diff --git a/plugins/Directory/Controller/Directory.php b/plugins/Directory/Controller/Directory.php
index b96cf072c6..0ce2e3a2ae 100644
--- a/plugins/Directory/Controller/Directory.php
+++ b/plugins/Directory/Controller/Directory.php
@@ -25,11 +25,113 @@ namespace Plugin\Directory\Controller;
 
 use App\Core\DB\DB;
 use App\Entity\Actor;
+use App\Util\Exception\BugFoundException;
+use App\Util\Exception\ClientException;
 use Component\Feed\Util\FeedController;
+use function App\Core\I18n\_m;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
 
 class Directory extends FeedController
 {
+
+    const PER_PAGE = 32;
+    const ALLOWED_FIELDS = ['nickname', 'created', 'modified', 'activity', 'subscribers'];
+
+    private function impl(Request $request, string $template, int $actor_type): array
+    {
+        $page = $this->int('page') ?? 1;
+        $limit = self::PER_PAGE;
+        $offset = self::PER_PAGE * ($page - 1);
+
+        $order_by_qs = $this->string('order_by');
+        if (!\is_null($order_by_qs) && mb_detect_encoding($order_by_qs, 'ASCII', strict: true) !== false) {
+
+            $order_by_op = substr($order_by_qs, -1);
+            if (\in_array($order_by_op, ['^', '<'])) {
+                $order_by_field = substr($order_by_qs, 0, -1);
+                $order_by_op = 'ASC';
+            } else if (\in_array($order_by_op, ['v', '>'])) {
+                $order_by_field = substr($order_by_qs, 0, -1);
+                $order_by_op = 'DESC';
+            } else {
+                $order_by_field = $order_by_qs;
+                $order_by_op = 'ASC';
+            }
+
+            if (!\in_array($order_by_field, self::ALLOWED_FIELDS)) {
+                throw new ClientException(_m('Invalid order by given: {order_by}', ['{order_by}' => $order_by_field]));
+            }
+        } else {
+            $order_by_field = 'nickname';
+            $order_by_op = 'ASC';
+        }
+
+        $order_by = [$order_by_field => $order_by_op];
+        $route = $request->get('_route');
+
+        $query_fn = function (int $actor_type, string $table, string $join_field) use ($limit, $offset) {
+            return function (string $func, string $order) use ($actor_type, $table, $join_field, $limit, $offset) {
+                return DB::sql(
+                    <<<EOQ
+                    select {select}
+                    from actor actr
+                    join (
+                        select tbl.{$join_field}, {$func}(tbl.created) as created
+                        from {$table} tbl
+                        group by tbl.{$join_field}
+                    ) actor_activity on actr.id = actor_activity.{$join_field}
+                    where actr.type = :type
+                    order by actor_activity.{$order}
+                    limit :limit offset :offset
+                    EOQ,
+                    [
+                        'type' => $actor_type,
+                        'limit' => $limit,
+                        'offset' => $offset,
+                    ],
+                    ['actr' => Actor::class]
+                );
+            };
+        };
+
+        $person_activity_query = $query_fn(actor_type: Actor::PERSON, table: 'activity', join_field: 'actor_id');
+        $group_activity_query  = $query_fn(actor_type: Actor::GROUP, table: 'group_inbox', join_field: 'group_id');
+
+        switch ($order_by_field) {
+        case 'nickname':
+        case 'created':
+            $actors = DB::findBy(Actor::class, ['type' => $actor_type], order_by: $order_by, limit: $limit, offset: $offset);
+            break;
+
+        case 'modified':
+            $query = match ($actor_type) {
+                Actor::PERSON => $person_activity_query,
+                Actor::GROUP  => $group_activity_query,
+                default => throw new BugFoundException("Unimplemented for actor type: {$actor_type}"),
+            };
+            $actors = $query(func: $order_by_op === 'ASC' ? 'MAX' : 'MIN', order: "created {$order_by_op}");
+            break;
+
+        case 'activity':
+            $query = match ($actor_type) {
+                Actor::PERSON => $person_activity_query,
+                Actor::GROUP  => $group_activity_query,
+                default => throw new BugFoundException("Unimplemented for actor type: {$actor_type}"),
+            };
+            $actors = $query(func: 'COUNT', order: "created {$order_by_op}");
+            break;
+
+        default:
+            throw new BugFoundException("Unkown order by found, but should have been validated: {$order_by_field}");
+        }
+
+        return [
+            '_template' => $template,
+            'actors'    => $actors,
+            'page'      => $page,
+        ];
+    }
+
     /**
      * people stream
      *
@@ -37,10 +139,7 @@ class Directory extends FeedController
      */
     public function people(Request $request): array
     {
-        return [
-            '_template' => 'directory/people.html.twig',
-            'actors'    => DB::findBy(Actor::class, ['type' => Actor::PERSON], order_by: ['created' => 'DESC', 'nickname' => 'ASC']),
-        ];
+        return $this->impl($request, 'directory/people.html.twig', Actor::PERSON);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -50,9 +149,6 @@ class Directory extends FeedController
      */
     public function groups(Request $request): array
     {
-        return [
-            '_template' => 'directory/groups.html.twig',
-            'groups'    => DB::findBy(Actor::class, ['type' => Actor::GROUP], order_by: ['created' => 'DESC', 'nickname' => 'ASC']),
-        ];
+        return $this->impl($request, 'directory/groups.html.twig', Actor::GROUP);
     }
 }