diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index eb9c3aff9..96176843b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
     "q": "^1.4.1",
     "react": "^0.13.3",
     "react-loader": "^1.4.0",
-    "sanitize-html": "^1.11.1"
+    "react-dnd": "^1.1.8",
+    "sanitize-html": "^1.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "babel": "^5.8.23",
diff --git a/src/controllers/organisms/RoomList.js b/src/controllers/organisms/RoomList.js
index 514ae7747..38a0c652c 100644
--- a/src/controllers/organisms/RoomList.js
+++ b/src/controllers/organisms/RoomList.js
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ var dis = require("matrix-react-sdk/lib/dispatcher");
 
 var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk');
 var VectorConferenceHandler = require("../../modules/VectorConferenceHandler");
-var CallHandler = require("matrix-react-sdk/lib/CallHandler");
 
 var HIDE_CONFERENCE_CHANS = true;
 
@@ -31,8 +30,7 @@ module.exports = {
     getInitialState: function() {
         return {
             activityMap: null,
-            inviteList: [],
-            roomList: [],
+            lists: {},
         }
     },
 
@@ -41,6 +39,7 @@ module.exports = {
         cli.on("Room", this.onRoom);
         cli.on("Room.timeline", this.onRoomTimeline);
         cli.on("Room.name", this.onRoomName);
+        cli.on("Room.tags", this.onRoomTags);
         cli.on("RoomState.events", this.onRoomStateEvents);
         cli.on("RoomMember.name", this.onRoomMemberName);
 
@@ -55,11 +54,6 @@ module.exports = {
 
     onAction: function(payload) {
         switch (payload.action) {
-            // listen for call state changes to prod the render method, which
-            // may hide the global CallView if the call it is tracking is dead
-            case 'call_state':
-                this._recheckCallElement(this.props.selectedRoom);
-                break;
             case 'view_tooltip':
                 this.tooltip = payload.tooltip;
                 this._repositionTooltip();
@@ -80,7 +74,6 @@ module.exports = {
 
     componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
         this.state.activityMap[newProps.selectedRoom] = undefined;
-        this._recheckCallElement(newProps.selectedRoom);
         this.setState({
             activityMap: this.state.activityMap
         });
@@ -117,6 +110,10 @@ module.exports = {
         this.refreshRoomList();
     },
 
+    onRoomTags: function(room) {
+        this.refreshRoomList();        
+    },
+
     onRoomStateEvents: function(ev, state) {
         setTimeout(this.refreshRoomList, 0);
     },
@@ -125,26 +122,31 @@ module.exports = {
         setTimeout(this.refreshRoomList, 0);
     },
 
-
     refreshRoomList: function() {
+        // TODO: rather than bluntly regenerating and re-sorting everything
+        // every time we see any kind of room change from the JS SDK
+        // we could do incremental updates on our copy of the state
+        // based on the room which has actually changed.  This would stop
+        // us re-rendering all the sublists every time anything changes anywhere
+        // in the state of the client.
         this.setState(this.getRoomLists());
     },
 
     getRoomLists: function() {
-        var s = {};
-        var inviteList = [];
-        s.roomList = RoomListSorter.mostRecentActivityFirst(
-            MatrixClientPeg.get().getRooms().filter(function(room) {
-                var me = room.getMember(MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId);
+        var s = { lists: {} };
 
-                if (me && me.membership == "invite") {
-                    inviteList.push(room);
-                    return false;
-                }
+        MatrixClientPeg.get().getRooms().forEach(function(room) {
+            var me = room.getMember(MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId);
 
+            if (me && me.membership == "invite") {
+                s.lists["invites"] = s.lists["invites"] || [];
+                s.lists["invites"].push(room);
+            }
+            else {
                 var shouldShowRoom =  (
                     me && (me.membership == "join")
                 );
+
                 // hiding conf rooms only ever toggles shouldShowRoom to false
                 if (shouldShowRoom && HIDE_CONFERENCE_CHANS) {
                     // we want to hide the 1:1 conf<->user room and not the group chat
@@ -159,23 +161,27 @@ module.exports = {
                         }
                     }
                 }
-                return shouldShowRoom;
-            })
-        );
-        s.inviteList = RoomListSorter.mostRecentActivityFirst(inviteList);
-        return s;
-    },
 
-    _recheckCallElement: function(selectedRoomId) {
-        // if we aren't viewing a room with an ongoing call, but there is an
-        // active call, show the call element - we need to do this to make
-        // audio/video not crap out
-        var activeCall = CallHandler.getAnyActiveCall();
-        var callForRoom = CallHandler.getCallForRoom(selectedRoomId);
-        var showCall = (activeCall && !callForRoom);
-        this.setState({
-            show_call_element: showCall
+                if (shouldShowRoom) {
+                    var tagNames = Object.keys(room.tags);
+                    if (tagNames.length) {
+                        for (var i = 0; i < tagNames.length; i++) {
+                            var tagName = tagNames[i];
+                            s.lists[tagName] = s.lists[tagName] || [];
+                            s.lists[tagNames[i]].push(room);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        s.lists["recents"] = s.lists["recents"] || [];
+                        s.lists["recents"].push(room); 
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         });
+
+        // we actually apply the sorting to this when receiving the prop in RoomSubLists.
+
+        return s;
     },
 
     _repositionTooltip: function(e) {
@@ -184,23 +190,4 @@ module.exports = {
             this.tooltip.style.top = (scroll.parentElement.offsetTop + this.tooltip.parentElement.offsetTop - scroll.scrollTop) + "px"; 
         }
     },
-
-    makeRoomTiles: function(list, isInvite) {
-        var self = this;
-        var RoomTile = sdk.getComponent("molecules.RoomTile");
-        return list.map(function(room) {
-            var selected = room.roomId == self.props.selectedRoom;
-            return (
-                <RoomTile
-                    room={room}
-                    key={room.roomId}
-                    collapsed={self.props.collapsed}
-                    selected={selected}
-                    unread={self.state.activityMap[room.roomId] === 1}
-                    highlight={self.state.activityMap[room.roomId] === 2}
-                    isInvite={isInvite}
-                />
-            );
-        });
-    }
 };
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/LeftPanel.css b/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/LeftPanel.css
index 67f00c358..d755b2164 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/LeftPanel.css
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/LeftPanel.css
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ limitations under the License.
     cursor: pointer;
 }
 
+.mx_LeftPanel_callView {
+    
+}
+
 .mx_LeftPanel .mx_RoomList {
     -webkit-box-ordinal-group: 1;
     -moz-box-ordinal-group: 1;
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/RoomList.css b/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/RoomList.css
index 34ebd1dbf..951235446 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/RoomList.css
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/RoomList.css
@@ -18,27 +18,9 @@ limitations under the License.
     padding-top: 24px;
 }
 
-.mx_RoomList_invites,
-.mx_RoomList_recents {
-    display: table;
-    table-layout: fixed;
-    width: 100%;
-}
-
 .mx_RoomList_expandButton {
     margin-left: 8px;
     cursor: pointer;
     padding-left: 12px;
     padding-right: 12px;
 }
-
-.mx_RoomList h2 {
-    text-transform: uppercase;
-    color: #3d3b39;
-    font-weight: 600;
-    font-size: 14px;
-    padding-left: 12px;
-    padding-right: 12px;
-    margin-top: 8px;
-    margin-bottom: 4px;
-}
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/RoomSubList.css b/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/RoomSubList.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..43f453fb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/organisms/RoomSubList.css
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2015 OpenMarket Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+.mx_RoomSubList {
+    display: table;
+    table-layout: fixed;
+    width: 100%;
+}
+
+.mx_RoomSubList_label {
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    color: #3d3b39;
+    font-weight: 600;
+    font-size: 14px;
+    padding-left: 12px;
+    padding-right: 12px;
+    margin-top: 8px;
+    margin-bottom: 4px;
+}
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/skindex.js b/src/skins/vector/skindex.js
index e715656c0..cf279c872 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/skindex.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/skindex.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ skin['atoms.LogoutButton'] = require('./views/atoms/LogoutButton');
 skin['atoms.MemberAvatar'] = require('./views/atoms/MemberAvatar');
 skin['atoms.MessageTimestamp'] = require('./views/atoms/MessageTimestamp');
 skin['atoms.RoomAvatar'] = require('./views/atoms/RoomAvatar');
+skin['atoms.Spinner'] = require('./views/atoms/Spinner');
 skin['atoms.create_room.CreateRoomButton'] = require('./views/atoms/create_room/CreateRoomButton');
 skin['atoms.create_room.Presets'] = require('./views/atoms/create_room/Presets');
 skin['atoms.create_room.RoomAlias'] = require('./views/atoms/create_room/RoomAlias');
@@ -80,9 +81,11 @@ skin['organisms.QuestionDialog'] = require('./views/organisms/QuestionDialog');
 skin['organisms.RightPanel'] = require('./views/organisms/RightPanel');
 skin['organisms.RoomDirectory'] = require('./views/organisms/RoomDirectory');
 skin['organisms.RoomList'] = require('./views/organisms/RoomList');
+skin['organisms.RoomSubList'] = require('./views/organisms/RoomSubList');
 skin['organisms.RoomView'] = require('./views/organisms/RoomView');
 skin['organisms.UserSettings'] = require('./views/organisms/UserSettings');
 skin['organisms.ViewSource'] = require('./views/organisms/ViewSource');
+skin['pages.CompatibilityPage'] = require('./views/pages/CompatibilityPage');
 skin['pages.MatrixChat'] = require('./views/pages/MatrixChat');
 skin['templates.Login'] = require('./views/templates/Login');
 skin['templates.Register'] = require('./views/templates/Register');
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/LeftPanel.js b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/LeftPanel.js
index ec25f9342..8f4b510a8 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/LeftPanel.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/LeftPanel.js
@@ -20,9 +20,51 @@ var React = require('react');
 var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk')
 var dis = require('matrix-react-sdk/lib/dispatcher');
 
+var CallHandler = require("matrix-react-sdk/lib/CallHandler");
+
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'LeftPanel',
 
+    getInitialState: function() {
+        return {
+            showCallElement: null,
+        };
+    },
+
+    componentDidMount: function() {
+        this.dispatcherRef = dis.register(this.onAction);
+    },
+
+    componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
+        this._recheckCallElement(newProps.selectedRoom);
+    },    
+
+    componentWillUnmount: function() {
+        dis.unregister(this.dispatcherRef);
+    },
+
+    onAction: function(payload) {
+        switch (payload.action) {
+            // listen for call state changes to prod the render method, which
+            // may hide the global CallView if the call it is tracking is dead
+            case 'call_state':
+                this._recheckCallElement(this.props.selectedRoom);
+                break;
+        }
+    },
+
+    _recheckCallElement: function(selectedRoomId) {
+        // if we aren't viewing a room with an ongoing call, but there is an
+        // active call, show the call element - we need to do this to make
+        // audio/video not crap out
+        var activeCall = CallHandler.getAnyActiveCall();
+        var callForRoom = CallHandler.getCallForRoom(selectedRoomId);
+        var showCall = (activeCall && !callForRoom);
+        this.setState({
+            showCallElement: showCall
+        });
+    },
+
     onHideClick: function() {
         dis.dispatch({
             action: 'hide_left_panel',
@@ -44,10 +86,17 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             // collapseButton = <img className="mx_LeftPanel_hideButton" onClick={ this.onHideClick } src="img/hide.png" width="12" height="20" alt="<"/>   
         }
 
+        var callPreview;
+        if (this.state.showCallElement) {
+            var CallView = sdk.getComponent('molecules.voip.CallView');
+            callPreview = <CallView className="mx_LeftPanel_callView"/>
+        }
+
         return (
             <aside className={classes}>
                 { collapseButton }
                 <IncomingCallBox />
+                { callPreview }
                 <RoomList selectedRoom={this.props.selectedRoom} collapsed={this.props.collapsed}/>
                 <BottomLeftMenu collapsed={this.props.collapsed}/>
             </aside>
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomList.js b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomList.js
index 1d4ee86b7..81d23867d 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomList.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomList.js
@@ -33,46 +33,57 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     render: function() {
-        var CallView = sdk.getComponent('molecules.voip.CallView');
-        var RoomDropTarget = sdk.getComponent('molecules.RoomDropTarget');
-
-        var callElement;
-        if (this.state.show_call_element) {
-            callElement = <CallView className="mx_MatrixChat_callView"/>
-        }
-
         var expandButton = this.props.collapsed ? 
                            <img className="mx_RoomList_expandButton" onClick={ this.onShowClick } src="img/menu.png" width="20" alt=">"/> :
                            null;
 
-        var invitesLabel = this.props.collapsed ? null : "Invites";
-        var recentsLabel = this.props.collapsed ? null : "Recent";
-
-        var invites;
-        if (this.state.inviteList.length) {
-            invites = <div>
-                        <h2 className="mx_RoomList_invitesLabel">{ invitesLabel }</h2>
-                        <div className="mx_RoomList_invites">
-                            {this.makeRoomTiles(this.state.inviteList, true)}
-                        </div>
-                      </div>
-        }
+        var RoomSubList = sdk.getComponent('organisms.RoomSubList');
 
         return (
             <div className="mx_RoomList" onScroll={this._repositionTooltip}>
                 { expandButton }
-                { callElement }
-                { invites }
-                <h2 className="mx_RoomList_favouritesLabel">Favourites</h2>
-                <RoomDropTarget text="Drop here to favourite"/>
 
-                <h2 className="mx_RoomList_recentsLabel">{ recentsLabel }</h2>
-                <div className="mx_RoomList_recents">
-                    {this.makeRoomTiles(this.state.roomList, false)}
-                </div>
+                <RoomSubList list={ this.state.lists['invites'] }
+                             label="Invites"
+                             editable={ false }
+                             order="recent"
+                             activityMap={ this.state.activityMap }
+                             selectedRoom={ this.props.selectedRoom }
+                             collapsed={ this.props.collapsed } />
 
-                <h2 className="mx_RoomList_archiveLabel">Archive</h2>
-                <RoomDropTarget text="Drop here to archive"/>
+                <RoomSubList list={ this.state.lists['favourites'] }
+                             label="Favourites"
+                             tagname="favourites"
+                             editable={ true }
+                             order="manual"
+                             activityMap={ this.state.activityMap }
+                             selectedRoom={ this.props.selectedRoom }
+                             collapsed={ this.props.collapsed } />
+
+                <RoomSubList list={ this.state.lists['recents'] }
+                             label="Recents"
+                             editable={ true }
+                             order="recent"
+                             activityMap={ this.state.activityMap }
+                             selectedRoom={ this.props.selectedRoom }
+                             collapsed={ this.props.collapsed } />
+
+                <RoomSubList list={ this.state.lists['lurking'] }
+                             label="Others"
+                             tagname="secondary"
+                             editable={ true }
+                             order="recent"
+                             activityMap={ this.state.activityMap }
+                             selectedRoom={ this.props.selectedRoom }
+                             collapsed={ this.props.collapsed } />
+
+                <RoomSubList list={ this.state.lists['archived'] }
+                             label="Historical"
+                             editable={ false }
+                             order="recent"
+                             activityMap={ this.state.activityMap }
+                             selectedRoom={ this.props.selectedRoom }
+                             collapsed={ this.props.collapsed } />
             </div>
         );
     }
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomSubList.js b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomSubList.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b8747ecf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomSubList.js
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2015 OpenMarket Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+'use strict';
+
+var React = require('react');
+var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk')
+var dis = require('matrix-react-sdk/lib/dispatcher');
+
+module.exports = React.createClass({
+    displayName: 'RoomSubList',
+
+    propTypes: {
+        list: React.PropTypes.arrayOf(React.PropTypes.object).isRequired,
+        label: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+        tagname: React.PropTypes.string,
+        editable: React.PropTypes.bool,
+        order: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+        selectedRoom: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+        activityMap: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+        collapsed: React.PropTypes.bool.isRequired
+    },
+
+    getInitialState: function() {
+        return {
+            sortedList: [],
+        };
+    },
+
+    componentWillMount: function() {
+        this.sortList(this.props.list, this.props.order);
+    },
+
+    componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
+        // order the room list appropriately before we re-render
+        this.sortList(newProps.list, newProps.order);
+    },
+
+    tsOfNewestEvent: function(room) {
+        if (room.timeline.length) {
+            return room.timeline[room.timeline.length - 1].getTs();
+        }
+        else {
+            return Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;
+        }
+    },
+
+    // TODO: factor the comparators back out into a generic comparator
+    // so that view_prev_room and view_next_room can do the right thing
+
+    recentsComparator: function(roomA, roomB) {
+        return this.tsOfNewestEvent(roomB) - this.tsOfNewestEvent(roomA);
+    },
+
+    manualComparator: function(roomA, roomB) {
+        var a = roomA.tags[this.props.tagname].order;
+        var b = roomB.tags[this.props.tagname].order;
+        return a == b ? this.recentsComparator(roomA, roomB) : ( a > b  ? 1 : -1);
+    },
+
+    sortList: function(list, order) {
+        var comparator;
+        list = list || [];
+        if (order === "manual") comparator = this.manualComparator;
+        if (order === "recent") comparator = this.recentsComparator;
+
+        this.setState({ sortedList: list.sort(comparator) });
+    },
+
+    makeRoomTiles: function() {
+        var self = this;
+        var RoomTile = sdk.getComponent("molecules.RoomTile");
+        return this.state.sortedList.map(function(room) {
+            var selected = room.roomId == self.props.selectedRoom;
+            return (
+                <RoomTile
+                    room={room}
+                    key={room.roomId}
+                    collapsed={self.props.collapsed}
+                    selected={selected}
+                    unread={self.props.activityMap[room.roomId] === 1}
+                    highlight={self.props.activityMap[room.roomId] === 2}
+                    isInvite={self.props.label === 'Invites'} />
+            );
+        });
+    },
+
+    render: function() {
+        var RoomDropTarget = sdk.getComponent('molecules.RoomDropTarget');
+
+        var label = this.props.collapsed ? null : this.props.label;
+
+        if (this.state.sortedList.length > 0 || this.props.editable) {
+            return (
+                <div>
+                    <h2 className="mx_RoomSubList_label">{ this.props.label }</h2>
+                    <div className="mx_RoomSubList">
+                        { this.makeRoomTiles() }
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+            );
+        }
+        else {
+            return (
+                <div className="mx_RoomSubList">
+                </div>
+            );
+        }
+    }
+});
+