diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/filter.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/filter.js
index 1d7533f969..24a793a085 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/filter.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/filter.js
@@ -763,6 +763,30 @@ function make_sub(name, stream_id) {
     assert_term_type(term('is', 'private'), 'is-private');
     assert_term_type(term('has', 'link'), 'has-link');
     assert_term_type(term('has', 'attachment', true), 'not-has-attachment');
+
+    function assert_term_sort(in_terms, expected) {
+        const sorted_terms = Filter.sorted_term_types(in_terms);
+        assert.deepEqual(sorted_terms, expected);
+    }
+
+    assert_term_sort(
+        ['topic', 'stream', 'sender'],
+        ['stream', 'topic', 'sender']
+    );
+
+    assert_term_sort(
+        ['has-link', 'near', 'is-unread', 'pm-with'],
+        ['pm-with', 'near', 'is-unread', 'has-link']
+    );
+
+    assert_term_sort(
+        ['bogus', 'stream', 'topic'],
+        ['stream', 'topic', 'bogus']
+    );
+    assert_term_sort(
+        ['stream', 'topic', 'stream'],
+        ['stream', 'stream', 'topic']
+    );
 }());
 
 (function test_update_email() {
diff --git a/static/js/filter.js b/static/js/filter.js
index 1f211b89aa..4a4b55a392 100644
--- a/static/js/filter.js
+++ b/static/js/filter.js
@@ -511,6 +511,36 @@ Filter.term_type = function (term) {
     return result;
 };
 
+Filter.sorted_term_types = function (term_types) {
+    var levels = [
+        'stream', 'topic',
+        'pm-with', 'group-pm-with', 'sender',
+        'near', 'id',
+        'is-alerted', 'is-mentioned', 'is-private',
+        'is-starred', 'is-unread',
+        'has-link', 'has-image', 'has-attachment',
+        'search',
+    ];
+
+    function level(term_type) {
+        var i = levels.indexOf(term_type);
+        if (i === -1) {
+            i = 999;
+        }
+        return i;
+    }
+
+    function compare(a, b) {
+        var diff = level(a) - level(b);
+        if (diff !== 0) {
+            return diff;
+        }
+        return util.strcmp(a, b);
+    }
+
+    return _.clone(term_types).sort(compare);
+};
+
 Filter.operator_to_prefix = function (operator, negated) {
     var verb;