diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/qa/testFixtures/src/main/resources/categorize.csv-spec b/x-pack/plugin/esql/qa/testFixtures/src/main/resources/categorize.csv-spec
index 076f3ee092ec..8e0fcd78f032 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/qa/testFixtures/src/main/resources/categorize.csv-spec
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/qa/testFixtures/src/main/resources/categorize.csv-spec
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ categorize
 required_capability: categorize
 
 FROM sample_data
-  | STATS count=COUNT(), values=VALUES(message) BY category=CATEGORIZE(message)
-  | SORT count DESC, category ASC
+  | SORT message ASC
+  | STATS count=COUNT(), values=MV_SORT(VALUES(message)) BY category=CATEGORIZE(message)
+  | SORT category
 ;
 
 count:long | values:keyword                                                        | category:integer
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/action/EsqlCapabilities.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/action/EsqlCapabilities.java
index 4cb3ced2c86a..89b3c3d9f956 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/action/EsqlCapabilities.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/action/EsqlCapabilities.java
@@ -304,7 +304,12 @@ public enum Cap {
         /**
          * Support explicit casting from string literal to DATE_PERIOD or TIME_DURATION.
          */
-        CAST_STRING_LITERAL_TO_TEMPORAL_AMOUNT;
+        CAST_STRING_LITERAL_TO_TEMPORAL_AMOUNT,
+
+        /**
+         * Supported the text categorization function "CATEGORIZE".
+         */
+        CATEGORIZE(true);
 
         private final boolean snapshotOnly;
         private final FeatureFlag featureFlag;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plugin/EsqlFeatures.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plugin/EsqlFeatures.java
index f19e6523aa07..4b6a38a3e876 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plugin/EsqlFeatures.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plugin/EsqlFeatures.java
@@ -179,14 +179,9 @@ public class EsqlFeatures implements FeatureSpecification {
      */
     public static final NodeFeature RESOLVE_FIELDS_API = new NodeFeature("esql.resolve_fields_api");
 
-    /**
-     * Support categorize
-     */
-    public static final NodeFeature CATEGORIZE = new NodeFeature("esql.categorize");
-
     private Set<NodeFeature> snapshotBuildFeatures() {
         assert Build.current().isSnapshot() : Build.current();
-        return Set.of(METRICS_SYNTAX, CATEGORIZE);
+        return Set.of(METRICS_SYNTAX);
     }
 
     @Override