backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/DocumentService.java

@@ -291,11 +291,15 @@ public class DocumentService {
                 .and(hasTagPartial(tagQ))
                 .and(hasStatus(status));
 
-        Sort springSort = resolveSort(sort, dir);
         if (sort == DocumentSort.RECEIVER) {
             List<Document> results = documentRepository.findAll(spec);
             return sortByFirstReceiver(results, dir);
         }
+        if (sort == DocumentSort.SENDER) {
+            List<Document> results = documentRepository.findAll(spec);
+            return sortBySender(results, dir);
+        }
+        Sort springSort = resolveSort(sort, dir);
         return documentRepository.findAll(spec, springSort);
     }
 
@@ -312,6 +316,22 @@ public class DocumentService {
         };
     }
 
+    private List<Document> sortBySender(List<Document> documents, String dir) {
+        boolean ascending = "ASC".equalsIgnoreCase(dir);
+        Comparator<String> nullSafeComparator = (a, b) -> {
+            if (a.isEmpty() && b.isEmpty()) return 0;
+            if (a.isEmpty()) return ascending ? 1 : -1;
+            if (b.isEmpty()) return ascending ? -1 : 1;
+            return ascending ? a.compareTo(b) : b.compareTo(a);
+        };
+        return documents.stream()
+                .sorted(Comparator.comparing(doc -> {
+                    Person s = doc.getSender();
+                    return s != null ? s.getLastName() + " " + s.getFirstName() : "";
+                }, nullSafeComparator))
+                .toList();
+    }
+
     private List<Document> sortByFirstReceiver(List<Document> documents, String dir) {
         boolean ascending = "ASC".equalsIgnoreCase(dir);
         Comparator<String> nullSafeComparator = (a, b) -> {

backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/service/DocumentServiceTest.java

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.dto.DocumentUpdateDTO;
 import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.dto.IncompleteDocumentDTO;
 import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.exception.DomainException;
 import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model.Document;
+import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model.DocumentSort;
 import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model.DocumentStatus;
 import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model.Person;
 import org.raddatz.familienarchiv.model.Tag;
@@ -1273,4 +1274,23 @@ class DocumentServiceTest {
         verify(documentRepository).findConversation(eq(senderId), eq(receiverId), any(), any(), eq(sort));
         verify(documentRepository, never()).findSinglePersonCorrespondence(any(), any(), any(), any());
     }
+
+    // ─── searchDocuments — SENDER sort includes documents with null sender ─────
+
+    @Test
+    void searchDocuments_senderSort_includesDocumentsWithNullSender() {
+        Person alice = Person.builder().id(UUID.randomUUID()).firstName("Alice").lastName("Ziegler").build();
+        Document withSender = Document.builder().id(UUID.randomUUID()).title("Has Sender").sender(alice).build();
+        Document noSender = Document.builder().id(UUID.randomUUID()).title("No Sender").build();
+
+        // The repository returns both documents (no filtering by sender)
+        when(documentRepository.findAll(any(org.springframework.data.jpa.domain.Specification.class)))
+                .thenReturn(List.of(withSender, noSender));
+
+        List<Document> result = documentService.searchDocuments(
+                null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, DocumentSort.SENDER, "asc");
+
+        assertThat(result).hasSize(2);
+        assertThat(result).extracting(Document::getTitle).containsExactly("Has Sender", "No Sender");
+    }
 }