diff --git a/include/modules/sni/host.hpp b/include/modules/sni/host.hpp
index d76ec74a4..80a8343ca 100644
--- a/include/modules/sni/host.hpp
+++ b/include/modules/sni/host.hpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include <json/json.h>
 
 #include <tuple>
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "bar.hpp"
 #include "modules/sni/item.hpp"
@@ -19,6 +21,8 @@ class Host {
        const std::function<void(std::unique_ptr<Item>&)>&, const std::function<void()>&);
   ~Host();
 
+  void requestReorder();
+
  private:
   void busAcquired(const Glib::RefPtr<Gio::DBus::Connection>&, Glib::ustring);
   void nameAppeared(const Glib::RefPtr<Gio::DBus::Connection>&, Glib::ustring,
@@ -36,6 +40,9 @@ class Host {
   std::tuple<std::string, std::string> getBusNameAndObjectPath(const std::string);
   void addRegisteredItem(const std::string& service);
 
+  void reorderItems();
+  static std::string toLowerAscii(std::string s);
+
   std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Item>> items_;
   const std::string bus_name_;
   const std::string object_path_;
@@ -48,6 +55,11 @@ class Host {
   const std::function<void(std::unique_ptr<Item>&)> on_add_;
   const std::function<void(std::unique_ptr<Item>&)> on_remove_;
   const std::function<void()> on_update_;
+
+  std::unordered_map<std::string, std::size_t> order_left_;
+  std::unordered_map<std::string, std::size_t> order_right_;
+  bool reverse_direction_{false};
+  bool reorder_pending_{false};
 };
 
 }  // namespace waybar::modules::SNI
diff --git a/include/modules/sni/item.hpp b/include/modules/sni/item.hpp
index 74d54f4cf..588ae038b 100644
--- a/include/modules/sni/item.hpp
+++ b/include/modules/sni/item.hpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ class Item : public sigc::trackable {
   Gtk::EventBox event_box;
   std::string category;
   std::string id;
+  std::string sort_key;
 
   std::string title;
   std::string icon_name;
diff --git a/man/waybar-tray.5.scd b/man/waybar-tray.5.scd
index dec5347fa..922ceb4b4 100644
--- a/man/waybar-tray.5.scd
+++ b/man/waybar-tray.5.scd
@@ -31,7 +31,28 @@ Addressed by *tray*
 
 *reverse-direction*: ++
 	typeof: bool ++
-	Defines if new app icons should be added in a reverse order
+	default: false ++
+	Reverses the alphabetical ordering of icons in the middle section
+	(icons not pinned via *order-left* or *order-right*). Items pinned
+	via *order-left* / *order-right* are unaffected and keep their
+	configured visual position.
+
+*order-left*: ++
+	typeof: array ++
+	List of tray item keys that should be pinned to the left (or top,
+	for vertical bars), in the given order. Keys are matched
+	case-insensitively against the item's sort key, which is its SNI
+	*Id* (or the tooltip text, lowercased, for Chrome-based apps).
+	The key for each registered item is printed on startup as an info
+	log line of the form _tray: item key='...'_ — run waybar from a
+	terminal to see it.
+
+*order-right*: ++
+	typeof: array ++
+	List of tray item keys that should be pinned to the right (or
+	bottom, for vertical bars), in the given order. Any item not
+	listed in *order-left* or *order-right* is placed between the two
+	groups in alphabetical order.
 
 *on-update*: ++
 	typeof: string ++
@@ -51,7 +72,9 @@ Addressed by *tray*
   "icons": {
     "blueman": "bluetooth",
     "TelegramDesktop": "$HOME/.local/share/icons/hicolor/16x16/apps/telegram.png"
-  }
+  },
+  "order-left": ["nm-applet", "blueman"],
+  "order-right": ["TelegramDesktop", "vesktop"]
 }
 
 ```
diff --git a/src/modules/sni/host.cpp b/src/modules/sni/host.cpp
index 18eac643b..1d8fd9f42 100644
--- a/src/modules/sni/host.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/sni/host.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #include "modules/sni/host.hpp"
 
+#include <glibmm/main.h>
 #include <spdlog/spdlog.h>
 
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <cctype>
+
 #include "util/scope_guard.hpp"
 
 namespace waybar::modules::SNI {
@@ -19,7 +23,22 @@ Host::Host(const std::size_t id, const Json::Value& config, const Bar& bar,
       bar_(bar),
       on_add_(on_add),
       on_remove_(on_remove),
-      on_update_(on_update) {}
+      on_update_(on_update) {
+  auto parse_list = [](const Json::Value& list,
+                       std::unordered_map<std::string, std::size_t>& out) {
+    if (!list.isArray()) return;
+    for (Json::ArrayIndex i = 0; i < list.size(); ++i) {
+      if (!list[i].isString()) continue;
+      out.emplace(toLowerAscii(list[i].asString()), static_cast<std::size_t>(i));
+    }
+  };
+  parse_list(config_["order-left"], order_left_);
+  parse_list(config_["order-right"], order_right_);
+
+  if (config_["reverse-direction"].isBool()) {
+    reverse_direction_ = config_["reverse-direction"].asBool();
+  }
+}
 
 Host::~Host() {
   if (bus_name_id_ > 0) {
@@ -130,6 +149,7 @@ void Host::itemReady(Item& item) {
                          [&item](const auto& candidate) { return candidate.get() == &item; });
   if (it != items_.end() && (*it)->isReady()) {
     on_add_(*it);
+    requestReorder();
   }
 }
 
@@ -184,4 +204,74 @@ void Host::addRegisteredItem(const std::string& service) {
   }
 }
 
+std::string Host::toLowerAscii(std::string s) {
+  for (auto& ch : s) {
+    ch = static_cast<char>(std::tolower(static_cast<unsigned char>(ch)));
+  }
+  return s;
+}
+
+void Host::requestReorder() {
+  if (reorder_pending_) return;
+  reorder_pending_ = true;
+  Glib::signal_idle().connect_once([this] {
+    reorder_pending_ = false;
+    reorderItems();
+  });
+}
+
+void Host::reorderItems() {
+  // Classify each item into one of three buckets: configured-left, configured-right, or middle
+  // (alphabetical). Compute this once so the comparator stays cheap.
+  enum class Bucket { Left, Middle, Right };
+  struct Info {
+    Bucket bucket;
+    std::size_t cfg_index;  // only meaningful for Left/Right
+    std::string key;        // lowercased sort_key, empty if none
+  };
+
+  std::unordered_map<Item*, Info> info;
+  info.reserve(items_.size());
+  for (const auto& it : items_) {
+    const auto key = toLowerAscii(it->sort_key);
+    auto left_it = order_left_.find(key);
+    if (!key.empty() && left_it != order_left_.end()) {
+      info[it.get()] = {Bucket::Left, left_it->second, key};
+      continue;
+    }
+    auto right_it = order_right_.find(key);
+    if (!key.empty() && right_it != order_right_.end()) {
+      info[it.get()] = {Bucket::Right, right_it->second, key};
+      continue;
+    }
+    info[it.get()] = {Bucket::Middle, 0, key};
+  }
+
+  std::stable_sort(items_.begin(), items_.end(),
+                   [&info, this](const std::unique_ptr<Item>& a, const std::unique_ptr<Item>& b) {
+                     const auto& ia = info[a.get()];
+                     const auto& ib = info[b.get()];
+                     if (ia.bucket != ib.bucket) {
+                       return static_cast<int>(ia.bucket) < static_cast<int>(ib.bucket);
+                     }
+                     if (ia.bucket == Bucket::Left || ia.bucket == Bucket::Right) {
+                       return ia.cfg_index < ib.cfg_index;
+                     }
+                     // Middle: alphabetical (optionally reversed)
+                     if (ia.key != ib.key) {
+                       return reverse_direction_ ? ia.key > ib.key : ia.key < ib.key;
+                     }
+                     return false;
+                   });
+
+  // Rebuild UI: remove all ready items, then re-add in sorted order.
+  for (auto& it : items_) {
+    if (it->isReady()) on_remove_(it);
+  }
+  for (auto& it : items_) {
+    if (it->isReady()) on_add_(it);
+  }
+  on_update_();
+}
+
 }  // namespace waybar::modules::SNI
diff --git a/src/modules/sni/item.cpp b/src/modules/sni/item.cpp
index 2f3680835..418578a92 100644
--- a/src/modules/sni/item.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/sni/item.cpp
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ void Item::setProperty(const Glib::ustring& name, Glib::VariantBase& value) {
       category = get_variant<std::string>(value);
     } else if (name == "Id") {
       id = get_variant<std::string>(value);
+      const auto old_sort_key = sort_key;
+      sort_key = id;
 
       /*
        * HACK: Electron apps seem to have the same ID, but tooltip seems correct, so use that as ID
@@ -177,11 +179,25 @@ void Item::setProperty(const Glib::ustring& name, Glib::VariantBase& value) {
         this->proxy_->get_cached_property(value, "ToolTip");
         tooltip = get_variant<ToolTip>(value);
         if (!tooltip.text.empty()) {
-          setCustomIcon(tooltip.text.lowercase());
+          // The tooltip often carries a changing status suffix, e.g.
+          // "Rocket.Chat: 3 unread messages". Strip everything from the first
+          // ':' onwards so the key stays stable across status changes.
+          std::string key = tooltip.text.lowercase();
+          const auto colon = key.find(':');
+          if (colon != std::string::npos) {
+            key.erase(colon);
+          }
+          while (!key.empty() && key.back() == ' ') key.pop_back();
+          sort_key = key;
+          setCustomIcon(sort_key);
         }
       } else {
         setCustomIcon(id);
       }
+      if (sort_key != old_sort_key) {
+        spdlog::info("tray: item key='{}' (use this value in tray.order-left / tray.order-right)",
+                     sort_key);
+      }
     } else if (name == "Title") {
       title = get_variant<std::string>(value);
       if (tooltip.text.empty()) {
diff --git a/src/modules/sni/tray.cpp b/src/modules/sni/tray.cpp
index 114aba786..429f7da39 100644
--- a/src/modules/sni/tray.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/sni/tray.cpp
@@ -37,11 +37,9 @@ Tray::Tray(const std::string& id, const Bar& bar, const Json::Value& config)
 void Tray::queueUpdate() { dp.emit(); }
 
 void Tray::onAdd(std::unique_ptr<Item>& item) {
-  if (config_["reverse-direction"].isBool() && config_["reverse-direction"].asBool()) {
-    box_.pack_end(item->event_box);
-  } else {
-    box_.pack_start(item->event_box);
-  }
+  // Host controls the final order via reorderItems(); we always pack_start so
+  // that the order of on_add_ calls maps directly to the visual order.
+  box_.pack_start(item->event_box);
   dp.emit();
 }