diff --git a/apps/web/src/stores/room-list-v3/RoomListStoreV3.ts b/apps/web/src/stores/room-list-v3/RoomListStoreV3.ts
index c6625daf3f..ec10fe1468 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/stores/room-list-v3/RoomListStoreV3.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/stores/room-list-v3/RoomListStoreV3.ts
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export class RoomListStoreV3Class extends AsyncStoreWithClient<EmptyObject> {
     /**
      * Defines the display order of sections.
      */
-    private sortedTags: string[] = [DefaultTagID.Favourite, CHATS_TAG, DefaultTagID.LowPriority];
+    private sortedTags: string[] = [];
 
     private readonly msc3946ProcessDynamicPredecessor: boolean;
 
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ export class RoomListStoreV3Class extends AsyncStoreWithClient<EmptyObject> {
         });
         SpaceStore.instance.on(UPDATE_HOME_BEHAVIOUR, () => this.onActiveSpaceChanged());
         SettingsStore.watchSetting("RoomList.OrderedCustomSections", null, () => this.onOrderedCustomSectionsChange());
+        this.loadCustomSections();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -202,8 +203,6 @@ export class RoomListStoreV3Class extends AsyncStoreWithClient<EmptyObject> {
 
     protected async onReady(): Promise<any> {
         if (this.roomSkipList?.initialized || !this.matrixClient) return;
-        this.loadCustomSections();
-
         const sorter = this.getPreferredSorter(this.matrixClient.getSafeUserId());
 
         this.roomSkipList = new RoomSkipList(sorter, this.getSkipListFilters());
diff --git a/apps/web/test/viewmodels/room-list/RoomListHeaderViewModel-test.ts b/apps/web/test/viewmodels/room-list/RoomListHeaderViewModel-test.ts
index 02a9cf787d..608e990af6 100644
--- a/apps/web/test/viewmodels/room-list/RoomListHeaderViewModel-test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/test/viewmodels/room-list/RoomListHeaderViewModel-test.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ describe("RoomListHeaderViewModel", () => {
             if (settingName === "RoomList.preferredSorting") return SortingAlgorithm.Recency;
             if (settingName === "feature_video_rooms") return true;
             if (settingName === "feature_element_call_video_rooms") return true;
+            if (settingName === "RoomList.OrderedCustomSections") return [];
             return false;
         });
     });