diff --git a/app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec.ts b/app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec.ts
index 2ecdd471..8f0b4e09 100644
--- a/app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec.ts
+++ b/app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec.ts
@@ -235,17 +235,13 @@ function peekLabel(info: ColumnInfo): string {
   return typeof info.label === 'string' ? info.label : info.label.peek();
 }
 
-export function labelsOrder(a: ColumnInfo, b: ColumnInfo): number {
-  const left  = peekLabel(a).toLowerCase();
-  const right = peekLabel(b).toLowerCase();
-
-  // Order is as follows:
-  // - First columns with normal labels starting with a letter.
-  // - Second all columns starting with '_' (treated as private)
-  // - Third all columns starting with '#' (treated as private)
-  // - Rest.
-  if (left[0] === '_' && right[0] !== '_') { return 1; }
-  if (left[0] !== '_' && right[0] === '_') { return -1; }
+/**
+ * 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);
diff --git a/app/client/models/entities/ViewSectionRec.ts b/app/client/models/entities/ViewSectionRec.ts
index c99849f0..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, labelsOrder} 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()].sort(labelsOrder).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({
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ export function createViewSectionRec(this: ViewSectionRec, docModel: DocModel):
     const included = new Set(this.viewFields().all().map((f) => f.column().origColRef()));
     return this.columns()
       .filter(c => !included.has(c.getRowId()))
-      .sort(labelsOrder);
+      .sort(columnsOrder);
   }));
 
   this.hasFocus = ko.pureComputed({
diff --git a/app/client/ui/CustomSectionConfig.ts b/app/client/ui/CustomSectionConfig.ts
index 82245f3e..7c60548a 100644
--- a/app/client/ui/CustomSectionConfig.ts
+++ b/app/client/ui/CustomSectionConfig.ts
@@ -7,7 +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 {labelsOrder} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
+import {columnsOrder} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
 import {
   cssDeveloperLink,
   cssWidgetMetadata,
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class ColumnPicker extends Disposable {
           label: col.label.peek() || '',
           icon: 'FieldColumn' as const,
         }))
-        .sort(labelsOrder);
+        .sort(columnsOrder);
 
 
       // For optional mappings, add 'Blank' option but only if the value is set.
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ class ColumnListPicker extends Disposable {
           menu(() => {
             const wrongTypeCount = notMapped.get().length - typedColumns.get().length;
             return [
-              ...typedColumns.get()
-              .sort(labelsOrder)
+              ...typedColumns.get() // returns a temp table.
+              .sort(columnsOrder)
               .map((col) => menuItem(
                 () => this._addColumn(col),
                 col.label.peek(),
diff --git a/app/client/ui/PageWidgetPicker.ts b/app/client/ui/PageWidgetPicker.ts
index 8c64b736..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';
@@ -32,7 +33,6 @@ import {
 import Popper from 'popper.js';
 import {IOpenController, popupOpen, setPopupToCreateDom} from 'popweasel';
 import without = require('lodash/without');
-import {labelsOrder} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
 
 const t = makeT('PageWidgetPicker');
 
@@ -408,7 +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].sort(labelsOrder), (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 ec675188..94d1ffc4 100644
--- a/app/client/ui/SortConfig.ts
+++ b/app/client/ui/SortConfig.ts
@@ -4,7 +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 {labelsOrder} from 'app/client/models/entities/ColumnRec';
+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';
@@ -216,7 +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)).sort(labelsOrder);
+      return use(columns).filter(_col => !specRowIds.has(_col.value)).sort(columnsOrder);
     });
     const {menuOptions} = this._options;
     return cssButtonRow(