diff --git a/shelfmark/config/settings.py b/shelfmark/config/settings.py
index f6004db1..b1cf813e 100644
--- a/shelfmark/config/settings.py
+++ b/shelfmark/config/settings.py
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ register_group(
 
 # Direct mode sort options
 _AA_SORT_OPTIONS = [
+    {"value": "", "label": "Most downloads"},
     {"value": "relevance", "label": "Most relevant"},
     {"value": "newest", "label": "Newest (publication year)"},
     {"value": "oldest", "label": "Oldest (publication year)"},
@@ -483,7 +484,7 @@ def search_mode_settings() -> list[SettingsField]:
             label="Default Sort Order",
             description="Default sort order for search results.",
             options=_AA_SORT_OPTIONS,
-            default="relevance",
+            default="",
             show_when={"field": "SEARCH_MODE", "value": "direct"},
         ),
         CheckboxField(
diff --git a/shelfmark/main.py b/shelfmark/main.py
index 7a63edf2..dc8dab52 100644
--- a/shelfmark/main.py
+++ b/shelfmark/main.py
@@ -1197,8 +1197,8 @@ def api_config() -> Response | tuple[Response, int]:
             "onboarding_complete": _get_onboarding_complete(),
             # Default sort orders
             "default_sort": app_config.get(
-                "AA_DEFAULT_SORT", "relevance"
-            ),  # For direct mode (Anna's Archive)
+                "AA_DEFAULT_SORT", ""
+            ),  # For direct mode (Anna's Archive) — empty means use local downloads sort
             "metadata_default_sort": get_provider_default_sort(
                 metadata_ui_provider
             ),  # For universal mode
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/App.tsx b/src/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 054943f7..470565d9 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@ function App() {
     updateAdvancedFilters,
     handleSearch,
     handleResetSearch,
+    reSortByDownloads,
     searchFieldValues,
     updateSearchFieldValue,
     searchFieldLabels,
@@ -846,9 +847,7 @@ function App() {
 
         // Determine the default sort based on search mode
         const defaultSort =
-          cfg.search_mode === 'universal'
-            ? resolvedMetadataDefaultSort
-            : cfg.default_sort || 'relevance';
+          cfg.search_mode === 'universal' ? resolvedMetadataDefaultSort : (cfg.default_sort ?? '');
 
         if (cfg?.supported_formats) {
           // Seeding the defaults must not undo filters a shared link already applied.
@@ -951,6 +950,7 @@ function App() {
       contentTypeOverride?: ContentType;
       searchModeOverride?: SearchMode;
       providerOverride?: string;
+      sort?: string;
     }) => {
       void refreshRequestPolicy();
       void handleSearch({
@@ -960,6 +960,7 @@ function App() {
         contentTypeOverride: opts.contentTypeOverride,
         searchMode: opts.searchModeOverride,
         providerOverride: opts.providerOverride,
+        sort: opts.sort,
       });
     },
     [refreshRequestPolicy, handleSearch, config],
@@ -2027,7 +2028,7 @@ function App() {
   const urlHashDefaultSort =
     effectiveSearchMode === 'universal'
       ? resolvedMetadataDefaultSort
-      : config?.default_sort || 'relevance';
+      : (config?.default_sort ?? '');
 
   // Keep the URL hash fragment live as search state changes. Gated until any URL-driven
   // bootstrap has applied (or there was nothing to apply), so we don't clobber a shared
@@ -2360,6 +2361,7 @@ function App() {
       fieldValues: request.fieldValues,
       searchModeOverride: effectiveSearchMode,
       providerOverride: request.providerOverride,
+      sort: advancedFilters.sort,
     });
   }, [
     activeQueryOption,
@@ -2583,11 +2585,19 @@ function App() {
                 updateAdvancedFilters({ sort: request.appliedSort });
               }
               setActiveResultsSort(request.appliedSort);
+
+              // "Most downloads" is a client-side sort — just re-sort existing books
+              if (request.appliedSort === 'downloads' && effectiveSearchMode === 'direct') {
+                reSortByDownloads();
+                return;
+              }
+
               runSearchWithPolicyRefresh({
                 query: request.query,
                 fieldValues: request.fieldValues,
                 searchModeOverride: effectiveSearchMode,
                 providerOverride: request.providerOverride,
+                sort: request.appliedSort,
               });
             }}
             metadataSortOptions={resolvedMetadataSortOptions}
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/components/UrlSearchBootstrapMount.tsx b/src/frontend/src/components/UrlSearchBootstrapMount.tsx
index f44c4ba9..bdbdf576 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/components/UrlSearchBootstrapMount.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/components/UrlSearchBootstrapMount.tsx
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ interface UrlSearchBootstrapMountProps {
     contentTypeOverride?: ContentType;
     searchModeOverride?: SearchMode;
     fieldValues?: Record<string, string | number | boolean>;
+    sort?: string;
   }) => void;
   onComplete: () => void;
 }
@@ -203,6 +204,7 @@ export const UrlSearchBootstrapMount = ({
       contentTypeOverride: urlContentTypeOverride,
       searchModeOverride: parsedSearchMode,
       fieldValues: urlFieldValues,
+      sort: parsedParams?.advancedFilters?.sort,
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/data/filterOptions.ts b/src/frontend/src/data/filterOptions.ts
index 3f218dbe..5162c4c5 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/data/filterOptions.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/data/filterOptions.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Direct download mode sort options
 export const SORT_OPTIONS = [
-  { value: '', label: 'Most relevant' },
+  { value: 'downloads', label: 'Most downloads' },
+  { value: 'relevance', label: 'Most relevant' },
   { value: 'newest', label: 'Newest (publication year)' },
   { value: 'oldest', label: 'Oldest (publication year)' },
   { value: 'largest', label: 'Largest (filesize)' },
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/hooks/useSearch.ts b/src/frontend/src/hooks/useSearch.ts
index 62e68ab9..347d10a3 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/hooks/useSearch.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/hooks/useSearch.ts
@@ -39,9 +39,11 @@ interface UseSearchReturn {
     contentTypeOverride?: ContentType;
     searchMode?: SearchMode;
     providerOverride?: string;
+    sort?: string;
   }) => Promise<void>;
   handleResetSearch: (config: AppConfig | null) => void;
   resetSortFilter: () => void;
+  reSortByDownloads: () => void;
   // Universal mode search field values
   searchFieldValues: SearchFieldValues;
   updateSearchFieldValue: (key: string, value: string | number | boolean, label?: string) => void;
@@ -106,6 +108,24 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
     setAdvancedFilters((prev) => ({ ...prev, ...updates }));
   }, []);
 
+  // Sort books by downloads descending (no downloads go to the end)
+  const sortBooksByDownloads = useCallback((bookList: Book[]): Book[] => {
+    const sorted = bookList.toSorted((a, b) => {
+      const aDownloads = a.downloads ?? 0;
+      const bDownloads = b.downloads ?? 0;
+      // Books with downloads come first, sorted by count descending
+      if (aDownloads > 0 && bDownloads === 0) return -1;
+      if (aDownloads === 0 && bDownloads > 0) return 1;
+      return bDownloads - aDownloads;
+    });
+    return sorted;
+  }, []);
+
+  // Re-sort current books by downloads descending (client-side only, no search)
+  const reSortByDownloads = useCallback(() => {
+    setBooks((prev) => sortBooksByDownloads(prev));
+  }, [sortBooksByDownloads]);
+
   const updateSearchFieldValue = useCallback(
     (key: string, value: string | number | boolean, label?: string) => {
       setSearchFieldValues((prev) => ({ ...prev, [key]: value }));
@@ -157,6 +177,7 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
       contentTypeOverride,
       searchMode: searchModeOverride,
       providerOverride,
+      sort,
     }: {
       query: string;
       config: AppConfig | null;
@@ -164,6 +185,7 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
       contentTypeOverride?: ContentType;
       searchMode?: SearchMode;
       providerOverride?: string;
+      sort?: string;
     }) => {
       const effectiveContentType = contentTypeOverride ?? contentType;
       const searchMode = (searchModeOverride ?? config?.search_mode) || 'universal';
@@ -177,7 +199,7 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
         const hasFieldValues = Object.values(effectiveFieldValues).some(
           (v) => v !== '' && v !== false,
         );
-        const sort = params.get('sort') || 'relevance';
+        const sortOrder = params.get('sort') || 'relevance';
 
         if (!searchQuery && !hasFieldValues) {
           setBooks([]);
@@ -202,7 +224,7 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
           const result = await searchMetadata(
             searchQuery,
             40,
-            sort,
+            sortOrder,
             effectiveFieldValues,
             1,
             effectiveContentType,
@@ -221,7 +243,7 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
             // Store params for loadMore
             lastSearchParamsRef.current = {
               query: searchQuery,
-              sort,
+              sort: sortOrder,
               fieldValues: effectiveFieldValues,
               providerOverride,
               contentType: effectiveContentType,
@@ -255,7 +277,13 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
         const results = await searchBooks(query);
 
         if (results.length > 0) {
-          setBooks(results);
+          // When no explicit server-side sort is selected (empty or "downloads"),
+          // sort locally by downloads descending so the most popular results
+          // appear first.
+          const effectiveSort = sort ?? advancedFilters.sort;
+          const isDownloadsSort = !effectiveSort || effectiveSort === 'downloads';
+          const sorted = isDownloadsSort ? sortBooksByDownloads(results) : results;
+          setBooks(sorted);
         } else {
           showToast('No results found', 'error');
         }
@@ -270,7 +298,14 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
         setIsSearching(false);
       }
     },
-    [showToast, searchFieldValues, handleSearchError, contentType],
+    [
+      showToast,
+      searchFieldValues,
+      handleSearchError,
+      contentType,
+      advancedFilters,
+      sortBooksByDownloads,
+    ],
   );
 
   const handleResetSearch = useCallback(
@@ -367,6 +402,7 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions): UseSearchReturn {
     handleSearch,
     handleResetSearch,
     resetSortFilter,
+    reSortByDownloads,
     // Universal mode search field values
     searchFieldValues,
     updateSearchFieldValue,
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/utils/buildSearchQuery.ts b/src/frontend/src/utils/buildSearchQuery.ts
index e463a621..2e866f25 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/utils/buildSearchQuery.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/utils/buildSearchQuery.ts
@@ -47,8 +47,11 @@ export const buildSearchQuery = ({
   if (content) queryParts.push(`content=${encodeURIComponent(content)}`);
   formats.forEach((format) => queryParts.push(`format=${encodeURIComponent(format)}`));
 
-  if (advancedFilters.sort) {
-    queryParts.push(`sort=${encodeURIComponent(advancedFilters.sort)}`);
+  // "downloads" is a client-side-only sort — send empty string so the server
+  // doesn't receive an invalid sort parameter.
+  const serverSort = advancedFilters.sort === 'downloads' ? '' : advancedFilters.sort;
+  if (serverSort) {
+    queryParts.push(`sort=${encodeURIComponent(serverSort)}`);
   }
 
   return queryParts.join('&');