diff --git a/app/models/category_featured_topic.rb b/app/models/category_featured_topic.rb
index 485fcfd9e61..66c05573fa0 100644
--- a/app/models/category_featured_topic.rb
+++ b/app/models/category_featured_topic.rb
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class CategoryFeaturedTopic < ActiveRecord::Base
       visible: true,
       no_definitions: true)
 
-    results = query.list_category(c).topic_ids.uniq
+    results = query.list_category_topic_ids(c).uniq
 
     return if results == existing
 
diff --git a/app/models/topic_list.rb b/app/models/topic_list.rb
index 1e6a8bd57be..0fb296171b7 100644
--- a/app/models/topic_list.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic_list.rb
@@ -32,16 +32,7 @@ class TopicList
   def topics
     return @topics if @topics.present?
 
-    # copy side-loaded data (allowed users) before dumping it with the .to_a
-    @topics_input.each do |t|
-      t.allowed_user_ids = if @filter == :private_messages
-        t.allowed_users.map { |u| u.id }.to_a
-      else
-        []
-      end
-    end
-
-    @topics = @topics_input.to_a
+    @topics = @topics_input
 
     # Attach some data for serialization to each topic
     @topic_lookup = TopicUser.lookup_for(@current_user, @topics) if @current_user
@@ -88,11 +79,6 @@ class TopicList
     @topics
   end
 
-  def topic_ids
-    return [] unless @topics_input
-    @topics_input.pluck(:id)
-  end
-
   def attributes
     {'more_topics_url' => page}
   end
diff --git a/lib/topic_query.rb b/lib/topic_query.rb
index 3485e59d86a..0e38b881cb1 100644
--- a/lib/topic_query.rb
+++ b/lib/topic_query.rb
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class TopicQuery
     end
     builder.add_results(random_suggested(topic, builder.results_left, builder.excluded_topic_ids)) unless builder.full?
 
-    create_list(:suggested, {}, builder.results)
+    create_list(:suggested, {unordered: true}, builder.results)
   end
 
   # The latest view of topics
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ class TopicQuery
   end
 
   def list_new
-    create_list(:new, {}, new_results)
+    create_list(:new, {unordered: true}, new_results)
   end
 
   def list_unread
-    create_list(:unread, {}, unread_results)
+    create_list(:unread, {unordered: true}, unread_results)
   end
 
   def list_posted
@@ -128,13 +128,11 @@ class TopicQuery
   end
 
   def list_category(category)
-    create_list(:category, unordered: true, category: category.id) do |list|
-      if @user
-        list.order(TopicQuerySQL.order_with_pinned_sql)
-      else
-        list.order(TopicQuerySQL.order_basic_bumped)
-      end
-    end
+    create_list(:category, unordered: true, category: category.id)
+  end
+
+  def list_category_topic_ids(category)
+    default_results(unordered: true, category: category.id).pluck(:id)
   end
 
   def list_new_in_category(category)
@@ -154,10 +152,43 @@ class TopicQuery
         .where("COALESCE(tu.notification_level, :regular) >= :tracking", regular: TopicUser.notification_levels[:regular], tracking: TopicUser.notification_levels[:tracking])
   end
 
+  def prioritize_pinned_topics(topics, options)
+
+    pinned_clause = options[:category] ? "" : "pinned_globally AND "
+    pinned_clause << " pinned_at IS NOT NULL "
+    if @user
+      pinned_clause << " AND (topics.pinned_at > tu.cleared_pinned_at OR tu.cleared_pinned_at IS NULL)"
+    end
+
+    unpinned_topics = topics.where("NOT ( #{pinned_clause} )")
+    pinned_topics = topics.where(pinned_clause)
+
+    per_page = options[:per_page] || per_page_setting
+    limit = per_page unless options[:limit] == false
+    page = options[:page].to_i
+
+    if page == 0
+      (pinned_topics + unpinned_topics)[0...limit] if limit
+    else
+      unpinned_topics.offset((page * per_page - pinned_topics.count) - 1).to_a
+    end
+
+  end
+
   def create_list(filter, options={}, topics = nil)
     topics ||= default_results(options)
     topics = yield(topics) if block_given?
-    list = TopicList.new(filter, @user, topics, options.merge(@options))
+
+    options = options.merge(@options)
+    if (options[:order] || "activity") == "activity" && !options[:unordered]
+      topics = prioritize_pinned_topics(topics, options)
+    end
+
+    topics = topics.to_a.each do |t|
+      t.allowed_user_ids = filter == :private_messags ? t.allowed_users.map{|u| u.id} : []
+    end
+
+    list = TopicList.new(filter, @user, topics.to_a, options.merge(@options))
     list.per_page = per_page_setting
     list
   end
@@ -171,11 +202,12 @@ class TopicQuery
   def unread_results(options={})
     result = TopicQuery.unread_filter(default_results(options.reverse_merge(:unordered => true)))
     .order('CASE WHEN topics.user_id = tu.user_id THEN 1 ELSE 2 END')
-
     suggested_ordering(result, options)
   end
 
   def new_results(options={})
+    # TODO does this make sense or should it be ordered on created_at
+    #  it is ordering on bumped_at now
     result = TopicQuery.new_filter(default_results(options.reverse_merge(:unordered => true)), @user.treat_as_new_topic_start_date)
     result = remove_muted_categories(result, @user, exclude: options[:category])
     suggested_ordering(result, options)
@@ -196,7 +228,7 @@ class TopicQuery
       result = Topic.includes(:allowed_users)
                     .where("topics.id IN (SELECT topic_id FROM topic_allowed_users WHERE user_id = #{user.id.to_i})")
                     .joins("LEFT OUTER JOIN topic_users AS tu ON (topics.id = tu.topic_id AND tu.user_id = #{user.id.to_i})")
-                    .order(TopicQuerySQL.order_nocategory_basic_bumped)
+                    .order("topics.bumped_at")
                     .private_messages
 
       result = result.limit(options[:per_page]) unless options[:limit] == false
@@ -205,18 +237,6 @@ class TopicQuery
       result
     end
 
-    def default_ordering(result, options)
-      # If we're logged in, we have to pay attention to our pinned settings
-      if @user
-        result = options[:category].blank? ? result.order(TopicQuerySQL.order_nocategory_with_pinned_sql) :
-                                             result.order(TopicQuerySQL.order_with_pinned_sql)
-      else
-        result = options[:category].blank? ? result.order(TopicQuerySQL.order_nocategory_basic_bumped) :
-                                             result.order(TopicQuerySQL.order_basic_bumped)
-      end
-      result
-    end
-
     def apply_ordering(result, options)
       sort_column = SORTABLE_MAPPING[options[:order]] || 'default'
       sort_dir = (options[:ascending] == "true") ? "ASC" : "DESC"
@@ -228,14 +248,13 @@ class TopicQuery
           # If something requires a custom order, for example "unread" which sorts the least read
           # to the top, do nothing
           return result if options[:unordered]
-          # Otherwise apply our default ordering
-          return default_ordering(result, options)
         end
         sort_column = 'bumped_at'
       end
 
       # If we are sorting by category, actually use the name
       if sort_column == 'category_id'
+        # TODO forces a table scan, slow
         return result.references(:categories).order(TopicQuerySQL.order_by_category_sql(sort_dir))
       end
 
@@ -404,6 +423,6 @@ class TopicQuery
         result = result.order("CASE WHEN topics.category_id = #{options[:topic].category_id.to_i} THEN 0 ELSE 1 END")
       end
 
-      result.order(TopicQuerySQL.order_nocategory_with_pinned_sql)
+      result.order('topics.bumped_at DESC')
     end
 end