefs->fav_sort;
   int ch_rows = 0;
-  for (int pass = fav_first ? 0 : 1; pass < 2 && !chatFolded(FOLD_CHANNELS); pass++) {
-    for (int i = 0; i < MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS; i++) {
-      ChannelDetails ch;
-      if (!the_mesh.getChannel(i, ch) || ch.name[0] == '\0') continue;
-      bool fav = chanctl::favourite(_prefs, i);
-      if (ch_fav_only && !fav) continue;
-      if (fav_first && fav != (pass == 0)) continue;
-      ch_rows++;
-      vlist::add(body, &CHANNEL, i);
-    }
+  if (!chatFolded(FOLD_CHANNELS)) {
+    uint8_t order[MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS];
+    ch_rows = chanctl::order(_prefs, _core->history, order, ch_fav_only);
+    for (int r = 0; r < ch_rows; r++) vlist::add(body, &CHANNEL, order[r]);
   }
   if (!chatFolded(FOLD_CHANNELS)) {
     if (ch_rows == 0 && ch_fav_only) { label(body, "No favourite channels", THEME_FONT_SMALL, theme::TEXT_MUTED); own(); }
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/MessagesScreen.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/MessagesScreen.h
index 10abed0f..de058860 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/MessagesScreen.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/MessagesScreen.h
@@ -836,23 +836,7 @@ class MessagesScreen : public UIScreen {
 
   void buildChannelList() {
     NodePrefs* p = _task->getNodePrefs();
-    bool fav_only = (p && p->ch_fav_only);
-    _num_channels = 0;
-    for (int i = 0; i < MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS; i++) {
-      ChannelDetails ch;
-      if (!the_mesh.getChannel(i, ch) || ch.name[0] == '\0') continue;
-      if (fav_only && !(p->ch_fav_bitmask & (1ULL << i))) continue;
-      _channel_indices[_num_channels++] = (uint8_t)i;
-    }
-    // Favourites to the front, everything else keeping channel-slot order.
-    if (!p || !p->fav_sort) return;
-    int front = 0;
-    for (int i = 0; i < _num_channels; i++) {
-      if (!chIsFav(_channel_indices[i])) continue;
-      uint8_t v = _channel_indices[i];
-      for (int j = i; j > front; j--) _channel_indices[j] = _channel_indices[j - 1];
-      _channel_indices[front++] = v;
-    }
+    _num_channels = chanctl::order(p, _history, _channel_indices, p && p->ch_fav_only);
   }
 
   // Advance one of the contact menu's value rows. dir is +1 for RIGHT and for