diff --git a/src/app/zxdb/entries/EntriesExplorer.tsx b/src/app/zxdb/entries/EntriesExplorer.tsx
index 26d1dd7..44e1146 100644
--- a/src/app/zxdb/entries/EntriesExplorer.tsx
+++ b/src/app/zxdb/entries/EntriesExplorer.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ export default function EntriesExplorer({
   const [sort, setSort] = useState<"title" | "id_desc">(initialUrlState?.sort ?? "id_desc");
   const [scope, setScope] = useState<SearchScope>(initialUrlState?.scope ?? "title");
   const [facets, setFacets] = useState<EntryFacets | null>(initialFacets ?? null);
+  const preferredMachineIds = [27, 26, 8, 9];
+  const preferredMachineNames = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!machines.length) return preferredMachineIds.map((id) => `#${id}`);
+    return preferredMachineIds.map((id) => machines.find((m) => m.id === id)?.name ?? `#${id}`);
+  }, [machines]);
 
   const pageSize = 20;
   const totalPages = useMemo(() => (data ? Math.max(1, Math.ceil(data.total / data.pageSize)) : 1), [data]);
@@ -303,6 +308,9 @@ export default function EntriesExplorer({
                       <option key={m.id} value={m.id}>{m.name}</option>
                     ))}
                   </select>
+                  {machinetypeId === "" && (
+                    <div className="form-text">Preferred: {preferredMachineNames.join(", ")}</div>
+                  )}
                 </div>
                 <div>
                   <label className="form-label small text-secondary">Sort</label>
diff --git a/src/app/zxdb/releases/ReleasesExplorer.tsx b/src/app/zxdb/releases/ReleasesExplorer.tsx
index a414ed0..daeea1d 100644
--- a/src/app/zxdb/releases/ReleasesExplorer.tsx
+++ b/src/app/zxdb/releases/ReleasesExplorer.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ export default function ReleasesExplorer({
   const [sources, setSources] = useState<{ id: string; name: string }[]>(initialLists?.sourcetypes ?? []);
   const [cases, setCases] = useState<{ id: string; name: string }[]>(initialLists?.casetypes ?? []);
   const initialLoad = useRef(true);
+  const preferredMachineIds = [27, 26, 8, 9];
+  const preferredMachineNames = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!machines.length) return preferredMachineIds.map((id) => `#${id}`);
+    return preferredMachineIds.map((id) => machines.find((m) => m.id === id)?.name ?? `#${id}`);
+  }, [machines]);
 
   const pageSize = 20;
   const totalPages = useMemo(() => (data ? Math.max(1, Math.ceil(data.total / data.pageSize)) : 1), [data]);
@@ -292,6 +297,9 @@ export default function ReleasesExplorer({
                       <option key={m.id} value={m.id}>{m.name}</option>
                     ))}
                   </select>
+                  {dMachinetypeId === "" && (
+                    <div className="form-text">Preferred: {preferredMachineNames.join(", ")}</div>
+                  )}
                 </div>
                 <div>
                   <label className="form-label small text-secondary">File type</label>
diff --git a/src/server/repo/zxdb.ts b/src/server/repo/zxdb.ts
index 2c4924a..74d298e 100644
--- a/src/server/repo/zxdb.ts
+++ b/src/server/repo/zxdb.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,15 @@ export async function searchEntries(params: SearchParams): Promise<PagedResult<S
   const offset = (page - 1) * pageSize;
   const sort = params.sort ?? (q ? "title" : "id_desc");
   const scope: EntrySearchScope = params.scope ?? "title";
+  const preferMachineOrder = typeof params.machinetypeId === "number"
+    ? null
+    : sql`case
+        when ${entries.machinetypeId} = 27 then 0
+        when ${entries.machinetypeId} = 26 then 1
+        when ${entries.machinetypeId} = 8 then 2
+        when ${entries.machinetypeId} = 9 then 3
+        else 4
+      end`;
 
   if (q.length === 0) {
     // Default listing: return first page by id desc (no guaranteed ordering field; using id)
@@ -213,7 +222,10 @@ export async function searchEntries(params: SearchParams): Promise<PagedResult<S
           .leftJoin(machinetypes, eq(machinetypes.id, entries.machinetypeId))
           .leftJoin(languages, eq(languages.id, entries.languageId))
           .where(whereExpr ?? sql`true`)
-          .orderBy(sort === "id_desc" ? desc(entries.id) : entries.title)
+          .orderBy(
+            ...(preferMachineOrder ? [preferMachineOrder] : []),
+            sort === "id_desc" ? desc(entries.id) : entries.title
+          )
           .limit(pageSize)
           .offset(offset);
         return q1;
@@ -257,7 +269,10 @@ export async function searchEntries(params: SearchParams): Promise<PagedResult<S
         .leftJoin(languages, eq(languages.id, entries.languageId))
         .where(sql`${entries.id} in (select entry_id from (${union}) as matches)`)
         .groupBy(entries.id)
-        .orderBy(sort === "id_desc" ? desc(entries.id) : entries.title)
+        .orderBy(
+          ...(preferMachineOrder ? [preferMachineOrder] : []),
+          sort === "id_desc" ? desc(entries.id) : entries.title
+        )
         .limit(pageSize)
         .offset(offset);
 
@@ -295,7 +310,10 @@ export async function searchEntries(params: SearchParams): Promise<PagedResult<S
     .leftJoin(languages, eq(languages.id, entries.languageId))
     .where(sql`lower(${searchByTitles.entryTitle}) like ${pattern}`)
     .groupBy(entries.id)
-    .orderBy(sort === "id_desc" ? desc(entries.id) : entries.title)
+    .orderBy(
+      ...(preferMachineOrder ? [preferMachineOrder] : []),
+      sort === "id_desc" ? desc(entries.id) : entries.title
+    )
     .limit(pageSize)
     .offset(offset);
 
@@ -1736,6 +1754,15 @@ export async function searchReleases(params: ReleaseSearchParams): Promise<Paged
   const pageSize = Math.max(1, Math.min(params.pageSize ?? 20, 100));
   const page = Math.max(1, params.page ?? 1);
   const offset = (page - 1) * pageSize;
+  const preferMachineOrder = params.dMachinetypeId != null
+    ? null
+    : sql`case
+        when ${entries.machinetypeId} = 27 then 0
+        when ${entries.machinetypeId} = 26 then 1
+        when ${entries.machinetypeId} = 8 then 2
+        when ${entries.machinetypeId} = 9 then 3
+        else 4
+      end`;
 
   // Build WHERE conditions in Drizzle QB
   const wherePartsQB: Array<ReturnType<typeof sql>> = [];
@@ -1814,7 +1841,12 @@ export async function searchReleases(params: ReleaseSearchParams): Promise<Paged
     .from(releases)
     .leftJoin(entries, eq(entries.id, releases.entryId))
     .where(whereExpr ?? sql`true`)
-    .orderBy(orderBy1!, ...(orderBy2 ? [orderBy2] : []), ...(orderBy3 ? [orderBy3] : []))
+    .orderBy(
+      ...(preferMachineOrder ? [preferMachineOrder] : []),
+      orderBy1!,
+      ...(orderBy2 ? [orderBy2] : []),
+      ...(orderBy3 ? [orderBy3] : [])
+    )
     .limit(pageSize)
     .offset(offset);