diff --git a/quartz.layout.ts b/quartz.layout.ts
index f3fbae8f8..c2d1aacd0 100644
--- a/quartz.layout.ts
+++ b/quartz.layout.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,36 @@ export const defaultContentPageLayout: PageLayout = {
         { Component: Component.ReaderMode() },
       ],
     }),
-    Component.Explorer(),
+    Component.Explorer({
+      sortFn: (a, b) => {
+        // Sort folders first, then files by date (newest first)
+        if (a.isFolder && b.isFolder) {
+          // Both folders: alphabetical
+          return a.displayName.localeCompare(b.displayName, undefined, {
+            numeric: true,
+            sensitivity: "base",
+          })
+        }
+
+        if (a.isFolder) return -1  // Folders before files
+        if (b.isFolder) return 1   // Folders before files
+
+        // Both files: sort by date descending (newest first)
+        // Note: dates come from JSON as strings, need to convert to Date objects
+        const aDate = a.data?.date ? new Date(a.data.date).getTime() : 0
+        const bDate = b.data?.date ? new Date(b.data.date).getTime() : 0
+
+        if (aDate !== bDate) {
+          return bDate - aDate  // Descending order (newest first)
+        }
+
+        // Same date or no dates: alphabetical fallback
+        return a.displayName.localeCompare(b.displayName, undefined, {
+          numeric: true,
+          sensitivity: "base",
+        })
+      },
+    }),
   ],
   right: [
     Component.ConditionalRender({
@@ -82,7 +111,36 @@ export const defaultListPageLayout: PageLayout = {
         { Component: Component.Darkmode() },
       ],
     }),
-    Component.Explorer(),
+    Component.Explorer({
+      sortFn: (a, b) => {
+        // Sort folders first, then files by date (newest first)
+        if (a.isFolder && b.isFolder) {
+          // Both folders: alphabetical
+          return a.displayName.localeCompare(b.displayName, undefined, {
+            numeric: true,
+            sensitivity: "base",
+          })
+        }
+
+        if (a.isFolder) return -1  // Folders before files
+        if (b.isFolder) return 1   // Folders before files
+
+        // Both files: sort by date descending (newest first)
+        // Note: dates come from JSON as strings, need to convert to Date objects
+        const aDate = a.data?.date ? new Date(a.data.date).getTime() : 0
+        const bDate = b.data?.date ? new Date(b.data.date).getTime() : 0
+
+        if (aDate !== bDate) {
+          return bDate - aDate  // Descending order (newest first)
+        }
+
+        // Same date or no dates: alphabetical fallback
+        return a.displayName.localeCompare(b.displayName, undefined, {
+          numeric: true,
+          sensitivity: "base",
+        })
+      },
+    }),
   ],
   right: [],
 }
diff --git a/quartz/plugins/emitters/contentIndex.tsx b/quartz/plugins/emitters/contentIndex.tsx
index 56392b358..1cc333c75 100644
--- a/quartz/plugins/emitters/contentIndex.tsx
+++ b/quartz/plugins/emitters/contentIndex.tsx
@@ -140,11 +140,11 @@ export const ContentIndex: QuartzEmitterPlugin<Partial<Options>> = (opts) => {
       const fp = joinSegments("static", "contentIndex") as FullSlug
       const simplifiedIndex = Object.fromEntries(
         Array.from(linkIndex).map(([slug, content]) => {
-          // remove description and from content index as nothing downstream
+          // remove description from content index as nothing downstream
           // actually uses it. we only keep it in the index as we need it
-          // for the RSS feed
+          // for the RSS feed. Keep date for Explorer sorting.
           delete content.description
-          delete content.date
+          // Note: keeping content.date for Explorer sorting
           return [slug, content]
         }),
       )
diff --git a/quartz/plugins/transformers/lastmod.ts b/quartz/plugins/transformers/lastmod.ts
index 32a89cc23..ec3ed1764 100644
--- a/quartz/plugins/transformers/lastmod.ts
+++ b/quartz/plugins/transformers/lastmod.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,21 @@ function coerceDate(fp: string, d: any): Date {
     d = `${d}T00:00:00`
   }
 
+  // Handle MM.DD.YY format (e.g., "03.21.24")
+  if (typeof d === "string") {
+    const mmddyyRegex = /^(\d{1,2})\.(\d{1,2})\.(\d{2})$/
+    const match = d.match(mmddyyRegex)
+    if (match) {
+      const month = match[1]
+      const day = match[2]
+      const year = match[3]
+      // Convert YY to YYYY (assume 20XX for years 00-99)
+      const fullYear = `20${year}`
+      // Convert to ISO format: YYYY-MM-DD
+      d = `${fullYear}-${month.padStart(2, '0')}-${day.padStart(2, '0')}T00:00:00`
+    }
+  }
+
   const dt = new Date(d)
   const invalidDate = isNaN(dt.getTime()) || dt.getTime() === 0
   if (invalidDate && d !== undefined) {