diff --git a/app/client/components/GristDoc.ts b/app/client/components/GristDoc.ts
index 9eff9dbc..a3416052 100644
--- a/app/client/components/GristDoc.ts
+++ b/app/client/components/GristDoc.ts
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ export class GristDoc extends DisposableWithEvents {
 
                 const {recordCard, rowId} = popupOptions.hash;
                 if (recordCard) {
-                  if (!rowId || rowId === 'new') {
+                  if (!rowId) {
                     // Should be unreachable, but just to be sure (and to satisfy type checking)...
                     throw new Error('Unable to open Record Card: undefined row id');
                   }
diff --git a/app/client/components/RecordCardPopup.ts b/app/client/components/RecordCardPopup.ts
index 7fc1efac..de30ed10 100644
--- a/app/client/components/RecordCardPopup.ts
+++ b/app/client/components/RecordCardPopup.ts
@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@ import {ViewSectionRec} from 'app/client/models/DocModel';
 import {ChangeType, RowList} from 'app/client/models/rowset';
 import {theme} from 'app/client/ui2018/cssVars';
 import {DisposableWithEvents} from 'app/common/DisposableWithEvents';
+import {UIRowId} from 'app/plugin/GristAPI';
 import {dom, makeTestId, styled} from 'grainjs';
 
 const testId = makeTestId('test-record-card-popup-');
 
 interface RecordCardPopupOptions {
   gristDoc: GristDoc;
-  rowId: number;
+  rowId: UIRowId;
   viewSection: ViewSectionRec;
   onClose(): void;
 }
diff --git a/app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec.ts b/app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec.ts
index 3791baa6..8f0b4e09 100644
--- a/app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec.ts
+++ b/app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec.ts
@@ -230,6 +230,24 @@ export function formatterForRec(
   return func(args);
 }
 
+type ColumnInfo = {label: string}|{label: ko.Observable<string>};
+function peekLabel(info: ColumnInfo): string {
+  return typeof info.label === 'string' ? info.label : info.label.peek();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Helper function to sort columns based on the label. Puts # columns at the end as this is
+ * treated as private columns.
+ */
+export function columnsOrder(a: ColumnInfo, b: ColumnInfo): number {
+  const left  = peekLabel(a)?.toLowerCase() || '';
+  const right = peekLabel(b)?.toLowerCase() || '';
+  if (left[0] === '#' && right[0] !== '#') { return 1; }
+  if (left[0] !== '#' && right[0] === '#') { return -1; }
+  return left.localeCompare(right);
+}
+
+
 /**
  * A chat message. Either send by the user or by the AI.
  */
diff --git a/app/client/models/entities/ViewSectionRec.ts b/app/client/models/entities/ViewSectionRec.ts
index 181fcd86..37e12176 100644
--- a/app/client/models/entities/ViewSectionRec.ts
+++ b/app/client/models/entities/ViewSectionRec.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {
   ViewFieldRec,
   ViewRec
 } from 'app/client/models/DocModel';
-import {BEHAVIOR} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
+import {BEHAVIOR, columnsOrder} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
 import * as modelUtil from 'app/client/models/modelUtil';
 import {removeRule, RuleOwner} from 'app/client/models/RuleOwner';
 import {LinkConfig} from 'app/client/ui/selectBy';
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ export function createViewSectionRec(this: ViewSectionRec, docModel: DocModel):
     const savedFiltersByColRef = new Map(this._savedFilters().all().map(f => [f.colRef(), f]));
     const viewFieldsByColRef = new Map(this.viewFields().all().map(f => [f.origCol().getRowId(), f]));
 
-    return this.columns().map(column => {
+    return [...this.columns()].sort(columnsOrder).map(column => {
       const savedFilter = savedFiltersByColRef.get(column.origColRef());
       // Initialize with a saved filter, if one exists. Otherwise, use a blank filter.
       const filter = modelUtil.customComputed({
@@ -698,7 +698,9 @@ export function createViewSectionRec(this: ViewSectionRec, docModel: DocModel):
   // Evaluates to an array of column models, which are not referenced by anything in viewFields.
   this.hiddenColumns = this.autoDispose(ko.pureComputed(() => {
     const included = new Set(this.viewFields().all().map((f) => f.column().origColRef()));
-    return this.columns().filter(c => !included.has(c.getRowId()));
+    return this.columns()
+      .filter(c => !included.has(c.getRowId()))
+      .sort(columnsOrder);
   }));
 
   this.hasFocus = ko.pureComputed({
diff --git a/app/client/ui/CustomSectionConfig.ts b/app/client/ui/CustomSectionConfig.ts
index 9163bb11..7c60548a 100644
--- a/app/client/ui/CustomSectionConfig.ts
+++ b/app/client/ui/CustomSectionConfig.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {makeT} from 'app/client/lib/localization';
 import {localStorageBoolObs} from 'app/client/lib/localStorageObs';
 import {ColumnToMapImpl} from 'app/client/models/ColumnToMap';
 import {ColumnRec, ViewSectionRec} from 'app/client/models/DocModel';
+import {columnsOrder} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
 import {
   cssDeveloperLink,
   cssWidgetMetadata,
@@ -75,11 +76,13 @@ class ColumnPicker extends Disposable {
       void use(refreshTrigger);
 
       const columnsAsOptions: IOption<number|null>[] = use(canBeMapped)
-                                              .map((col) => ({
-                                                value: col.getRowId(),
-                                                label: col.label.peek(),
-                                                icon: 'FieldColumn',
-                                              }));
+        .map((col) => ({
+          value: col.getRowId(),
+          label: col.label.peek() || '',
+          icon: 'FieldColumn' as const,
+        }))
+        .sort(columnsOrder);
+
 
       // For optional mappings, add 'Blank' option but only if the value is set.
       // This option will allow to clear the selection.
@@ -202,7 +205,8 @@ class ColumnListPicker extends Disposable {
           menu(() => {
             const wrongTypeCount = notMapped.get().length - typedColumns.get().length;
             return [
-              ...typedColumns.get()
+              ...typedColumns.get() // returns a temp table.
+              .sort(columnsOrder)
               .map((col) => menuItem(
                 () => this._addColumn(col),
                 col.label.peek(),
diff --git a/app/client/ui/GridViewMenus.ts b/app/client/ui/GridViewMenus.ts
index f816f723..6f7d0d8a 100644
--- a/app/client/ui/GridViewMenus.ts
+++ b/app/client/ui/GridViewMenus.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import {allCommands} from 'app/client/components/commands';
 import {GristDoc} from 'app/client/components/GristDoc';
 import GridView from 'app/client/components/GridView';
 import {makeT} from 'app/client/lib/localization';
-import {ColumnRec} from "app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec";
+import {ColumnRec, columnsOrder} from "app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec";
 import {ViewFieldRec} from 'app/client/models/entities/ViewFieldRec';
 import {withInfoTooltip} from 'app/client/ui/tooltips';
 import {isNarrowScreen, testId, theme, vars} from 'app/client/ui2018/cssVars';
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ function buildDetectDuplicatesMenuItems(gridView: GridView, index?: number) {
   const {viewSection} = gridView;
   return menuItemSubmenu(
     () => searchableMenu(
-      viewSection.columns().map((col) => {
+      [...viewSection.columns()].sort(columnsOrder).map((col) => {
         function buildFormula() {
           if (isListType(col.type())) {
             return `any([len(${col.table().tableId()}.lookupRecords(${col.colId()}` +
@@ -568,7 +568,9 @@ function buildLookupSection(gridView: GridView, index?: number){
 
     return references.map((ref) => menuItemSubmenu(
       () => searchableMenu(
-        ref.refTable()?.visibleColumns().map(buildRefColMenu.bind(null, ref)) ?? [],
+        (ref.refTable()?.visibleColumns() ?? [])
+          .sort(columnsOrder)
+          .map(buildRefColMenu.bind(null, ref)),
         {
           searchInputPlaceholder: t('Search columns')
         }
diff --git a/app/client/ui/PageWidgetPicker.ts b/app/client/ui/PageWidgetPicker.ts
index dbd7cf84..bf1b5ede 100644
--- a/app/client/ui/PageWidgetPicker.ts
+++ b/app/client/ui/PageWidgetPicker.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {FocusLayer} from 'app/client/lib/FocusLayer';
 import {makeT} from 'app/client/lib/localization';
 import {reportError} from 'app/client/models/AppModel';
 import {ColumnRec, TableRec, ViewSectionRec} from 'app/client/models/DocModel';
+import {columnsOrder} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
 import {PERMITTED_CUSTOM_WIDGETS} from "app/client/models/features";
 import {linkId, NoLink} from 'app/client/ui/selectBy';
 import {overflowTooltip, withInfoTooltip} from 'app/client/ui/tooltips';
@@ -407,7 +408,7 @@ export class PageWidgetSelect extends Disposable {
             (use) => use(this._columns)
               .filter((col) => !col.isHiddenCol() && col.parentId() === use(this._value.table)),
             (cols) => cols ?
-              dom.forEach(cols, (col) =>
+              dom.forEach([...cols].sort(columnsOrder), (col) =>
                 cssEntry(cssIcon('FieldColumn'), cssFieldLabel(dom.text(col.label)),
                   dom.on('click', () => this._toggleColumnId(col.id())),
                   cssEntry.cls('-selected', (use) => use(this._value.columns).includes(col.id())),
diff --git a/app/client/ui/SortConfig.ts b/app/client/ui/SortConfig.ts
index 44c4f43c..94d1ffc4 100644
--- a/app/client/ui/SortConfig.ts
+++ b/app/client/ui/SortConfig.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import * as kf from 'app/client/lib/koForm';
 import {makeT} from 'app/client/lib/localization';
 import {addToSort, updatePositions} from 'app/client/lib/sortUtil';
 import {ViewSectionRec} from 'app/client/models/DocModel';
+import {columnsOrder} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
 import {ObjObservable} from 'app/client/models/modelUtil';
 import {dropdownWithSearch} from 'app/client/ui/searchDropdown';
 import {cssIcon, cssRow, cssSortFilterColumn} from 'app/client/ui/RightPanelStyles';
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ export class SortConfig extends Disposable {
       const currentSection = this._section;
       const currentSortSpec = use(currentSection.activeSortSpec);
       const specRowIds = new Set(currentSortSpec.map(_sortRef => Sort.getColRef(_sortRef)));
-      return use(columns).filter(_col => !specRowIds.has(_col.value));
+      return use(columns).filter(_col => !specRowIds.has(_col.value)).sort(columnsOrder);
     });
     const {menuOptions} = this._options;
     return cssButtonRow(