diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/sort.py b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/sort.py
index 2159f9c0da..b587b7cb27 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/sort.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/sort.py
@@ -5,30 +5,19 @@ __license__ = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2013, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
 from contextlib import suppress
-from functools import partial
-from qt.core import QAction, QDialog, QIcon, QToolButton, pyqtSignal
+from qt.core import (
+    QAbstractItemView, QAction, QDialog, QDialogButtonBox, QIcon, QListWidget,
+    QListWidgetItem, QSize, Qt, QToolButton, QVBoxLayout, pyqtSignal,
+)
 
 from calibre.gui2.actions import InterfaceAction
-from calibre.utils.icu import primary_sort_key
 from calibre.library.field_metadata import category_icon_map
+from calibre.utils.icu import primary_sort_key
 from polyglot.builtins import iteritems
 
 SORT_HIDDEN_PREF = 'sort-action-hidden-fields'
 
 
-def change_hidden(key, visible):
-    from calibre.gui2.ui import get_gui
-    gui = get_gui()
-    if gui is not None:
-        db = gui.current_db.new_api
-        val = set(db.pref(SORT_HIDDEN_PREF) or ())
-        if visible:
-            val.discard(key)
-        else:
-            val.add(key)
-        db.set_pref(SORT_HIDDEN_PREF, tuple(val))
-
-
 class SortAction(QAction):
 
     sort_requested = pyqtSignal(object, object)
@@ -100,17 +89,10 @@ class SortByAction(InterfaceAction):
         fm = db.field_metadata
         name_map = {v:k for k, v in iteritems(fm.ui_sortable_field_keys())}
         hidden = frozenset(db.new_api.pref(SORT_HIDDEN_PREF, default=()) or ())
-        hidden_items_menu = menu.addMenu(_('Select sortable columns'))
+        menu.addAction(_('Select sortable columns')).triggered.connect(self.select_sortable_columns)
         menu.addAction(_('Sort on multiple columns'), self.choose_multisort)
         menu.addSeparator()
         all_names = sorted(name_map, key=primary_sort_key)
-        for name in all_names:
-            key = name_map[name]
-            ac = hidden_items_menu.addAction(name)
-            ac.setCheckable(True)
-            ac.setChecked(key not in hidden)
-            ac.setObjectName(key)
-            ac.toggled.connect(partial(change_hidden, key))
 
         for name in all_names:
             key = name_map[name]
@@ -133,6 +115,35 @@ class SortByAction(InterfaceAction):
             else:
                 menu.addAction(sac)
 
+    def select_sortable_columns(self):
+        db = self.gui.current_db
+        fm = db.field_metadata
+        name_map = {v:k for k, v in iteritems(fm.ui_sortable_field_keys())}
+        hidden = frozenset(db.new_api.pref(SORT_HIDDEN_PREF, default=()) or ())
+        all_names = sorted(name_map, key=primary_sort_key)
+        items = QListWidget()
+        items.setSelectionMode(QAbstractItemView.SelectionMode.MultiSelection)
+        for display_name in all_names:
+            key = name_map[display_name]
+            i = QListWidgetItem(display_name, items)
+            i.setData(Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole, key)
+            i.setSelected(key not in hidden)
+        d = QDialog(self.gui)
+        l = QVBoxLayout(d)
+        l.addWidget(items)
+        d.setWindowTitle(_('Select sortable columns'))
+        d.bb = QDialogButtonBox(QDialogButtonBox.StandardButton.Ok | QDialogButtonBox.StandardButton.Cancel)
+        d.bb.accepted.connect(d.accept)
+        d.bb.rejected.connect(d.reject)
+        l.addWidget(d.bb)
+        d.resize(d.sizeHint() + QSize(50, 100))
+        if d.exec() == QDialog.DialogCode.Accepted:
+            hidden = []
+            for i in (items.item(x) for x in range(items.count())):
+                if not i.isSelected():
+                    hidden.append(i.data(Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole))
+            db.new_api.set_pref(SORT_HIDDEN_PREF, tuple(hidden))
+
     def choose_multisort(self):
         from calibre.gui2.dialogs.multisort import ChooseMultiSort
         d = ChooseMultiSort(self.gui.current_db, parent=self.gui, is_device_connected=self.gui.device_connected)