diff --git a/app/common/Prefs.ts b/app/common/Prefs.ts
index adc0c640..74584033 100644
--- a/app/common/Prefs.ts
+++ b/app/common/Prefs.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+import {StringUnion} from 'app/common/StringUnion';
+
+export const SortPref = StringUnion("name", "date");
+export type SortPref = typeof SortPref.type;
+
+export const ViewPref = StringUnion("list", "icons");
+export type ViewPref = typeof ViewPref.type;
+
+
 // A collection of preferences related to a user or org (or combination).
 export interface Prefs {
   // TODO replace this with real preferences.
@@ -5,5 +14,10 @@ export interface Prefs {
 }
 
 export type UserPrefs = Prefs;
-export type UserOrgPrefs = Prefs;
+
+export interface UserOrgPrefs extends Prefs {
+  docMenuSort?: SortPref;
+  docMenuView?: ViewPref;
+}
+
 export type OrgPrefs = Prefs;
diff --git a/app/common/StringUnion.ts b/app/common/StringUnion.ts
index 4a783161..3abccb14 100644
--- a/app/common/StringUnion.ts
+++ b/app/common/StringUnion.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ export const StringUnion = <UnionType extends string>(...values: UnionType[]) =>
     return value;
   };
 
-  const unionNamespace = {guard, check, values};
+  /**
+   * StringUnion.parse(value) returns value when it's valid, and undefined otherwise.
+   */
+  const parse = (value: string|null|undefined): UnionType|undefined => {
+    return value != null && guard(value) ? value : undefined;
+  };
+
+  const unionNamespace = {guard, check, parse, values};
   return Object.freeze(unionNamespace as typeof unionNamespace & {type: UnionType});
 };
diff --git a/app/common/gristUrls.ts b/app/common/gristUrls.ts
index 5aa7ce09..fd1bcf3c 100644
--- a/app/common/gristUrls.ts
+++ b/app/common/gristUrls.ts
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ export function encodeUrl(gristConfig: Partial<GristLoadConfig>,
     } else {
       parts.push(`doc/${encodeURIComponent(state.doc)}`);
     }
-    if (state.mode && parseOpenDocMode(state.mode)) {
+    if (state.mode && OpenDocMode.guard(state.mode)) {
       parts.push(`/m/${state.mode}`);
     }
     if (state.docPage) {
@@ -235,19 +235,19 @@ export function decodeUrl(gristConfig: Partial<GristLoadConfig>, location: Locat
   } else {
     if (map.has('p')) {
       const p = map.get('p')!;
-      state.homePage = HomePage.guard(p) ? p : undefined;
+      state.homePage = HomePage.parse(p);
     }
   }
-  if (map.has('m')) { state.mode = parseOpenDocMode(map.get('m')!); }
+  if (map.has('m')) { state.mode = OpenDocMode.parse(map.get('m')); }
   if (sp.has('newui')) { state.newui = useNewUI(sp.get('newui') ? sp.get('newui') === '1' : undefined); }
-  if (map.has('billing')) { state.billing = parseBillingPage(map.get('billing')!); }
-  if (map.has('welcome')) { state.welcome = parseWelcomePage(map.get('welcome')!); }
+  if (map.has('billing')) { state.billing = BillingSubPage.parse(map.get('billing')) || 'billing'; }
+  if (map.has('welcome')) { state.welcome = WelcomePage.parse(map.get('welcome')) || 'user'; }
   if (sp.has('billingPlan')) { state.params!.billingPlan = sp.get('billingPlan')!; }
   if (sp.has('billingTask')) {
-    state.params!.billingTask = parseBillingTask(sp.get('billingTask')!);
+    state.params!.billingTask = BillingTask.parse(sp.get('billingTask'));
   }
   if (sp.has('style')) {
-    state.params!.style = parseInterfaceStyle(sp.get('style')!);
+    state.params!.style = InterfaceStyle.parse(sp.get('style'));
   }
   if (sp.has('embed')) {
     const embed = state.params!.embed = isAffirmative(sp.get('embed'));
@@ -289,41 +289,6 @@ function parseDocPage(p: string) {
   return parseInt(p, 10);
 }
 
-/**
- * parseBillingPage ensures that the billing page value is a valid BillingPageType.
- */
-function parseBillingPage(p: string): BillingPage {
-  return BillingSubPage.guard(p) ? p : 'billing';
-}
-
-/**
- * parseBillingTask ensures that the value is a valid BillingTask or undefined.
- */
-function parseBillingTask(t: string): BillingTask|undefined {
-  return BillingTask.guard(t) ? t : undefined;
-}
-
-/**
- * parseOpenDocMode ensures that the value is a valid OpenDocMode or undefined.
- */
-function parseOpenDocMode(p: string): OpenDocMode|undefined {
-  return OpenDocMode.guard(p) ? p : undefined;
-}
-
-/**
- * parse welcome page ensure that the value is a valid WelcomePage, default to 'user' if not.
- */
-function parseWelcomePage(p: string): WelcomePage {
-  return WelcomePage.guard(p) ? p : 'user';
-}
-
-/**
- * Read interface style and make sure it is either valid or left undefined.
- */
-function parseInterfaceStyle(t: string): InterfaceStyle|undefined {
-  return InterfaceStyle.guard(t) ? t : undefined;
-}
-
 /**
  * Parses the URL like "foo.bar.baz" into the pair {org: "foo", base: ".bar.baz"}.
  * Port is allowed and included into base.
diff --git a/app/gen-server/lib/HomeDBManager.ts b/app/gen-server/lib/HomeDBManager.ts
index d1941521..7f711718 100644
--- a/app/gen-server/lib/HomeDBManager.ts
+++ b/app/gen-server/lib/HomeDBManager.ts
@@ -1216,6 +1216,7 @@ export class HomeDBManager extends EventEmitter {
       const orgQuery = this.org(scope, orgKey, {
         manager,
         markPermissions,
+        needRealOrg: true
       });
       const queryResult = await verifyIsPermitted(orgQuery);
       if (queryResult.status !== 200) {
@@ -3198,11 +3199,11 @@ export class HomeDBManager extends EventEmitter {
         const prefs = this._normalizeQueryResults(subValue, childOptions);
         for (const pref of prefs) {
           if (pref.orgId && pref.userId) {
-            value['userOrgPrefs'] = pref.prefs;
+            value.userOrgPrefs = pref.prefs;
           } else if (pref.orgId) {
-            value['orgPrefs'] = pref.prefs;
+            value.orgPrefs = pref.prefs;
           } else if (pref.userId) {
-            value['userPrefs'] = pref.prefs;
+            value.userPrefs = pref.prefs;
           }
         }
         continue;