diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/catalog/catalog_csv_xml.py b/src/calibre/gui2/catalog/catalog_csv_xml.py
index 055ea5f543..4e55ccbe22 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/catalog/catalog_csv_xml.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/catalog/catalog_csv_xml.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2009, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
+import sys
+
 from qt.core import QAbstractItemView, QHBoxLayout, QLabel, QListWidget, QListWidgetItem, QPushButton, Qt, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
 
 from calibre.constants import ismacos
@@ -31,6 +33,20 @@ def set_saved_field_data(name, fields, sort_order):
     gprefs.set(name + '_db_fields_sort_order', sort_order)
 
 
+class ListWidgetItem(QListWidgetItem):
+
+    def __init__(self, colname, human_name, position_in_booklist, parent):
+        super().__init__(human_name, parent)
+        self.setData(Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole, colname)
+        self.position_in_booklist = position_in_booklist
+
+    def __lt__(self, other):
+        try:
+            return self.position_in_booklist < getattr(other, 'position_in_booklist', sys.maxsize)
+        except TypeError:
+            return False
+
+
 class PluginWidget(QWidget):
 
     TITLE = _('CSV/XML options')
@@ -66,6 +82,10 @@ class PluginWidget(QWidget):
         b.clicked.connect(self.select_visible)
         b.setToolTip(_('Select the fields currently shown in the book list'))
         h.addWidget(b)
+        self.order_button = b = QPushButton(_('&Sort by booklist'))
+        b.clicked.connect(self.order_by_booklist)
+        b.setToolTip(_('Sort the fields by their position in the book list'))
+        h.addWidget(b)
 
     def select_all(self):
         for row in range(self.db_fields.count()):
@@ -85,6 +105,9 @@ class PluginWidget(QWidget):
             field = item.data(Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole)
             item.setCheckState(Qt.CheckState.Unchecked if field in hidden else Qt.CheckState.Checked)
 
+    def order_by_booklist(self):
+        self.db_fields.sortItems()
+
     def initialize(self, catalog_name, db):
         self.name = catalog_name
         from calibre.library.catalogs import FIELDS
@@ -102,15 +125,18 @@ class PluginWidget(QWidget):
                 return name(x[:-len('_index')]) + ' ' + _('Number')
             return fm[x].get('name') or x
 
+        state = get_gui().library_view.get_state()
+        cpos = state['column_positions']
+
         def key(x):
             return (sort_order.get(x, 10000), name(x))
 
         self.db_fields.clear()
         for x in sorted(self.all_fields, key=key):
-            QListWidgetItem(name(x) + ' (%s)' % x, self.db_fields).setData(Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole, x)
+            i = ListWidgetItem(x, name(x) + ' (%s)' % x, cpos.get(x, sys.maxsize), self.db_fields)
             if x.startswith('#') and fm[x]['datatype'] == 'series':
                 x += '_index'
-                QListWidgetItem(name(x) + ' (%s)' % x, self.db_fields).setData(Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole, x)
+                ListWidgetItem(x, name(x) + ' (%s)' % x, i.position_in_booklist, self.db_fields)
 
         # Restore the activated fields from last use
         for x in range(self.db_fields.count()):