diff --git a/src/app/features/toast/LotusToastContainer.tsx b/src/app/features/toast/LotusToastContainer.tsx
index 37cad61df..070d0953e 100644
--- a/src/app/features/toast/LotusToastContainer.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/toast/LotusToastContainer.tsx
@@ -222,6 +222,15 @@ export function LotusToastContainer() {
 
   const toasts = useAtomValue(toastQueueAtom);
   const isMobile = useScreenSize() === ScreenSize.Mobile;
+  const listRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+
+  // The newest toast is the last (bottom) child; if the stack ever overflows its
+  // max-height (many sticky action toasts), keep that newest one in view instead
+  // of leaving it scrolled below the fold.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const el = listRef.current;
+    if (el) el.scrollTop = el.scrollHeight;
+  }, [toasts.length]);
 
   if (toasts.length === 0) return null;
 
@@ -237,10 +246,14 @@ export function LotusToastContainer() {
     flexDirection: 'column',
     gap: config.space.S200,
     pointerEvents: 'auto',
+    // Safety net beyond the queue cap: if many sticky action toasts pile up they
+    // scroll within a bounded height instead of covering the whole screen.
+    maxHeight: isMobile ? '70vh' : '80vh',
+    overflowY: 'auto',
   };
 
   return (
-    <div style={containerStyle} aria-live="polite" aria-label="Notifications">
+    <div ref={listRef} style={containerStyle} aria-live="polite" aria-label="Notifications">
       {toasts.map((toast) => (
         <ToastCard key={toast.id} toast={toast} />
       ))}
diff --git a/src/app/pages/client/home/Home.tsx b/src/app/pages/client/home/Home.tsx
index 851cbbef5..ebd742109 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/client/home/Home.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/client/home/Home.tsx
@@ -27,8 +27,11 @@ import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual';
 import { useAtom, useAtomValue } from 'jotai';
 import { selectAtom } from 'jotai/utils';
 import FocusTrap from 'focus-trap-react';
-import { Unread } from '../../../../types/matrix/room';
-import { factoryRoomIdByActivity, factoryRoomIdByAtoZ } from '../../../utils/sort';
+import {
+  factoryRoomIdByActivity,
+  factoryRoomIdByAtoZ,
+  factoryRoomIdByUnread,
+} from '../../../utils/sort';
 import {
   NavButton,
   NavCategory,
@@ -210,17 +213,6 @@ function HomeEmpty() {
   );
 }
 
-const factoryRoomIdByUnread =
-  (roomToUnread: Map<string, Unread>) =>
-  (aId: string, bId: string): number => {
-    const aUnread = roomToUnread.get(aId);
-    const bUnread = roomToUnread.get(bId);
-    const aHas = (aUnread?.total ?? 0) > 0;
-    const bHas = (bUnread?.total ?? 0) > 0;
-    if (aHas !== bHas) return aHas ? -1 : 1;
-    return (bUnread?.total ?? 0) - (aUnread?.total ?? 0);
-  };
-
 const DEFAULT_CATEGORY_ID = makeNavCategoryId('home', 'room');
 const FAVORITES_CATEGORY_ID = makeNavCategoryId('home', 'favorite');
 const LOW_PRIORITY_CATEGORY_ID = makeNavCategoryId('home', 'lowpriority');
@@ -331,7 +323,7 @@ export function Home() {
     } else if (homeRoomSort === 'alpha') {
       comparator = factoryRoomIdByAtoZ(mx);
     } else if (homeRoomSort === 'unread') {
-      comparator = factoryRoomIdByUnread(roomToUnread);
+      comparator = factoryRoomIdByUnread(roomToUnread, mx);
     } else {
       comparator = factoryRoomIdByActivity(mx);
     }
diff --git a/src/app/state/toast.test.ts b/src/app/state/toast.test.ts
index 18e5b8af7..b3999ec48 100644
--- a/src/app/state/toast.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/toast.test.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@ import { toastQueueAtom, dismissToastAtom, ToastNotif, createDownloadToast } fro
 // (toastQueueAtom append + null no-op guard, dismissToastAtom remove-by-id)
 // through a jotai store and read back via toastQueueAtom's getter.
 
-const makeToast = (id: string): ToastNotif => ({
+const makeToast = (id: string, sticky?: boolean): ToastNotif => ({
   id,
   displayName: `name-${id}`,
   body: `body-${id}`,
   roomName: `room-${id}`,
   roomId: `!${id}:server`,
+  ...(sticky ? { sticky: true } : {}),
 });
 
 test('starts empty', () => {
@@ -86,6 +87,46 @@ test('dismissToastAtom for an unknown id is a no-op', () => {
   );
 });
 
+test('toastQueueAtom caps at 5, dropping the oldest non-sticky', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  // Append 7 transient toasts; the queue should keep only the newest 5.
+  for (let i = 0; i < 7; i += 1) store.set(toastQueueAtom, makeToast(`t${i}`));
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    store.get(toastQueueAtom).map((t) => t.id),
+    ['t2', 't3', 't4', 't5', 't6'],
+  );
+});
+
+test('toastQueueAtom never drops a sticky toast, even over cap', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  store.set(toastQueueAtom, makeToast('sticky-old', true));
+  for (let i = 0; i < 7; i += 1) store.set(toastQueueAtom, makeToast(`t${i}`));
+  const ids = store.get(toastQueueAtom).map((t) => t.id);
+  // The sticky action toast survives; the oldest non-sticky ones are dropped.
+  assert.ok(ids.includes('sticky-old'));
+  assert.ok(ids.includes('t6')); // newest kept
+  assert.ok(!ids.includes('t0')); // oldest non-sticky dropped
+  assert.equal(ids.length, 5);
+});
+
+test('toastQueueAtom queue of all-sticky toasts is allowed to exceed the cap', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  for (let i = 0; i < 7; i += 1) store.set(toastQueueAtom, makeToast(`s${i}`, true));
+  // Nothing droppable → all 7 retained rather than silently losing action toasts.
+  assert.equal(store.get(toastQueueAtom).length, 7);
+});
+
+test('toastQueueAtom keeps a new transient toast even when the cap is full of stickies', () => {
+  const store = createStore();
+  // Fill the cap with sticky action toasts, then a normal message toast arrives.
+  for (let i = 0; i < 5; i += 1) store.set(toastQueueAtom, makeToast(`s${i}`, true));
+  store.set(toastQueueAtom, makeToast('fresh'));
+  const ids = store.get(toastQueueAtom).map((t) => t.id);
+  // The newest is never the one dropped — the queue stretches instead of eating it.
+  assert.ok(ids.includes('fresh'));
+  assert.equal(ids.length, 6);
+});
+
 test('createDownloadToast: filename in body, no room navigation, unique ids', () => {
   const a = createDownloadToast('photo.jpg');
   assert.equal(a.displayName, 'Downloaded');
diff --git a/src/app/state/toast.ts b/src/app/state/toast.ts
index d656482ca..1a3a7f3c9 100644
--- a/src/app/state/toast.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/toast.ts
@@ -46,12 +46,28 @@ export const createErrorToast = (
 
 const baseAtom = atom<ToastNotif[]>([]);
 
+// Cap concurrent toasts so a burst (e.g. many rooms lighting up while focused)
+// can't stack unbounded and cover the viewport.
+const MAX_TOASTS = 5;
+
 // Write-only setter used in ClientNonUIFeatures
 export const toastQueueAtom = atom<ToastNotif[], [ToastNotif | null], void>(
   (get) => get(baseAtom),
   (get, set, notif) => {
     if (notif === null) return; // no-op guard
-    set(baseAtom, [...get(baseAtom), notif]);
+    const next = [...get(baseAtom), notif];
+    // Over cap: drop the oldest NON-sticky toasts (transient message/error
+    // toasts auto-dismiss anyway); never drop a sticky action toast, which
+    // requires a click. The `length - 1` bound excludes the just-appended
+    // newest, so a fresh toast is never the one dropped — if everything older
+    // is sticky the cap simply stretches rather than eating the new notice.
+    for (let i = 0; i < next.length - 1 && next.length > MAX_TOASTS; i += 1) {
+      if (!next[i].sticky) {
+        next.splice(i, 1);
+        i -= 1;
+      }
+    }
+    set(baseAtom, next);
   },
 );
 
diff --git a/src/app/utils/sort.test.ts b/src/app/utils/sort.test.ts
index 22cb23016..5b6298e06 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/sort.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/sort.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ import {
   factoryRoomIdByUnreadCount,
   factoryRoomIdByActivity,
   factoryRoomIdByAtoZ,
+  factoryRoomIdByUnread,
 } from './sort';
+import type { Unread } from '../../types/matrix/room';
 
 test('byTsOldToNew sorts ascending by timestamp', () => {
   assert.ok(byTsOldToNew(1, 2) < 0);
@@ -45,6 +47,40 @@ test('factoryRoomIdByActivity sorts most-recently-active first', () => {
   assert.deepEqual(['missing', 'new'].sort(cmp), ['new', 'missing']);
 });
 
+test('factoryRoomIdByUnread: unread first, by count, then activity for ties', () => {
+  const ts: Record<string, number> = { a: 100, b: 300, c: 200, d: 400 };
+  const mx = {
+    getRoom: (id: string) => (id in ts ? { getLastActiveTimestamp: () => ts[id] } : null),
+  } as unknown as MatrixClient;
+  const mkUnread = (total: number): Unread => ({ total, highlight: 0, from: null });
+  // a: 2 unread, b: 5 unread, c: read, d: read
+  const roomToUnread = new Map<string, Unread>([
+    ['a', mkUnread(2)],
+    ['b', mkUnread(5)],
+    ['c', mkUnread(0)],
+    ['d', mkUnread(0)],
+  ]);
+  const cmp = factoryRoomIdByUnread(roomToUnread, mx);
+  // b (5) and a (2) lead by unread; then the read tail c/d breaks by activity
+  // (d @400 more recent than c @200) rather than arbitrary order.
+  assert.deepEqual(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'].sort(cmp), ['b', 'a', 'd', 'c']);
+});
+
+test('factoryRoomIdByUnread: equal unread counts break by activity', () => {
+  const ts: Record<string, number> = { x: 100, y: 500 };
+  const mx = {
+    getRoom: (id: string) => ({ getLastActiveTimestamp: () => ts[id] ?? 0 }),
+  } as unknown as MatrixClient;
+  const mkUnread = (total: number): Unread => ({ total, highlight: 0, from: null });
+  const roomToUnread = new Map<string, Unread>([
+    ['x', mkUnread(3)],
+    ['y', mkUnread(3)],
+  ]);
+  const cmp = factoryRoomIdByUnread(roomToUnread, mx);
+  // Same unread count → y (more recent) before x.
+  assert.deepEqual(['x', 'y'].sort(cmp), ['y', 'x']);
+});
+
 test('factoryRoomIdByAtoZ sorts case-insensitively and ignores leading #', () => {
   const names: Record<string, string> = { a: 'Banana', b: 'apple', c: '#Cherry' };
   const mx = {
diff --git a/src/app/utils/sort.ts b/src/app/utils/sort.ts
index 512c19989..771e65dce 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/sort.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/sort.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { MatrixClient } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
+import { Unread } from '../../types/matrix/room';
 
 export type SortFunc<T> = (a: T, b: T) => number;
 
@@ -42,6 +43,26 @@ export const factoryRoomIdByUnreadCount =
     return bT - aT;
   };
 
+// "Unread First": rooms with unread sort before those without, then by unread
+// count desc, then — crucially for the large all-read tail where counts tie —
+// by recent activity, so it isn't left in arbitrary order.
+export const factoryRoomIdByUnread = (
+  roomToUnread: Map<string, Unread>,
+  mx: MatrixClient,
+): SortFunc<string> => {
+  const byActivity = factoryRoomIdByActivity(mx);
+  return (a, b) => {
+    const aUnread = roomToUnread.get(a);
+    const bUnread = roomToUnread.get(b);
+    const aHas = (aUnread?.total ?? 0) > 0;
+    const bHas = (bUnread?.total ?? 0) > 0;
+    if (aHas !== bHas) return aHas ? -1 : 1;
+    const byCount = (bUnread?.total ?? 0) - (aUnread?.total ?? 0);
+    if (byCount !== 0) return byCount;
+    return byActivity(a, b);
+  };
+};
+
 export const byTsOldToNew: SortFunc<number> = (a, b) => a - b;
 
 export const byOrderKey: SortFunc<string | undefined> = (a, b) => {