diff --git a/quartz/components/PageList.tsx b/quartz/components/PageList.tsx
index 7bf2382..01e0fa8 100644
--- a/quartz/components/PageList.tsx
+++ b/quartz/components/PageList.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,18 @@ import { GlobalConfiguration } from "../cfg"
 
 export type SortFn = (f1: QuartzPluginData, f2: QuartzPluginData) => number
 
+export function byDate(cfg: GlobalConfiguration): SortFn {
+  return (f1, f2) => {
+    if (f1.dates && f2.dates) {
+      // sort descending
+      return getDate(cfg, f2)!.getTime() - getDate(cfg, f1)!.getTime()
+    } else {
+      // prioritize files with dates
+      return -1
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 export function byDateAndAlphabetical(cfg: GlobalConfiguration): SortFn {
   return (f1, f2) => {
     // Sort by date/alphabetical
diff --git a/quartz/components/RecentNotes.tsx b/quartz/components/RecentNotes.tsx
index 3764b47..a35dfbb 100644
--- a/quartz/components/RecentNotes.tsx
+++ b/quartz/components/RecentNotes.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { QuartzComponent, QuartzComponentConstructor, QuartzComponentProps } from "./types"
 import { FullSlug, SimpleSlug, resolveRelative } from "../util/path"
 import { QuartzPluginData } from "../plugins/vfile"
-import { byDateAndAlphabetical } from "./PageList"
+import { byDate } from "./PageList"
 import style from "./styles/recentNotes.scss"
 import { Date, getDate } from "./Date"
 import { GlobalConfiguration } from "../cfg"
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const defaultOptions = (cfg: GlobalConfiguration): Options => ({
   linkToMore: false,
   showTags: true,
   filter: () => true,
-  sort: byDateAndAlphabetical(cfg),
+  sort: byDate(cfg),
 })
 
 export default ((userOpts?: Partial<Options>) => {