diff --git a/api/types/usergroup.go b/api/types/usergroup.go
index afaa415361823..27846d30722ac 100644
--- a/api/types/usergroup.go
+++ b/api/types/usergroup.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package types
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/gravitational/trace"
 
@@ -112,11 +113,37 @@ func (g UserGroups) SortByCustom(sortBy SortBy) error {
 	switch sortBy.Field {
 	case ResourceMetadataName:
 		sort.SliceStable(g, func(i, j int) bool {
-			return stringCompare(g[i].GetName(), g[j].GetName(), isDesc)
+			groupA := g[i]
+			groupB := g[j]
+
+			groupAName := FriendlyName(groupA)
+			groupBName := FriendlyName(groupB)
+
+			if groupAName == "" {
+				groupAName = groupA.GetName()
+			}
+			if groupBName == "" {
+				groupBName = groupB.GetName()
+			}
+
+			return stringCompare(strings.ToLower(groupAName), strings.ToLower(groupBName), isDesc)
 		})
 	case ResourceSpecDescription:
 		sort.SliceStable(g, func(i, j int) bool {
-			return stringCompare(g[i].GetMetadata().Description, g[j].GetMetadata().Description, isDesc)
+			groupA := g[i]
+			groupB := g[j]
+
+			groupADescription := groupA.GetMetadata().Description
+			groupBDescription := groupB.GetMetadata().Description
+
+			if oktaDescription, ok := groupA.GetLabel(OktaGroupDescriptionLabel); ok {
+				groupADescription = oktaDescription
+			}
+			if oktaDescription, ok := groupB.GetLabel(OktaGroupDescriptionLabel); ok {
+				groupBDescription = oktaDescription
+			}
+
+			return stringCompare(strings.ToLower(groupADescription), strings.ToLower(groupBDescription), isDesc)
 		})
 
 	default: