diff --git a/internal/adapters/ui/handlers.go b/internal/adapters/ui/handlers.go
index 897e053..20870e8 100644
--- a/internal/adapters/ui/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/adapters/ui/handlers.go
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ func (t *tui) handleSortToggle() {
 	t.sortMode = t.sortMode.ToggleField()
 	t.showStatusTemp("Sort: " + t.sortMode.String())
 	t.updateListTitle()
+	t.persistSortMode()
 	t.refreshServerList()
 }
 
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ func (t *tui) handleSortReverse() {
 	t.sortMode = t.sortMode.Reverse()
 	t.showStatusTemp("Sort: " + t.sortMode.String())
 	t.updateListTitle()
+	t.persistSortMode()
 	t.refreshServerList()
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/adapters/ui/settings.go b/internal/adapters/ui/settings.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbc00a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/adapters/ui/settings.go
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+// Copyright 2025.
+//
+// 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.
+
+package ui
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+type settingsManager struct {
+	filePath string
+	logger   *zap.SugaredLogger
+}
+
+type uiSettings struct {
+	SortMode SortMode `json:"sort_mode,omitempty"`
+}
+
+func newSettingsManager(logger *zap.SugaredLogger) *settingsManager {
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Warnw("failed to determine home directory for settings", "error", err)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return &settingsManager{
+		filePath: filepath.Join(home, ".lazyssh", "settings.json"),
+		logger:   logger,
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *settingsManager) LoadSortMode() (SortMode, error) {
+	if m == nil {
+		return SortByAliasAsc, errors.New("nil settings manager")
+	}
+
+	settings, err := m.load()
+	if err != nil {
+		return SortByAliasAsc, err
+	}
+
+	if !settings.SortMode.valid() {
+		return SortByAliasAsc, nil
+	}
+
+	return settings.SortMode, nil
+}
+
+func (m *settingsManager) SaveSortMode(mode SortMode) error {
+	if m == nil {
+		return errors.New("nil settings manager")
+	}
+
+	settings, err := m.load()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	settings.SortMode = mode
+	return m.save(settings)
+}
+
+func (m *settingsManager) load() (uiSettings, error) {
+	var settings uiSettings
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(m.filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return settings, nil
+		}
+		return settings, err
+	}
+
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return settings, nil
+	}
+
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &settings); err != nil {
+		// Handle unmarshal errors (e.g., old string format vs new int format)
+		// by returning default settings. This allows automatic migration from
+		// old format to new format when SaveSortMode is called.
+		m.logger.Warnw("failed to parse settings file, using defaults", "error", err, "path", m.filePath)
+		return uiSettings{}, nil
+	}
+
+	return settings, nil
+}
+
+func (m *settingsManager) save(settings uiSettings) error {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(m.filePath), 0o750); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	data, err := json.MarshalIndent(settings, "", "  ")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return os.WriteFile(m.filePath, data, 0o600)
+}
diff --git a/internal/adapters/ui/sort.go b/internal/adapters/ui/sort.go
index 58bc1e7..f9bddc9 100644
--- a/internal/adapters/ui/sort.go
+++ b/internal/adapters/ui/sort.go
@@ -78,6 +78,18 @@ func (m SortMode) Reverse() SortMode {
 	}
 }
 
+func (m SortMode) valid() bool {
+	switch m {
+	case SortByAliasAsc,
+		SortByAliasDesc,
+		SortByLastSeenAsc,
+		SortByLastSeenDesc:
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 // sortServersForUI sorts servers according to the rules required by the UI.
 // Pinned servers are always at the top, ordered by pinned date (newest first).
 // Unpinned servers are sorted by the selected mode. "Never" (zero time) goes to
diff --git a/internal/adapters/ui/tui.go b/internal/adapters/ui/tui.go
index d938e6f..84e5d24 100644
--- a/internal/adapters/ui/tui.go
+++ b/internal/adapters/ui/tui.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ type tui struct {
 
 	app           *tview.Application
 	serverService ports.ServerService
+	settings      *settingsManager
 
 	header     *AppHeader
 	searchBar  *SearchBar
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ func NewTUI(logger *zap.SugaredLogger, ss ports.ServerService, version, commit s
 		serverService: ss,
 		version:       version,
 		commit:        commit,
+		settings:      newSettingsManager(logger),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ func (t *tui) Run() error {
 		}
 	}()
 	t.app.EnableMouse(true)
-	t.initializeTheme().buildComponents().buildLayout().bindEvents().loadInitialData()
+	t.initializeTheme().buildComponents().loadPreferences().buildLayout().bindEvents().loadInitialData()
 	t.app.SetRoot(t.root, true)
 	t.logger.Infow("starting TUI application", "version", t.version, "commit", t.commit)
 	if err := t.app.Run(); err != nil {
@@ -107,6 +109,20 @@ func (t *tui) buildComponents() *tui {
 	return t
 }
 
+func (t *tui) loadPreferences() *tui {
+	if t.settings == nil {
+		return t
+	}
+
+	if mode, err := t.settings.LoadSortMode(); err == nil {
+		t.sortMode = mode
+	} else {
+		t.logger.Warnw("failed to load sort mode preference", "error", err)
+	}
+
+	return t
+}
+
 func (t *tui) buildLayout() *tui {
 	t.left = tview.NewFlex().SetDirection(tview.FlexRow).
 		AddItem(t.searchBar, 3, 0, false).
@@ -145,3 +161,13 @@ func (t *tui) updateListTitle() {
 		t.serverList.SetTitle(" Servers — Sort: " + t.sortMode.String() + " ")
 	}
 }
+
+func (t *tui) persistSortMode() {
+	if t.settings == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	if err := t.settings.SaveSortMode(t.sortMode); err != nil {
+		t.logger.Warnw("failed to save sort mode preference", "error", err)
+	}
+}