diff --git a/src/files.rs b/src/files.rs
index bf51abd..7f1049c 100644
--- a/src/files.rs
+++ b/src/files.rs
@@ -261,7 +261,53 @@ pub async fn list_photos<TagD: TagDao, FS: FileSystemAccess>(
                 })
                 .collect::<Vec<FileWithTagCount>>()
         })
-        .map(|files| sort(files, req.sort.unwrap_or(NameAsc)))
+        .map(|files| {
+            // Handle sorting - use FileWithMetadata for date sorting to support EXIF dates
+            let sort_type = req.sort.unwrap_or(NameAsc);
+            match sort_type {
+                SortType::DateTakenAsc | SortType::DateTakenDesc => {
+                    info!("Date sorting requested in tagged/recursive search, fetching EXIF data");
+
+                    // Collect file paths for batch EXIF query
+                    let file_paths: Vec<String> =
+                        files.iter().map(|f| f.file_name.clone()).collect();
+
+                    // Batch fetch EXIF data
+                    let mut exif_dao_guard = exif_dao.lock().expect("Unable to get ExifDao");
+                    let exif_map: std::collections::HashMap<String, i64> = exif_dao_guard
+                        .get_exif_batch(&file_paths)
+                        .unwrap_or_default()
+                        .into_iter()
+                        .filter_map(|exif| exif.date_taken.map(|dt| (exif.file_path, dt)))
+                        .collect();
+                    drop(exif_dao_guard);
+
+                    // Convert to FileWithMetadata with date fallback logic
+                    let files_with_metadata: Vec<FileWithMetadata> = files
+                        .into_iter()
+                        .map(|f| {
+                            // Try EXIF date first
+                            let date_taken = exif_map.get(&f.file_name).copied().or_else(|| {
+                                // Fallback to filename extraction
+                                extract_date_from_filename(&f.file_name).map(|dt| dt.timestamp())
+                            });
+
+                            FileWithMetadata {
+                                file_name: f.file_name,
+                                tag_count: f.tag_count,
+                                date_taken,
+                            }
+                        })
+                        .collect();
+
+                    sort_with_metadata(files_with_metadata, sort_type)
+                }
+                _ => {
+                    // Use regular sort for non-date sorting
+                    sort(files, sort_type)
+                }
+            }
+        })
         .inspect(|files| debug!("Found {:?} files", files.len()))
         .map(|tagged_files: Vec<String>| {
             info!(