diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
index 6aaa875e48..d798070659 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 import React from 'react';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import sdk from '../../index';
-import SettingsStore from "../../settings/SettingsStore";
 import { Droppable } from 'react-beautiful-dnd';
 import { _t } from '../../languageHandler';
 import dis from '../../dispatcher';
@@ -100,10 +99,8 @@ const RoomSubList = React.createClass({
     componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
         // order the room list appropriately before we re-render
         //if (debug) console.log("received new props, list = " + newProps.list);
-        const filteredRooms = this.applySearchFilter(newProps.list, newProps.searchFilter);
-        const sortedRooms = newProps.order === "recent" ? this.applyPinnedTileRules(filteredRooms) : filteredRooms;
         this.setState({
-            sortedList: sortedRooms,
+            sortedList: this.applySearchFilter(newProps.list, newProps.searchFilter),
         });
     },
 
@@ -116,21 +113,6 @@ const RoomSubList = React.createClass({
             (filter[0] === '#' && room.getAliases().some((alias) => alias.toLowerCase().startsWith(lcFilter))));
     },
 
-    applyPinnedTileRules: function(list) {
-        const pinUnread = SettingsStore.getValue("pinUnreadRooms");
-        const pinMentioned = SettingsStore.getValue("pinMentionedRooms");
-        if (!pinUnread && !pinMentioned) {
-            return list; // Nothing to sort
-        }
-
-        const mentioned = !pinMentioned ? [] : list.filter(room => room.getUnreadNotificationCount("highlight") > 0);
-        const unread = !pinUnread ? [] : list.filter(room => Unread.doesRoomHaveUnreadMessages(room));
-
-        return mentioned
-            .concat(unread.filter(room => !mentioned.find(other => other === room)))
-            .concat(list.filter(room => !unread.find(other => other === room)));
-    },
-
     // The header is collapsable if it is hidden or not stuck
     // The dataset elements are added in the RoomList _initAndPositionStickyHeaders method
     isCollapsableOnClick: function() {
diff --git a/src/stores/RoomListStore.js b/src/stores/RoomListStore.js
index 67c0c13be7..4c3e10e77f 100644
--- a/src/stores/RoomListStore.js
+++ b/src/stores/RoomListStore.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {Store} from 'flux/utils';
 import dis from '../dispatcher';
 import DMRoomMap from '../utils/DMRoomMap';
 import Unread from '../Unread';
+import SettingsStore from "../settings/SettingsStore";
 
 /**
  * A class for storing application state for categorising rooms in
@@ -263,6 +264,30 @@ class RoomListStore extends Store {
     }
 
     _recentsComparator(roomA, roomB) {
+        const pinUnread = SettingsStore.getValue("pinUnreadRooms");
+        const pinMentioned = SettingsStore.getValue("pinMentionedRooms");
+
+        // We try and set the ordering to be Mentioned > Unread > Recent
+        // assuming the user has the right settings, of course
+
+        if (pinMentioned) {
+             const mentionsA = roomA.getUnreadNotificationCount("highlight") > 0;
+             const mentionsB = roomB.getUnreadNotificationCount("highlight") > 0;
+             if (mentionsA && !mentionsB) return -1;
+             if (!mentionsA && mentionsB) return 1;
+             if (mentionsA && mentionsB) return 0;
+             // If neither have mentions, fall through to remaining checks
+        }
+
+        if (pinUnread) {
+            const unreadA = Unread.doesRoomHaveUnreadMessages(roomA);
+            const unreadB = Unread.doesRoomHaveUnreadMessages(roomB);
+            if (unreadA && !unreadB) return -1;
+            if (!unreadA && unreadB) return 1;
+            if (unreadA && unreadB) return 0;
+            // If neither have unread messages, fall through to remaining checks
+        }
+
         // XXX: We could use a cache here and update it when we see new
         // events that trigger a reorder
         return this._tsOfNewestEvent(roomB) - this._tsOfNewestEvent(roomA);