diff --git a/lib/cwtch/cwtchNotifier.dart b/lib/cwtch/cwtchNotifier.dart
index b87c243..0138fa6 100644
--- a/lib/cwtch/cwtchNotifier.dart
+++ b/lib/cwtch/cwtchNotifier.dart
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ class CwtchNotifier {
             contact.isInvitation = data["authorization"] == "unknown";
             contact.isBlocked = data["authorization"] == "blocked";
           }
+          // contact.[status/isBlocked] might change the list's sort order
+          profileCN.getProfile(data["ProfileOnion"]).contactList.resort();
         }
         break;
       case "NewMessageFromPeer":
@@ -165,6 +167,7 @@ class CwtchNotifier {
             contact.status = data["ConnectionState"];
           }
         });
+        profileCN.getProfile(data["ProfileOnion"]).contactList.resort();
         break;
 
       default:
diff --git a/lib/model.dart b/lib/model.dart
index 33dcf5b..684967f 100644
--- a/lib/model.dart
+++ b/lib/model.dart
@@ -80,7 +80,20 @@ class ProfileListState extends ChangeNotifier {
 
 class ContactListState extends ChangeNotifier {
   List<ContactInfoState> _contacts = [];
+  String _filter;
   int get num => _contacts.length;
+  int get numFiltered => isFiltered ? filteredList().length : num;
+  bool get isFiltered => _filter != null && _filter != "";
+  String get filter => _filter;
+  set filter(String newVal) {
+    _filter = newVal;
+    notifyListeners();
+  }
+
+  List<ContactInfoState> filteredList() {
+    if (!isFiltered) return contacts;
+    return _contacts.where((ContactInfoState c) => c.onion.contains(_filter) || (c.nickname != null && c.nickname.contains(_filter))).toList();
+  }
 
   void addAll(Iterable<ContactInfoState> newContacts) {
     _contacts.addAll(newContacts);
@@ -92,15 +105,24 @@ class ContactListState extends ChangeNotifier {
     notifyListeners();
   }
 
-  void updateLastMessageTime(String forOnion, DateTime newVal) {
-    var contact = getContact(forOnion);
-    if (contact == null) return;
-
-    contact.lastMessageTime = newVal;
+  void resort() {
     _contacts.sort((ContactInfoState a, ContactInfoState b) {
-      if (a.lastMessageTime == null && b.lastMessageTime == null) return b.onion.compareTo(a.onion);
-      if (a.lastMessageTime == null) return 1;
-      if (b.lastMessageTime == null) return -1;
+      // return -1 = a first in list
+      // return 1 = b first in list
+      // blocked contacts last
+      if (a.isBlocked == true && b.isBlocked != true) return 1;
+      if (a.isBlocked != true && b.isBlocked == true) return -1;
+      // special sorting for contacts with no messages in either history
+      if (a.lastMessageTime.millisecondsSinceEpoch == 0 && b.lastMessageTime.millisecondsSinceEpoch == 0) {
+        // online contacts first
+        if (a.isOnline() && !b.isOnline()) return -1;
+        if (!a.isOnline() && b.isOnline()) return 1;
+        // finally resort to onion
+        return a.onion.toString().compareTo(b.onion.toString());
+      }
+      // finally... most recent history first
+      if (a.lastMessageTime.millisecondsSinceEpoch == 0) return 1;
+      if (b.lastMessageTime.millisecondsSinceEpoch == 0) return -1;
       return b.lastMessageTime.compareTo(a.lastMessageTime);
     });
     //<todo> if(changed) {
@@ -108,6 +130,14 @@ class ContactListState extends ChangeNotifier {
     //} </todo>
   }
 
+  void updateLastMessageTime(String forOnion, DateTime newVal) {
+    var contact = getContact(forOnion);
+    if (contact == null) return;
+
+    contact.lastMessageTime = newVal;
+    resort();
+  }
+
   List<ContactInfoState> get contacts => _contacts.sublist(0); //todo: copy?? dont want caller able to bypass changenotifier
 
   ContactInfoState getContact(String onion) {
diff --git a/lib/views/contactsview.dart b/lib/views/contactsview.dart
index 9326d82..fc0138b 100644
--- a/lib/views/contactsview.dart
+++ b/lib/views/contactsview.dart
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_app/widgets/contactrow.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_app/widgets/profileimage.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_app/widgets/textfield.dart';
 import 'package:provider/provider.dart';
 import '../settings.dart';
 import 'addcontactview.dart';
@@ -15,6 +16,15 @@ class ContactsView extends StatefulWidget {
 }
 
 class _ContactsViewState extends State<ContactsView> {
+  TextEditingController ctrlrFilter;
+  bool showSearchBar = false;
+
+  @override
+  void initState() {
+    super.initState();
+    ctrlrFilter = new TextEditingController(text: Provider.of<ContactListState>(context, listen: false).filter);
+  }
+
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     return Scaffold(
@@ -42,7 +52,16 @@ class _ContactsViewState extends State<ContactsView> {
           IconButton(
             icon: Icon(Icons.bug_report),
             onPressed: _debugFakeMessage,
-          )
+          ),
+          IconButton(
+              // need both conditions for displaying initial empty textfield and also allowing filters to be cleared if this widget gets lost/reset
+              icon: Icon(showSearchBar || Provider.of<ContactListState>(context).isFiltered ? Icons.search_off : Icons.search),
+              onPressed: () {
+                Provider.of<ContactListState>(context, listen: false).filter = "";
+                setState(() {
+                  showSearchBar = !showSearchBar;
+                });
+              })
         ],
       ),
       floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
@@ -50,13 +69,24 @@ class _ContactsViewState extends State<ContactsView> {
         tooltip: AppLocalizations.of(context).tooltipAddContact,
         child: const Icon(Icons.person_add_sharp),
       ),
-      body: _buildContactList(),
+      body: showSearchBar || Provider.of<ContactListState>(context).isFiltered ? _buildFilterable() : _buildContactList(),
     );
   }
 
+  Widget _buildFilterable() {
+    //todo: translate
+    Widget txtfield = CwtchTextField(
+        controller: ctrlrFilter,
+        labelText: AppLocalizations.of(context).search,
+        onChanged: (newVal) {
+          Provider.of<ContactListState>(context, listen: false).filter = newVal;
+        });
+    return Column(children: [Padding(padding: EdgeInsets.all(2), child: txtfield), Expanded(child: _buildContactList())]);
+  }
+
   Widget _buildContactList() {
-    final tiles = Provider.of<ContactListState>(context).contacts.map((ContactInfoState contact) {
-      return ChangeNotifierProvider<ContactInfoState>.value(value: contact, child: ContactRow());
+    final tiles = Provider.of<ContactListState>(context).filteredList().map((ContactInfoState contact) {
+      return ChangeNotifierProvider<ContactInfoState>.value(key: ValueKey(contact.onion), value: contact, builder: (_, __) => ContactRow());
     });
     final divided = ListTile.divideTiles(
       context: context,