diff --git a/app/controllers/index_pages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/index_pages_controller.rb
index a4808466..30c1c084 100644
--- a/app/controllers/index_pages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/index_pages_controller.rb
@@ -133,10 +133,10 @@ def show
         starting_letters(reg_e_ids)
       end
     else
-      @count            = 0
-      @current_page     = 1
-      @terms            = []
-      @starting_letters = []
+      @count          = 0
+      @current_page   = 1
+      @terms          = []
+      @starting_chars = []
     end
     @breadcrumbable   = @index_page
   end
@@ -180,20 +180,25 @@ def assign_elements
     end
   end
 
-  def starting_letters(reg_e_ids)
+  def starting_chars(reg_e_ids)
     # This query doesn't take embargoes into account because doing so would
     # make it a lot slower. We assume that there are so few embargoed items
-    # with distinct starting letters that it's hardly ever going to matter.
-    sql = "SELECT DISTINCT(UNACCENT(UPPER(SUBSTR(string, 1, 1)))) AS alpha, COUNT(ae.id)
-    FROM ascribed_elements ae
-    INNER JOIN items i ON i.id = ae.item_id
-    WHERE i.institution_id = #{current_institution.id}
-      AND i.stage = #{Item::Stages::APPROVED}
-      AND ae.registered_element_id IN (#{reg_e_ids.join(",")})
-    GROUP BY alpha
-    ORDER BY alpha;"
-    results = ActiveRecord::Base.connection.execute(sql)
-    results.select{ |row| row['count'] > 0 }
+    # with distinct starting characters that it will practically never matter.
+    sql = "SELECT alpha, count
+    FROM (
+      SELECT DISTINCT(UNACCENT(UPPER(SUBSTR(string, 1, 1)))) AS alpha,
+        COUNT(ae.id) AS count
+      FROM ascribed_elements ae
+      INNER JOIN items i ON i.id = ae.item_id
+      WHERE i.institution_id = $1
+        AND i.stage = $2
+        AND ae.registered_element_id IN (#{reg_e_ids.join(",")})
+      GROUP BY alpha
+    ) t
+    WHERE count > 0
+    ORDER BY (alpha ~ '\\d')::int, alpha;"
+    values = [current_institution.id, Item::Stages::APPROVED]
+    ActiveRecord::Base.connection.exec_query(sql, "SQL", values)
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/app/views/index_pages/show.html.haml b/app/views/index_pages/show.html.haml
index a06d4eef..5d7cf806 100644
--- a/app/views/index_pages/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/index_pages/show.html.haml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
                         permitted_params: @permitted_params, |
                         max_links:        9) |
 
-- if @starting_letters.any?
+- if @starting_chars.any?
   %ul.nav.nav-tabs{role: "tablist"}
     %li.nav-item
       %button#browse-tab.nav-link{"data-bs-toggle": "tab",
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
           %ul.nav.nav-pills.justify-content-md-center.mb-0
             %li.nav-item
               = link_to("All", @index_page, class: "nav-link #{(params[:letter].blank? && params[:q].blank?) ? "active" : ""}")
-            - @starting_letters.each do |row|
+            - @starting_chars.each do |row|
               %li.nav-item
                 = link_to(row['alpha'], index_page_path(@index_page, letter: row['alpha']),
                           class: "nav-link #{params[:letter]&.upcase == row['alpha'] ? "active" : ""}")