diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/event.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/event.js
index ad94b3cb..1873a5ca 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/event.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/event.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 
 modulejs.define('core/event', ['_'], function (_) {
 
-	var subscriptions = {},
+	var slice = Array.prototype.slice,
+		subscriptions = {},
 
 		sub = function (topic, callback) {
 
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ modulejs.define('core/event', ['_'], function (_) {
 
 		pub = function (topic, data) {
 
-			var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 1);
+			var args = slice.call(arguments, 1);
 
 			// console.log('EVENT PUB', topic, args);
 			if (_.isString(topic) && subscriptions[topic]) {
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/format.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/format.js
index d2267d5c..9d6cc225 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/format.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/format.js
@@ -14,15 +14,9 @@ modulejs.define('core/format', ['_', 'moment'], function (_, moment) {
 		defaultMetric = decimalMetric,
 		defaultDateFormat = 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm',
 
-		setDefaultMetric = function (metric) {
+		setDefaultMetric = function (useBinaryMetric) {
 
-			if (!metric) {
-				defaultMetric = decimalMetric;
-			} else if (metric === true) {
-				defaultMetric = binaryMetric;
-			} else {
-				defaultMetric = metric;
-			}
+			defaultMetric = useBinaryMetric ? binaryMetric : decimalMetric;
 		},
 
 		formatSize = function (size, metric) {
@@ -48,13 +42,9 @@ modulejs.define('core/format', ['_', 'moment'], function (_, moment) {
 			defaultDateFormat = dateFormat;
 		},
 
-		formatDate = function (millis, dateFormat) {
+		formatDate = function (millis) {
 
-			if (!_.isNumber(millis) || !millis) {
-				return '';
-			}
-
-			return moment(millis).format(dateFormat || defaultDateFormat);
+			return _.isNumber(millis) && millis ? moment(millis).format(defaultDateFormat) : '';
 		};
 
 	return {
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/sort.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/sort.js
index 485497c3..268f6a43 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/sort.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/sort.js
@@ -65,7 +65,14 @@ modulejs.define('ext/sort', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/resource', 'core/e
 
 			$all.removeClass('ascending').removeClass('descending');
 			order.head.addClass(order.clas);
-			$('#items .item').detach().sort(order.fn).appendTo('#items');
+			var current = $('#items .item');
+			var sorted = $('#items .item').sort(order.fn);
+			for (var i = 0, l = current.length; i < l; i += 1) {
+				if (current[i] !== sorted[i]) {
+					sorted.detach().sort(order.fn).appendTo('#items');
+					break;
+				}
+			}
 		},
 
 		onContentChanged = function (item) {
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/view/items.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/view/items.js
index 5e3a99de..b2b2acbd 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/view/items.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/view/items.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ modulejs.define('view/items', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/resource', 'core
 						'</a>' +
 					'</li>',
 		hintTemplate = '<span class="hint"/>',
-		itemsTemplate = '<ul id="items">' +
+		itemsTemplate = '<ul id="items" class="clearfix">' +
 							'<li class="header">' +
 								'<a class="icon"/>' +
 								'<a class="label" href="#"><span class="l10n-name"/></a>' +
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ modulejs.define('view/items', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/resource', 'core
 							'</li>' +
 						'</ul>',
 		emptyTemplate = '<div class="empty l10n-empty"/>',
-		contentTemplate = '<div id="content"><div id="extended" class="clearfix"/></div>',
+		contentTemplate = '<div id="content"><div id="extended"/></div>',
 
 		// updates this single item
 		update = function (item, force) {