diff --git a/src/hooks/moderation/useModerationQueueManager.ts b/src/hooks/moderation/useModerationQueueManager.ts
index d9bd322a..9adc9222 100644
--- a/src/hooks/moderation/useModerationQueueManager.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/moderation/useModerationQueueManager.ts
@@ -163,6 +163,12 @@ export function useModerationQueueManager(config: ModerationQueueManagerConfig):
    */
   const fetchItems = useCallback(
     async (silent = false) => {
+      console.log('🔄 [fetchItems RECREATED]', {
+        sortField: sort.field,
+        sortDirection: sort.direction,
+        timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
+      });
+
       if (!user) return;
 
       // Get caller info
@@ -259,6 +265,12 @@ export function useModerationQueueManager(config: ModerationQueueManagerConfig):
           submissionsQuery = submissionsQuery.order('created_at', { ascending: true });
         }
 
+        // Validate sort was applied
+        if (!sortColumn) {
+          console.error('❌ [Query] Sort column is undefined! Using fallback.');
+          submissionsQuery = submissionsQuery.order('created_at', { ascending: true });
+        }
+
         // Apply tab-based status filtering
         const tab = filters.activeTab;
         const statusFilter = filters.debouncedStatusFilter;
@@ -501,7 +513,7 @@ export function useModerationQueueManager(config: ModerationQueueManagerConfig):
         setLoadingState("ready");
       }
     },
-    [user, isAdmin, isSuperuser, filters, pagination, profileCache, entityCache, toast, sort],
+    [user, isAdmin, isSuperuser, filters, pagination, profileCache, entityCache, toast, sort.field, sort.direction],
   );
 
   // Store fetchItems in ref to avoid re-creating visibility listener
@@ -949,7 +961,7 @@ export function useModerationQueueManager(config: ModerationQueueManagerConfig):
       console.log('✅ Triggering refetch due to sort change');
       fetchItemsRef.current(false);
     }
-  }, [sort.config.field, sort.config.direction]);
+  }, [sort.field, sort.direction]);
 
   // Initialize realtime subscriptions
   useRealtimeSubscriptions({
diff --git a/src/hooks/moderation/useModerationSort.ts b/src/hooks/moderation/useModerationSort.ts
index 35daef6e..fcaa6df8 100644
--- a/src/hooks/moderation/useModerationSort.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/moderation/useModerationSort.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * Manages sort configuration for the moderation queue with persistence.
  */
 
-import { useState, useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useState, useCallback, useEffect, useMemo } from 'react';
 import type { SortConfig, SortField, SortDirection } from '@/types/moderation';
 import {
   getDefaultSortConfig,
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ export function useModerationSort(config: ModerationSortConfig = {}): Moderation
   // Check if using default config
   const isDefault = isDefaultSortConfig(sortConfig);
 
-  return {
+  return useMemo(() => ({
     config: sortConfig,
     field: sortConfig.field,
     direction: sortConfig.direction,
@@ -141,5 +141,5 @@ export function useModerationSort(config: ModerationSortConfig = {}): Moderation
     setConfig,
     reset,
     isDefault,
-  };
+  }), [sortConfig, setField, setDirection, toggleSortDirection, setConfig, reset, isDefault]);
 }