diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index add9e02..48e70da 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -265,6 +265,12 @@ export function Sidebar({
   const sortContactsByOrder = useCallback(
     (items: Contact[], order: SortOrder) =>
       [...items].sort((a, b) => {
+        // Unread DM contacts always float to the top
+        const unreadA = unreadCounts[getStateKey('contact', a.public_key)] || 0;
+        const unreadB = unreadCounts[getStateKey('contact', b.public_key)] || 0;
+        if (unreadA > 0 && unreadB === 0) return -1;
+        if (unreadA === 0 && unreadB > 0) return 1;
+
         if (order === 'recent') {
           const timeA = getContactRecentTime(a);
           const timeB = getContactRecentTime(b);
@@ -274,7 +280,7 @@ export function Sidebar({
         }
         return (a.name || a.public_key).localeCompare(b.name || b.public_key);
       }),
-    [getContactRecentTime]
+    [getContactRecentTime, unreadCounts]
   );
 
   const sortRepeatersByOrder = useCallback(
diff --git a/frontend/src/test/sidebar.test.tsx b/frontend/src/test/sidebar.test.tsx
index 57bd7f4..66b5f4e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/test/sidebar.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/test/sidebar.test.tsx
@@ -513,6 +513,42 @@ describe('Sidebar section summaries', () => {
     expect(contactRows).toEqual(['DM Recent', 'Advert Only', 'No Recency']);
   });
 
+  it('floats contacts with unread DMs above read contacts regardless of recency', () => {
+    const publicChannel = makeChannel(PUBLIC_CHANNEL_KEY, 'Public');
+    const readRecent = makeContact('11'.repeat(32), 'Read Recent', 1, { last_advert: 500 });
+    const unreadOld = makeContact('22'.repeat(32), 'Unread Old', 1, { last_advert: 100 });
+
+    render(
+      <Sidebar
+        contacts={[readRecent, unreadOld]}
+        channels={[publicChannel]}
+        activeConversation={null}
+        onSelectConversation={vi.fn()}
+        onNewMessage={vi.fn()}
+        lastMessageTimes={{
+          [getStateKey('contact', readRecent.public_key)]: 500,
+          [getStateKey('contact', unreadOld.public_key)]: 200,
+        }}
+        unreadCounts={{
+          [getStateKey('contact', unreadOld.public_key)]: 3,
+        }}
+        mentions={{}}
+        showCracker={false}
+        crackerRunning={false}
+        onToggleCracker={vi.fn()}
+        onMarkAllRead={vi.fn()}
+      />
+    );
+
+    const contactRows = screen
+      .getAllByText(/^(Read Recent|Unread Old)$/)
+      .map((node) => node.textContent)
+      .filter((text): text is string => Boolean(text));
+
+    // Unread Old has unread DMs so it floats above Read Recent despite older recency
+    expect(contactRows).toEqual(['Unread Old', 'Read Recent']);
+  });
+
   it('sorts repeaters by heard recency even when message times disagree', () => {
     const publicChannel = makeChannel(PUBLIC_CHANNEL_KEY, 'Public');
     const staleMessageRelay = makeContact(