diff --git a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/subtasks/OrderedListUpdater.java b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/subtasks/OrderedListUpdater.java
index cd02525e2..06ebd0516 100644
--- a/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/subtasks/OrderedListUpdater.java
+++ b/astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/subtasks/OrderedListUpdater.java
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ abstract public class OrderedListUpdater<LIST> {
         final AtomicInteger targetTaskIndent = new AtomicInteger(-1);
         final AtomicInteger previousIndent = new AtomicInteger(-1);
         final AtomicLong previousTask = new AtomicLong(-1);
+        final AtomicLong globalOrder = new AtomicLong(-1);
 
         iterateThroughList(filter, list, new OrderedListIterator() {
             @Override
@@ -88,6 +89,9 @@ abstract public class OrderedListUpdater<LIST> {
                 int indent = metadata.containsNonNullValue(indentProperty()) ?
                         metadata.getValue(indentProperty()) : 0;
 
+                long order = globalOrder.incrementAndGet();
+                metadata.setValue(orderProperty(), order);
+
                 if(targetTaskId == taskId) {
                     // if indenting is warranted, indent me and my children
                     if(indent + delta <= previousIndent.get() + 1 && indent + delta >= 0) {
@@ -116,6 +120,9 @@ abstract public class OrderedListUpdater<LIST> {
                     previousIndent.set(indent);
                     previousTask.set(taskId);
                 }
+
+                if(!metadata.isSaved())
+                    saveAndUpdateModifiedDate(metadata, taskId);
             }
 
         });