diff --git a/lua/orgmode/agenda/init.lua b/lua/orgmode/agenda/init.lua
index d117f80f5..37358baf0 100644
--- a/lua/orgmode/agenda/init.lua
+++ b/lua/orgmode/agenda/init.lua
@@ -12,45 +12,104 @@ local Search = require('orgmode.parser.search')
 local AgendaFilter = require('orgmode.agenda.filter')
 local hl_map = agenda_highlights.get_agenda_hl_map()
 
+--@return table[]
+local function get_category_inds()
+  local files = config:get_all_files()
+  local categories = config:get_categories(files)
+  local category_inds = {}
+  for i, category in ipairs(categories) do
+    category_inds[category] = i
+  end
+  return category_inds
+end
+
 ---@param agenda_items AgendaItem[]
 ---@return AgendaItem[]
 local function sort_agenda_items(agenda_items)
+  local category_inds = get_category_inds()
+
   table.sort(agenda_items, function(a, b)
-    if a.is_today and a.is_same_day then
+    -- sort items with a time of day in order of scheduling
+    if not a.headline_date.date_only and not b.headline_date.date_only then
+      if a.is_today and a.is_same_day then
+        if b.is_today and b.is_same_day then
+          return a.headline_date:is_before(b.headline_date)
+        end
+        return true
+      end
+
       if b.is_today and b.is_same_day then
-        return a.headline_date:is_before(b.headline_date)
+        if a.is_today and a.is_same_day then
+          return a.headline_date:is_before(b.headline_date)
+        end
+        return false
       end
-      return true
     end
 
-    if b.is_today and b.is_same_day then
-      if a.is_today and a.is_same_day then
-        return a.headline_date:is_before(b.headline_date)
-      end
+    -- sort items with a time of day before ones that have a date only
+    -- true means sort a before b
+    if not a.headline_date.date_only and b.headline_date.date_only then
+      return true
+    end
+    if a.headline_date.date_only and not b.headline_date.date_only then
       return false
     end
 
+    -- else both items are date only, sort in this order:
+    -- category > priority > overdue deadline > overdue schedule >
+    -- > today deadline > today schedule
+
+    -- if different categories sort by category
+    if a.headline:get_category() ~= b.headline:get_category() then
+      return category_inds[a.headline:get_category()] < category_inds[b.headline:get_category()]
+    end
+
+    -- if different priorities sort by priority
     if a.headline:get_priority_sort_value() ~= b.headline:get_priority_sort_value() then
       return a.headline:get_priority_sort_value() > b.headline:get_priority_sort_value()
     end
 
-    if a.headline:has_priority() and b.headline:has_priority() then
-      return a.headline_date:is_before(b.headline_date)
+    -- overdue > today > future
+    if a.is_today and a.is_same_day then
+      if b.is_today and not b.is_same_day then
+        return a.headline_date:is_before(b.headline_date)
+      end
+    end
+
+    if b.is_today and b.is_same_day then
+      if a.is_today and not a.is_same_day then
+        return a.headline_date:is_before(b.headline_date)
+      end
     end
 
     if a.is_in_date_range and not b.is_in_date_range then
       return false
     end
-
     if not a.is_in_date_range and b.is_in_date_range then
       return true
     end
 
+    -- if same due sort by deadline
+    if a.headline_date:is_deadline() and not b.headline_date:is_deadline() then
+      return true
+    elseif not a.headline_date:is_deadline() and b.headline_date:is_deadline() then
+      return false
+      -- either both are deadlines or both are not deadlines
+      -- overdue deadline and overdue schedule > deadline today and schedule today
+    end
+
     return a.headline_date:is_before(b.headline_date)
   end)
   return agenda_items
 end
 
+local function sort_agenda_items_categories(agenda_items, category_inds)
+  table.sort(agenda_items, function(a, b)
+    return category_inds[a.headline:get_category()] < category_inds[b.headline:get_category()]
+  end)
+  return agenda_items
+end
+
 local function sort_todos(todos)
   table.sort(todos, function(a, b)
     if a:get_priority_sort_value() ~= b:get_priority_sort_value() then
@@ -461,10 +520,9 @@ function Agenda:agenda()
     for _, item in ipairs(headline_dates) do
       local agenda_item = AgendaItem:new(item.headline_date, item.headline, day)
       if agenda_item.is_valid and self.filters:matches(item.headline) then
-        table.insert(date.agenda_items, agenda_item)
+          table.insert(date.agenda_items, agenda_item)
       end
     end
-
     date.agenda_items = sort_agenda_items(date.agenda_items)
 
     table.insert(agenda_days, date)
diff --git a/lua/orgmode/config/init.lua b/lua/orgmode/config/init.lua
index f29c4d09c..6eba185f1 100644
--- a/lua/orgmode/config/init.lua
+++ b/lua/orgmode/config/init.lua
@@ -64,6 +64,16 @@ function Config:_deprecation_notify(opts)
   end
 end
 
+---@return string[]
+function Config:get_categories(files)
+  local categories = {}
+  for _, item in ipairs(files) do
+    local category = vim.fn.fnamemodify(item, ':t:r')
+    table.insert(categories, category)
+  end
+  return categories
+end
+
 ---@return string[]
 function Config:get_all_files()
   local all_filenames = {}
diff --git a/lua/orgmode/parser/files.lua b/lua/orgmode/parser/files.lua
index 6f8f9ebac..934029150 100644
--- a/lua/orgmode/parser/files.lua
+++ b/lua/orgmode/parser/files.lua
@@ -85,9 +85,10 @@ end
 function Files.all()
   Files.ensure_loaded()
   local files = vim.tbl_values(Files.orgfiles)
-  table.sort(files, function(a, b)
-    return a.category < b.category
-  end)
+  -- this sorts files alphabetically, I'm not sure if it's useful
+  -- table.sort(files, function(a, b)
+  --   return a.category < b.category
+  -- end)
   return files
 end
 
diff --git a/lua/orgmode/utils/init.lua b/lua/orgmode/utils/init.lua
index 38b93be78..5acbaa04f 100644
--- a/lua/orgmode/utils/init.lua
+++ b/lua/orgmode/utils/init.lua
@@ -427,4 +427,31 @@ function utils.promisify(fn)
   return fn
 end
 
+---debug printing a table
+---source https://stackoverflow.com/questions/41942289/display-contents-of-tables-in-lua
+function utils.tprint(tbl, indent)
+  if not indent then indent = 0 end
+  local toprint = string.rep(" ", indent) .. "{\r\n"
+  indent = indent + 2 
+  for k, v in pairs(tbl) do
+    toprint = toprint .. string.rep(" ", indent)
+    if (type(k) == "number") then
+      toprint = toprint .. "[" .. k .. "] = "
+    elseif (type(k) == "string") then
+      toprint = toprint  .. k ..  "= "   
+    end
+    if (type(v) == "number") then
+      toprint = toprint .. v .. ",\r\n"
+    elseif (type(v) == "string") then
+      toprint = toprint .. "\"" .. v .. "\",\r\n"
+    elseif (type(v) == "table") then
+      toprint = toprint .. utils.tprint(v, indent + 2) .. ",\r\n"
+    else
+      toprint = toprint .. "\"" .. tostring(v) .. "\",\r\n"
+    end
+  end
+  toprint = toprint .. string.rep(" ", indent-2) .. "}"
+  return toprint
+end
+
 return utils