diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 83e4ab7..e300591 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -17,23 +17,59 @@
 		// (Popeye-style) while keeping the other plugins in the right sidebar.
 		// Mirrors Bludit's own Theme::plugins() loop, but captures the output.
 		global $plugins;
-		$sidebarSearchHtml = '';
-		$sidebarOtherHtml  = '';
+		$sidebarSearchHtml = '';   // search box, rendered under the hero on the homepage
+		$sidebarItems = array();   // every sidebar plugin, to be sorted into a fixed order
+		$sidebarIndex = 0;
 		if (isset($plugins['siteSidebar'])) {
 			foreach ($plugins['siteSidebar'] as $plugin) {
 				$out = $plugin->siteSidebar();
-				if (strpos($out, 'plugin-search') !== false) {
+
+				$isSearch = (strpos($out, 'plugin-search') !== false);
+				$isNav    = (strpos($out, 'plugin-navigation') !== false || strpos($out, 'plugin-pages') !== false);
+
+				// Fixed sidebar order (lower = higher up). Unknown plugins such as
+				// the Hit Counter default to 90, i.e. pinned to the bottom.
+				$priority = 90;
+				if (strpos($out, 'plugin-about') !== false)          $priority = 10; // Blog / About
+				elseif ($isSearch)                                   $priority = 20; // Search
+				elseif ($isNav)                                      $priority = 30; // Navigation
+				elseif (strpos($out, 'plugin-categories') !== false) $priority = 40; // Category
+
+				if ($isSearch) {
 					$sidebarSearchHtml .= $out;
-				} else {
-					// Mark the navigation / pages plugin so its list can be
-					// shuffled client-side (see the script near the body end).
-					if (strpos($out, 'plugin-navigation') !== false || strpos($out, 'plugin-pages') !== false) {
-						$out = '<div class="js-random-nav">' . $out . '</div>';
-					}
-					$sidebarOtherHtml .= $out;
 				}
+				// Mark the navigation / pages plugin so its list can be shuffled
+				// client-side (see the script near the body end).
+				if ($isNav) {
+					$out = '<div class="js-random-nav">' . $out . '</div>';
+				}
+
+				$sidebarItems[] = array(
+					'priority' => $priority,
+					'index'    => $sidebarIndex++,
+					'search'   => $isSearch,
+					'html'     => $out,
+				);
 			}
 		}
+
+		// Stable sort by priority, then original order (PHP < 8 usort isn't stable).
+		usort($sidebarItems, function ($a, $b) {
+			if ($a['priority'] === $b['priority']) {
+				return $a['index'] - $b['index'];
+			}
+			return $a['priority'] - $b['priority'];
+		});
+
+		$sidebarFullHtml     = '';   // all plugins, ordered (used off the homepage)
+		$sidebarNoSearchHtml = '';   // same, minus search (used on the homepage)
+		foreach ($sidebarItems as $item) {
+			$sidebarFullHtml .= $item['html'];
+			if (!$item['search']) {
+				$sidebarNoSearchHtml .= $item['html'];
+			}
+		}
+
 		// The hero (and the relocated search) only appear on the blog front page.
 		$heroVisible = ($WHERE_AM_I === 'home' && Paginator::currentPage() == 1);
 	?>
diff --git a/php/head.php b/php/head.php
index dcd338c..3034208 100644
--- a/php/head.php
+++ b/php/head.php
@@ -36,8 +36,12 @@
 <!-- Include CSS Bootstrap ICONS file from Bludit Core -->
 <?php echo Theme::cssBootstrapIcons(); ?>
 
-<!-- Include CSS Styles from this theme -->
-<?php echo Theme::css('css/style.css'); ?>
+<!-- Include CSS Styles from this theme (cache-busted by file mtime) -->
+<?php
+	$styleVersion = @filemtime(THEME_DIR_CSS . 'style.css');
+	$styleHref = DOMAIN_THEME . 'css/style.css' . ($styleVersion ? '?v=' . $styleVersion : '');
+?>
+<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="<?php echo $styleHref; ?>">
 
 <!-- Load Bludit Plugins: Site head -->
 <?php Theme::plugins('siteHead'); ?>
diff --git a/php/sidebar.php b/php/sidebar.php
index b14bd46..827cf10 100644
--- a/php/sidebar.php
+++ b/php/sidebar.php
@@ -18,13 +18,14 @@
 	<?php endif ?>
 
 	<?php
-		// On the homepage front page the search box is shown under the hero,
-		// so only render the remaining sidebar plugins here. Everywhere else
-		// the sidebar shows the full set (search included).
+		// Plugins are rendered in a fixed order (see index.php):
+		//   Blog/About > Search > Navigation > Category > … > Hit Counter (bottom)
+		// On the homepage front page the search box is shown under the hero, so
+		// it is omitted from the sidebar there.
 		if ($heroVisible) {
-			echo $sidebarOtherHtml;
+			echo $sidebarNoSearchHtml;
 		} else {
-			echo $sidebarSearchHtml . $sidebarOtherHtml;
+			echo $sidebarFullHtml;
 		}
 	?>
 </aside>