diff --git a/db/citizen.js b/db/citizen.js
index fa6cf0e6..49bdc671 100644
--- a/db/citizen.js
+++ b/db/citizen.js
@@ -68,12 +68,14 @@ export class PrivateCitizenDB extends BaseHyperbeeDB {
 
       const release = await this.lock(`notifications-idx:${change.url}`)
       try {
+        let itemCreatedAt
         switch (change.keyParsed.schemaId) {
           case 'ctzn.network/follow':
             // following me?
             if (change.value.subject.dbUrl !== myUrl) {
               return false
             }
+            itemCreatedAt = new Date(change.value.createdAt)
             break
           case 'ctzn.network/comment': {
             // self-post reply on my content?
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ export class PrivateCitizenDB extends BaseHyperbeeDB {
               || change.value.reply.parent?.dbUrl.startsWith(myUrl)
             )
             if (!onMyPost) return
+            itemCreatedAt = new Date(change.value.createdAt)
             break
           }
           case 'ctzn.network/vote':
@@ -91,12 +94,14 @@ export class PrivateCitizenDB extends BaseHyperbeeDB {
             if (!change.value.subject.dbUrl.startsWith(myUrl)) {
               return false
             }
+            itemCreatedAt = new Date(change.value.createdAt)
             break
         }
         
-        await this.notificationsIdx.put(mlts(), {
+        const createdAt = new Date()
+        await this.notificationsIdx.put(mlts(Math.min(createdAt, itemCreatedAt || createdAt)), {
           itemUrl: constructEntryUrl(db.url, change.keyParsed.schemaId, change.keyParsed.key),
-          createdAt: (new Date()).toISOString()
+          createdAt: createdAt.toISOString()
         })
       } finally {
         release()
diff --git a/db/community.js b/db/community.js
index d82daf35..acfc2d8b 100644
--- a/db/community.js
+++ b/db/community.js
@@ -47,27 +47,32 @@ export class PublicCommunityDB extends BaseHyperbeeDB {
       const pend = perf.measure(`publicCommunityDb:notifications-indexer`)
 
       const release = await this.lock(`notifications-idx:${change.url}`)
-      const createKey = url => `${hyperUrlToKeyStr(url)}:${mlts()}`
+      const createdAt = new Date()
       const notification = {
         itemUrl: constructEntryUrl(db.url, change.keyParsed.schemaId, change.keyParsed.key),
-        createdAt: (new Date()).toISOString()
+        createdAt: createdAt.toISOString()
+      }
+      const createKey = (url, itemCreatedAt) => {
+        return `${hyperUrlToKeyStr(url)}:${mlts(Math.min(createdAt, itemCreatedAt || createdAt))}`
       }
       try {
         switch (change.keyParsed.schemaId) {
           case 'ctzn.network/follow':
             if (change.value.subject.dbUrl !== db.url) {
-              await this.notificationsIdx.put(createKey(change.value.subject.dbUrl), notification)
+              let itemCreatedAt = new Date(change.value.createdAt)
+              await this.notificationsIdx.put(createKey(change.value.subject.dbUrl, itemCreatedAt), notification)
             }
             break
           case 'ctzn.network/comment': {
             // reply to content in my community?
             if (!change.value.reply) return // not a reply
             if (change.value.community?.userId !== this.userId) return // not in our community
+            let itemCreatedAt = new Date(change.value.createdAt)
             if (!change.value.reply.root.dbUrl.startsWith(db.url)) {
-              await this.notificationsIdx.put(createKey(change.value.reply.root.dbUrl), notification)
+              await this.notificationsIdx.put(createKey(change.value.reply.root.dbUrl, itemCreatedAt), notification)
             }
             if (change.value.reply.parent && !change.value.reply.parent.dbUrl.startsWith(db.url)) {
-              await this.notificationsIdx.put(createKey(change.value.reply.parent.dbUrl), notification)
+              await this.notificationsIdx.put(createKey(change.value.reply.parent.dbUrl, itemCreatedAt), notification)
             }
             break
           }
@@ -85,7 +90,8 @@ export class PublicCommunityDB extends BaseHyperbeeDB {
             if (subject.entry?.value?.community?.userId !== this.userId) {
               return // subject is not in our community
             }
-            await this.notificationsIdx.put(createKey(change.value.subject.dbUrl), notification)
+            let itemCreatedAt = new Date(change.value.createdAt)
+            await this.notificationsIdx.put(createKey(change.value.subject.dbUrl, itemCreatedAt), notification)
             break
         }
       } finally {
diff --git a/db/util.js b/db/util.js
index 9297e5ee..1b4ba0c1 100644
--- a/db/util.js
+++ b/db/util.js
@@ -177,7 +177,14 @@ async function fetchNotificationsInner (userInfo, {after, before, limit} = {}) {
   notificationEntries = notificationEntries.filter((entry, index) => {
     return notificationEntries.findIndex(entry2 => entry2.value.itemUrl === entry.value.itemUrl) === index
   })
-  notificationEntries.sort((a, b) => b.value.createdAt.localeCompare(a.value.createdAt))
+  notificationEntries.sort((a, b) => {
+    let akey = a.key.includes(':') ? a.key.split(':')[1] : a.key
+    let bkey = b.key.includes(':') ? b.key.split(':')[1] : b.key
+    return bkey.localeCompare(akey)
+  })
+  if (notificationEntries.length > limit) {
+    notificationEntries = notificationEntries.slice(0, limit)
+  }
   return notificationEntries
 }