diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/character.cpp
index 3c02311458..22d7e7ba1e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/character.cpp
@@ -18,14 +18,25 @@ bool MWState::operator<(const Slot& left, const Slot& right)
     return left.mTimeStamp < right.mTimeStamp;
 }
 
-std::string MWState::getFirstGameFile(const std::vector<std::string>& contentFiles)
+bool MWState::operator<(const Character& left, const Character& right)
+{
+    if (left.mSlots.empty() && right.mSlots.empty())
+        return left.mPath < right.mPath;
+    else if (left.mSlots.empty())
+        return false;
+    else if (right.mSlots.empty())
+        return true;
+    return right.mSlots.back() < left.mSlots.back();
+}
+
+std::string_view MWState::getFirstGameFile(const std::vector<std::string>& contentFiles)
 {
     for (const std::string& c : contentFiles)
     {
         if (Misc::StringUtils::ciEndsWith(c, ".esm") || Misc::StringUtils::ciEndsWith(c, ".omwgame"))
             return c;
     }
-    return "";
+    return {};
 }
 
 void MWState::Character::addSlot(const std::filesystem::path& path, const std::string& game)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/character.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/character.hpp
index 3c68d9f490..3858bdba10 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/character.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/character.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define GAME_STATE_CHARACTER_H
 
 #include <filesystem>
+#include <string_view>
 
 #include <components/esm3/savedgame.hpp>
 
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ namespace MWState
 
     bool operator<(const Slot& left, const Slot& right);
 
-    std::string getFirstGameFile(const std::vector<std::string>& contentFiles);
+    std::string_view getFirstGameFile(const std::vector<std::string>& contentFiles);
 
     class Character
     {
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ namespace MWState
         ///< Return signature information for this character.
         ///
         /// \attention This function must not be called if there are no slots.
+
+        friend bool operator<(const Character& left, const Character& right);
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
index 32f0fe0aef..6d2583776b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
@@ -18,10 +18,8 @@ MWState::CharacterManager::CharacterManager(std::filesystem::path saves, const s
     }
     else
     {
-        for (std::filesystem::directory_iterator iter(mPath); iter != std::filesystem::directory_iterator(); ++iter)
+        for (const std::filesystem::path& characterDir : std::filesystem::directory_iterator(mPath))
         {
-            std::filesystem::path characterDir = *iter;
-
             if (std::filesystem::is_directory(characterDir))
             {
                 Character character(characterDir, mGame);
@@ -30,6 +28,7 @@ MWState::CharacterManager::CharacterManager(std::filesystem::path saves, const s
                     mCharacters.push_back(character);
             }
         }
+        mCharacters.sort();
     }
 }