diff --git a/anki/consts.py b/anki/consts.py
index e4bebc4de..eddaec2c3 100644
--- a/anki/consts.py
+++ b/anki/consts.py
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ REV_CARDS_OLD_FIRST = 0
 REV_CARDS_NEW_FIRST = 1
 REV_CARDS_RANDOM = 2
 
+# maximum characters to store in sort cache
+SORT_FIELD_LEN = 20
+
 # Labels
 ##########################################################################
 
diff --git a/anki/deck.py b/anki/deck.py
index a95e75ac1..1f7ef3b6c 100644
--- a/anki/deck.py
+++ b/anki/deck.py
@@ -627,9 +627,13 @@ where id = :id""", vals)
     def currentModel(self):
         return self.getModel(self.conf['currentModelId'])
 
-    def allModels(self):
-        return [self.getModel(id) for id in self.db.list(
-            "select id from models")]
+    def models(self):
+        "Return a dict of mid -> model."
+        mods = {}
+        for m in [self.getModel(id) for id in self.db.list(
+            "select id from models")]:
+            mods[m.id] = m
+        return mods
 
     def getModel(self, mid):
         return anki.models.Model(self, mid)
@@ -860,9 +864,7 @@ where tid in %s""" % strids, now=time.time())
             where = ""
         else:
             raise Exception()
-        mods = {}
-        for m in self.allModels():
-            mods[m.id] = m
+        mods = self.models()
         groups = dict(self.db.all("select id, name from groups"))
         return [self._renderQA(mods[row[2]], groups[row[3]], row)
                 for row in self._qaData(where)]
@@ -908,24 +910,32 @@ from cards c, facts f, models m, groups g
 where c.fid == f.id and f.mid == m.id and c.gid = g.id
 %s""" % where)
 
-    # Field checksum bulk update
+    # Field checksums and sorting fields
     ##########################################################################
 
-    def updateFieldChecksums(self, fids):
-        "Update all field checksums, after find&replace, etc."
+    def _fieldData(self, sfids):
+        return self.db.execute(
+            "select id, mid, flds from facts where id in "+sfids)
+
+    def updateFieldCache(self, fids, csum=True):
+        "Update field checksums and sort cache, after find&replace, etc."
         sfids = ids2str(fids)
-        mods = {}
-        for m in self.allModels():
-            mods[m.id] = m
+        mods = self.models()
         r = []
-        for row in self._qaData(where="and f.id in "+sfids):
-            fields = splitFields(row[6])
-            model = mods[row[2]]
-            for c, f in enumerate(model.fields):
-                if f['uniq'] and fields[c]:
-                    r.append((row[1], model.id, fieldChecksum(fields[c])))
-        self.db.execute("delete from fsums where fid in "+sfids)
-        self.db.executemany("insert into fsums values (?,?,?)", r)
+        r2 = []
+        for (fid, mid, flds) in self._fieldData(sfids):
+            fields = splitFields(flds)
+            model = mods[mid]
+            if csum:
+                for c, f in enumerate(model.fields):
+                    if f['uniq'] and fields[c]:
+                        r.append((fid, mid, fieldChecksum(fields[c])))
+            r2.append((stripHTML(fields[model.sortIdx()])[
+                :SORT_FIELD_LEN], fid))
+        if csum:
+            self.db.execute("delete from fsums where fid in "+sfids)
+            self.db.executemany("insert into fsums values (?,?,?)", r)
+        self.db.executemany("update facts set sfld = ? where id = ?", r2)
 
     # Tags
     ##########################################################################
diff --git a/anki/facts.py b/anki/facts.py
index b8d416592..3a6f6f38b 100644
--- a/anki/facts.py
+++ b/anki/facts.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ select mid, crt, mod, tags, flds, data from facts where id = ?""", self.id)
     def flush(self):
         self.mod = intTime()
         # facts table
-        sfld = self._fields[self.model.sortField()]
+        sfld = self._fields[self.model.sortIdx()]
         res = self.deck.db.execute("""
 insert or replace into facts values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)""",
                             self.id, self.mid, self.crt,
diff --git a/anki/models.py b/anki/models.py
index 606956176..5730710e8 100644
--- a/anki/models.py
+++ b/anki/models.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from anki.lang import _
 ##########################################################################
 
 defaultConf = {
+    'sortf': 0,
 }
 
 defaultField = {
@@ -75,6 +76,9 @@ insert or replace into models values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)""",
                 self.genCSS())
         self.id = ret.lastrowid
 
+    def fids(self):
+        return self.deck.db.list("select id from facts where mid = ?", self.id)
+
     # Fields
     ##################################################
 
@@ -89,9 +93,13 @@ insert or replace into models values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)""",
         "Mapping of field name -> (ord, conf)."
         return dict([(f['name'], (c, f)) for c, f in enumerate(self.fields)])
 
-    def sortField(self):
-        print "sortField() fixme"
-        return 0
+    def sortIdx(self):
+        return self.conf['sortf']
+
+    def setSortIdx(self, idx):
+        assert idx > 0 and idx < len(self.fields)
+        self.conf['sortf'] = idx
+        self.deck.updateFieldCache(self.fids(), csum=False)
 
     # Templates
     ##################################################
diff --git a/anki/storage.py b/anki/storage.py
index ec8b05536..dbc515e2a 100644
--- a/anki/storage.py
+++ b/anki/storage.py
@@ -307,10 +307,12 @@ originalPath from media2""")
 
     # models
     ###########
+    import anki.models
     _moveTable(db, "models")
     db.execute("""
 insert into models select id, cast(modified as int),
-name, "{}", "{}", "{}", "" from models2""")
+name, "{}", "{}", ?, "" from models2""", simplejson.dumps(
+    anki.models.defaultConf))
     db.execute("drop table models2")
 
     # reviewHistory -> revlog
@@ -454,9 +456,9 @@ questionAlign, lastFontColour, allowEmptyAnswer, typeAnswer from cardModels"""):
 
 def _rewriteModelIds(deck):
     # rewrite model/template/field ids
-    models = deck.allModels()
+    models = deck.models()
     deck.db.execute("delete from models")
-    for c, m in enumerate(models):
+    for c, m in enumerate(models.values()):
         old = m.id
         m.id = c+1
         m.flush()
@@ -468,7 +470,7 @@ def _postSchemaUpgrade(deck):
     # fix up model/template ids
     _rewriteModelIds(deck)
     # update uniq cache
-    deck.updateFieldChecksums(deck.db.list("select id from facts"))
+    deck.updateFieldCache(deck.db.list("select id from facts"))
     # remove old views
     for v in ("failedCards", "revCardsOld", "revCardsNew",
               "revCardsDue", "revCardsRandom", "acqCardsRandom",