diff --git a/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(badges)/badges/+page.svelte b/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(badges)/badges/+page.svelte
index b8672240..4c9b40c6 100644
--- a/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(badges)/badges/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(badges)/badges/+page.svelte
@@ -139,11 +139,17 @@ let lq__event_badge_obj_li = $derived.by(() => {
                 console.log(
                     `Badge Page LQ: Fallback search for event: ${event_id}`
                 );
-            return await db_events.badge
+            // Dexie sortBy supports only one field; sort by print_count then name in JS.
+            const fallback_results = await db_events.badge
                 .where('event_id')
                 .equals(event_id)
                 .limit(fallback_limit)
-                .sortBy('given_name');
+                .toArray();
+            fallback_results.sort((a, b) =>
+                (a.print_count ?? 0) - (b.print_count ?? 0) ||
+                (a.given_name ?? '').localeCompare(b.given_name ?? '')
+            );
+            return fallback_results;
         }
 
         return [];
@@ -366,8 +372,10 @@ async function handle_search_refresh(params: any) {
                                 )
                             );
                         default:
-                            return (a.given_name ?? '').localeCompare(
-                                b.given_name ?? ''
+                            // Matches the API default: unprinted first, then alphabetical.
+                            return (
+                                (a.print_count ?? 0) - (b.print_count ?? 0) ||
+                                (a.given_name ?? '').localeCompare(b.given_name ?? '')
                             );
                     }
                 });