diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/directory/community_filter.html b/bookwyrm/templates/directory/community_filter.html
index bd0ba7785..91783fd36 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/directory/community_filter.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/directory/community_filter.html
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     {% trans "Local users" %}
 </label>
 <label class="is-block">
-    <input type="radio" class="radio" name="scope" value="federated" {% if not request.GET.sort or request.GET.scope == "federated" %}checked{% endif %}>
+    <input type="radio" class="radio" name="scope" value="federated" {% if request.GET.scope == "federated" %}checked{% endif %}>
     {% trans "Federated community" %}
 </label>
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/directory/sort_filter.html b/bookwyrm/templates/directory/sort_filter.html
index 82b561fb7..c7c19f6fe 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/directory/sort_filter.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/directory/sort_filter.html
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 <label class="label" for="id_sort">{% trans "Order by" %}</label>
 <div class="select">
     <select name="sort" id="id_sort">
-        <option value="suggested" {% if not request.GET.sort or request.GET.sort == "suggested" %}checked{% endif %}>{% trans "Suggested" %}</option>
-        <option value="recent" {% if request.GET.sort == "suggested" %}checked{% endif %}>{% trans "Recently active" %}</option>
+        <option value="recent" {% if request.GET.sort == "recent" %}selected{% endif %}>{% trans "Recently active" %}</option>
+        <option value="suggested" {% if request.GET.sort == "suggested" %}selected{% endif %}>{% trans "Suggested" %}</option>
     </select>
 </div>
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/views/admin/test_email_blocks.py b/bookwyrm/tests/views/admin/test_email_blocks.py
index be3d9d702..24cdf8a49 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/views/admin/test_email_blocks.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/views/admin/test_email_blocks.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 """ test for app action functionality """
 from unittest.mock import patch
+from tidylib import tidy_document
+
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.test.client import RequestFactory
@@ -36,7 +38,10 @@ class EmailBlocklistViews(TestCase):
         result = view(request)
 
         self.assertIsInstance(result, TemplateResponse)
-        result.render()
+        html = result.render()
+        _, errors = tidy_document(html.content, options={"drop-empty-elements": False})
+        if errors:
+            raise Exception(errors)
         self.assertEqual(result.status_code, 200)
 
     def test_blocklist_page_post(self):
@@ -49,7 +54,10 @@ class EmailBlocklistViews(TestCase):
         result = view(request)
 
         self.assertIsInstance(result, TemplateResponse)
-        result.render()
+        html = result.render()
+        _, errors = tidy_document(html.content, options={"drop-empty-elements": False})
+        if errors:
+            raise Exception(errors)
         self.assertEqual(result.status_code, 200)
 
         self.assertTrue(
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_directory.py b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_directory.py
index 90638b0a6..0193d19d2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_directory.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_directory.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """ test for app action functionality """
 from unittest.mock import patch
+from tidylib import tidy_document
 
 from django.contrib.auth.models import AnonymousUser
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
@@ -51,7 +52,16 @@ class DirectoryViews(TestCase):
 
         result = view(request)
         self.assertIsInstance(result, TemplateResponse)
-        result.render()
+        html = result.render()
+        _, errors = tidy_document(
+            html.content,
+            options={
+                "drop-empty-elements": False,
+                "warn-proprietary-attributes": False,
+            },
+        )
+        if errors:
+            raise Exception(errors)
         self.assertEqual(result.status_code, 200)
 
     def test_directory_page_empty(self):
@@ -62,7 +72,10 @@ class DirectoryViews(TestCase):
 
         result = view(request)
         self.assertIsInstance(result, TemplateResponse)
-        result.render()
+        html = result.render()
+        _, errors = tidy_document(html.content, options={"drop-empty-elements": False})
+        if errors:
+            raise Exception(errors)
         self.assertEqual(result.status_code, 200)
 
     def test_directory_page_logged_out(self):
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/directory.py b/bookwyrm/views/directory.py
index 8d893047a..81898af26 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/directory.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/directory.py
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ class Directory(View):
 
         users = suggested_users.get_annotated_users(request.user, **filters)
         sort = request.GET.get("sort")
-        if sort == "recent":
-            users = users.order_by("-last_active_date")
-        else:
+        if sort == "suggested":
             users = users.order_by("-mutuals", "-last_active_date")
+        else:
+            users = users.order_by("-last_active_date")
 
         paginated = Paginator(users, 12)