diff --git a/packages/core/src/database/sql-collection.ts b/packages/core/src/database/sql-collection.ts
index e87407773..3270fadd8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/database/sql-collection.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/database/sql-collection.ts
@@ -375,23 +375,13 @@ export class FilteredSelector<T extends Item> {
 
   async grouped(options: GroupOptions) {
     const count = await this.count();
-    const sortFields = this.sortFields(options, true);
-    const cursorRowValue = sql.join(sortFields.map((f) => sql.ref(f)));
     return new VirtualizedGrouping<T>(
       count,
       this.batchSize,
-      async (start, end, cursor) => {
+      async (start, end) => {
         const items = (await this.filter
           .$call(this.buildSortExpression(options))
-          .$if(!cursor, (qb) => qb.offset(start))
-          .$if(!!cursor, (qb) =>
-            qb.where(
-              (eb) => eb.parens(cursorRowValue),
-              ">",
-              (eb) =>
-                eb.parens(sql.join(sortFields.map((f) => (cursor as any)[f])))
-            )
-          )
+          .offset(start)
           .limit(end - start)
           .selectAll()
           .execute()) as T[];
@@ -424,12 +414,14 @@ export class FilteredSelector<T extends Item> {
         "reminders.snoozeUntil"
       );
     }
-    return groupArray(
-      await this.filter
-        .$call(this.buildSortExpression(options))
-        .select(fields)
-        .execute(),
-      options
+    return Array.from(
+      groupArray(
+        await this.filter
+          .$call(this.buildSortExpression(options))
+          .select(fields)
+          .execute(),
+        options
+      ).values()
     );
   }
 
@@ -489,8 +481,19 @@ export class FilteredSelector<T extends Item> {
         .$if(this.type === "notes" || this.type === "notebooks", (eb) =>
           eb.orderBy("pinned desc")
         )
-        .orderBy(options.sortBy, options.sortDirection)
-        .$if(!!persistent, (eb) => eb.orderBy("id"));
+        .$if(options.sortBy === "title", (eb) =>
+          eb.orderBy(
+            sql`ltrim(${sql.raw(
+              options.sortBy
+            )}, ' \u00a0\r\n\t\v') COLLATE NOCASE ${sql.raw(
+              options.sortDirection
+            )}`
+          )
+        )
+        .$if(options.sortBy !== "title", (eb) =>
+          eb.orderBy(options.sortBy, options.sortDirection)
+        )
+        .$if(!!persistent, (eb) => eb.orderBy("id asc"));
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/grouping.ts b/packages/core/src/utils/grouping.ts
index e118b8223..b0709211b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/utils/grouping.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/grouping.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ function getKeySelector(
     const date = new Date();
     if (item.type === "reminder")
       return isReminderActive(item as Reminder) ? "Active" : "Inactive";
-    else if (options.sortBy === "title")
+    else if (options.sortBy === "title" && options.groupBy === "abc")
       return getFirstCharacter(getTitle(item));
     else {
       const value = getSortValue(options, item) || 0;
@@ -96,43 +96,29 @@ export function groupArray(
     sortBy: "dateEdited",
     sortDirection: "desc"
   }
-): { index: number; group: GroupHeader }[] {
-  const groups = new Map<string, number>();
-  // [
-  //   ["Conflicted", 0],
-  //   ["Pinned", 1]
-  // ]
+): Map<number, { index: number; group: GroupHeader }> {
+  const groups = new Map<
+    string,
+    [number, { index: number; group: GroupHeader }]
+  >();
 
   const keySelector = getKeySelector(options);
   for (let i = 0; i < items.length; ++i) {
     const item = items[i];
     const groupTitle = keySelector(item);
     const group = groups.get(groupTitle);
-    if (typeof group === "undefined") groups.set(groupTitle, i);
+    if (typeof group === "undefined")
+      groups.set(groupTitle, [
+        i,
+        {
+          index: i,
+          group: { id: groupTitle, title: groupTitle, type: "header" }
+        }
+      ]);
   }
-  const groupIndices: { index: number; group: GroupHeader }[] = [];
-  groups.forEach((index, title) =>
-    groupIndices.push({ index, group: { id: title, title, type: "header" } })
-  );
-  return groupIndices;
-  // return flattenGroups(groups);
+  return new Map(groups.values());
 }
 
-// function flattenGroups<T extends GroupableItem>(groups: Map<string, T[]>) {
-//   const items: GroupedItems<T> = [];
-//   groups.forEach((groupItems, groupTitle) => {
-//     if (groupItems.length <= 0) return;
-//     items.push({
-//       title: groupTitle,
-//       id: groupTitle.toLowerCase(),
-//       type: "header"
-//     });
-//     items.push(...groupItems);
-//   });
-
-//   return items;
-// }
-
 function getFirstCharacter(str: string) {
   if (!str) return "-";
   str = str.trim();
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/virtualized-grouping.ts b/packages/core/src/utils/virtualized-grouping.ts
index d28733df1..d81f1e6f0 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/utils/virtualized-grouping.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/virtualized-grouping.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import { GroupHeader } from "../types";
 type BatchOperator<T> = (ids: string[], items: T[]) => Promise<unknown[]>;
 type Batch<T> = {
   items: T[];
-  groups?: { index: number; hidden?: boolean; group: GroupHeader }[];
+  groups?: Map<number, { index: number; hidden?: boolean; group: GroupHeader }>;
   data?: unknown[];
 };
 export class VirtualizedGrouping<T> {
@@ -30,28 +30,38 @@ export class VirtualizedGrouping<T> {
   private pending: Map<number, Promise<Batch<T>>> = new Map();
   public ids: number[];
   private loadBatchTimeout?: number;
-  private cacheHits = 0;
 
   constructor(
     count: number,
     private readonly batchSize: number,
     private readonly fetchItems: (
       start: number,
-      end: number,
-      cursor?: T
+      end: number
     ) => Promise<{ ids: string[]; items: T[] }>,
     private readonly groupItems?: (
       items: T[]
-    ) => { index: number; hidden?: boolean; group: GroupHeader }[],
+    ) => Map<number, { index: number; hidden?: boolean; group: GroupHeader }>,
     readonly groups?: () => Promise<{ index: number; group: GroupHeader }[]>
   ) {
     this.ids = new Array(count).fill(0);
   }
 
-  getKey(index: number) {
+  key(index: number) {
     return `${index}`;
   }
 
+  type(index: number) {
+    const batchIndex = Math.floor(index / this.batchSize);
+    const batch = this.cache.get(batchIndex);
+    if (!batch) return "item";
+    const { items, groups } = batch;
+    const itemIndexInBatch = index - batchIndex * this.batchSize;
+    const group = groups?.get(itemIndexInBatch);
+    return group && !group.hidden && items[itemIndexInBatch]
+      ? "header-item"
+      : "item";
+  }
+
   item(index: number): Promise<{ item: T; group?: GroupHeader }>;
   item(
     index: number,
@@ -59,17 +69,15 @@ export class VirtualizedGrouping<T> {
   ): Promise<{ item: T; group?: GroupHeader; data: unknown }>;
   async item(index: number, operate?: BatchOperator<T>) {
     const batchIndex = Math.floor(index / this.batchSize);
-    if (this.cache.has(batchIndex)) this.cacheHits++;
     const { items, groups, data } =
-      this.cache.get(batchIndex) || (await this.loadBatch(batchIndex, operate));
+      this.cache.get(batchIndex) ||
+      (await this.batchLoader(batchIndex, operate));
 
     const itemIndexInBatch = index - batchIndex * this.batchSize;
-    const group = groups?.find(
-      (f) => f.index === itemIndexInBatch && !f.hidden
-    );
+    const group = groups?.get(itemIndexInBatch);
     return {
       item: items[itemIndexInBatch],
-      group: group?.group,
+      group: group && !group.hidden ? group.group : undefined,
       data: data?.[itemIndexInBatch]
     };
   }
@@ -90,36 +98,34 @@ export class VirtualizedGrouping<T> {
     batchIndex: number,
     operate?: BatchOperator<T>
   ): Promise<Batch<T>> {
-    const lastBatchIndex = this.last;
-    const prev = this.cache.get(lastBatchIndex);
+    const [lastBatchIndex, lastBatch] = lastInMap(this.cache) || [];
     const start = batchIndex * this.batchSize;
     const end = start + this.batchSize;
-    // we can use a cursor instead of start/end offsets for batches that are
-    // right next to each other.
-    const cursor =
-      lastBatchIndex + 1 === batchIndex
-        ? prev?.items.at(-1)
-        : lastBatchIndex - 1 === batchIndex
-        ? prev?.items[0]
-        : undefined;
-    const { ids, items } = await this.fetchItems(start, end, cursor);
+
+    const { ids, items } = await this.fetchItems(start, end);
     const groups = this.groupItems?.(items);
 
     if (
-      prev &&
-      prev.groups &&
-      prev.groups.length > 0 &&
+      lastBatch &&
+      lastBatch.groups &&
+      lastBatch.groups.size > 0 &&
       groups &&
-      groups.length > 0
+      groups.size > 0 &&
+      lastBatchIndex !== undefined
     ) {
+      const [, firstGroup] = firstInMap(groups);
       // if user is moving downwards, we hide the first group from the
       // current batch, otherwise we hide the last group from the previous
       // batch.
       const group =
         lastBatchIndex < batchIndex
-          ? groups[0] //groups.length - 1]
-          : prev.groups[prev.groups.length - 1];
-      if (group.group.title === groups[0].group.title) {
+          ? firstGroup
+          : lastInMap(lastBatch.groups)[1];
+
+      // if the last group of the previous batch has the same title as the
+      // first group of the current batch, we hide the current group otherwise
+      // we will be seeing 2 group headers with the same title.
+      if (group && firstGroup && group.group.title === firstGroup.group.title) {
         group.hidden = true;
       }
     }
@@ -134,7 +140,7 @@ export class VirtualizedGrouping<T> {
     return batch;
   }
 
-  private loadBatch(batch: number, operate?: BatchOperator<T>) {
+  private batchLoader(batch: number, operate?: BatchOperator<T>) {
     if (this.pending.has(batch)) return this.pending.get(batch)!;
     const promise = this.load(batch, operate);
     this.pending.set(batch, promise);
@@ -150,13 +156,20 @@ export class VirtualizedGrouping<T> {
       if (this.cache.size === 2) break;
     }
   }
-
-  private get last() {
-    const keys = Array.from(this.cache.keys());
-    return keys[keys.length - 1];
-  }
-
-  private isLastBatch(batch: number) {
-    return Math.floor(this.ids.length / this.batchSize) === batch;
-  }
+}
+
+function lastInMap<K, V>(map: Map<K, V>) {
+  let i = 0;
+  for (const item of map) {
+    if (++i === map.size) return item;
+  }
+  return [undefined, undefined];
+}
+
+function firstInMap<K, V>(map: Map<K, V>) {
+  let i = 0;
+  for (const item of map) {
+    if (++i === 1) return item;
+  }
+  return [undefined, undefined];
 }