diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7458b66..8c99a3a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ WhichKey comes with the following defaults:
   hidden = { "<silent>", "<cmd>", "<Cmd>", "<CR>", "^:", "^ ", "^call ", "^lua " }, -- hide mapping boilerplate
   show_help = true, -- show a help message in the command line for using WhichKey
   show_keys = true, -- show the currently pressed key and its label as a message in the command line
+  sort_by_description = false, -- sort menu by description instead of keymaps
   triggers = "auto", -- automatically setup triggers
   -- triggers = {"<leader>"} -- or specifiy a list manually
   -- list of triggers, where WhichKey should not wait for timeoutlen and show immediately
diff --git a/lua/which-key/config.lua b/lua/which-key/config.lua
index bd97e90..09ef70d 100644
--- a/lua/which-key/config.lua
+++ b/lua/which-key/config.lua
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ local defaults = {
   show_help = true, -- show a help message in the command line for using WhichKey
   show_keys = true, -- show the currently pressed key and its label as a message in the command line
   triggers = "auto", -- automatically setup triggers
+  sort_by_description = false, -- sort menu by description instead of keymaps
   -- triggers = {"<leader>"} -- or specifiy a list manually
   -- list of triggers, where WhichKey should not wait for timeoutlen and show immediately
   triggers_nowait = {
diff --git a/lua/which-key/keys.lua b/lua/which-key/keys.lua
index aabb22c..7d57f5d 100644
--- a/lua/which-key/keys.lua
+++ b/lua/which-key/keys.lua
@@ -80,6 +80,29 @@ function M.process_motions(ret, mode, prefix_i, buf)
   end
 end
 
+function M.compare_by_keys(a, b)
+  local ak = (a.key or ""):lower()
+  local bk = (b.key or ""):lower()
+  local aw = ak:match("[a-z]") and 1 or 0
+  local bw = bk:match("[a-z]") and 1 or 0
+  if aw == bw then
+    return ak < bk
+  end
+  return aw < bw
+end
+
+function M.compare_by_desc(a, b)
+  local ad = a.desc or a.label
+  local bd = b.desc or b.label
+  if not ad then
+    return true
+  end
+  if not bd then
+    return false
+  end
+  return ad < bd
+end
+
 ---@return MappingGroup
 function M.get_mappings(mode, prefix_i, buf)
   ---@class MappingGroup
@@ -159,24 +182,23 @@ function M.get_mappings(mode, prefix_i, buf)
     end
   end
 
-  -- Sort items, but not for plugins
-  table.sort(tmp, function(a, b)
+  local comparator = function(a, b)
     if a.order and b.order then
       return a.order < b.order
     end
     if a.group == b.group then
-      local ak = (a.key or ""):lower()
-      local bk = (b.key or ""):lower()
-      local aw = ak:match("[a-z]") and 1 or 0
-      local bw = bk:match("[a-z]") and 1 or 0
-      if aw == bw then
-        return ak < bk
+      if Config.options.sort_by_description then
+        return M.compare_by_desc(a, b)
+      else
+        return M.compare_by_keys(a, b)
       end
-      return aw < bw
     else
       return (a.group and 1 or 0) < (b.group and 1 or 0)
     end
-  end)
+  end
+
+  -- Sort items, but not for plugins
+  table.sort(tmp, comparator)
   ret.mappings = tmp
 
   return ret