diff --git a/sample-config/default-config.toml b/sample-config/default-config.toml
index 94e8434..ef053de 100644
--- a/sample-config/default-config.toml
+++ b/sample-config/default-config.toml
@@ -41,10 +41,13 @@ exclude = [] # list of regexes for excluded app ids (name of the .desktop file)
 # use "" to disable launching commands
 command_prefix = ":"
 
+frequent_first = true # sort matches of equal quality by most frequently used
 recent_first = true # sort matches of equal quality by most recently used
+# when both frequent_first and recent_first are set,
+# sorting is by frequency first, and recency is used to break ties in frequency
 
 # term_command = "alacritty -e {}" # command for applications run in terminal (default uses "$TERMINAL -e")
 
 # specify name overrides (id is the name of the desktop file)
 [name_overrides]
-# id = "name\rextra"
\ No newline at end of file
+# id = "name\rextra"
diff --git a/src/app_entry.rs b/src/app_entry.rs
index 0855ddf..e09fe17 100644
--- a/src/app_entry.rs
+++ b/src/app_entry.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use gio::AppInfo;
 use glib::shell_unquote;
 use crate::locale::string_collate;
 
-use super::{consts::*, Config, Field, History};
+use super::{consts::*, Config, Field, HistoryData};
 use regex::RegexSet;
 
 #[derive(Eq)]
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ pub struct AppEntry {
     pub info: AppInfo,
     pub label: Label,
     pub score: i64,
-    pub last_used: u64,
+    pub history: HistoryData
 }
 
 impl AppEntry {
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ impl AppEntry {
 
         add_attrs(&attr_list, &config.markup_default, 0, self.display_string.len() as u32);
         if let Some((lo, hi)) = self.extra_range {
-            add_attrs(&attr_list, &config.markup_extra, lo, hi);   
+            add_attrs(&attr_list, &config.markup_extra, lo, hi);
         }
         self.label.set_attributes(Some(&attr_list));
     }
@@ -81,15 +81,18 @@ impl AppEntry {
 
 impl PartialEq for AppEntry {
     fn eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool {
-        self.score.eq(&other.score) && self.last_used.eq(&other.last_used)
+        self.score.eq(&other.score) && self.history.eq(&other.history)
     }
 }
 
 impl Ord for AppEntry {
     fn cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Ordering {
         match self.score.cmp(&other.score) {
-            Ordering::Equal => match self.last_used.cmp(&other.last_used) {
-                Ordering::Equal => string_collate(&self.display_string, &other.display_string),
+            Ordering::Equal => match self.history.usage_count.cmp(&other.history.usage_count) {
+                Ordering::Equal => match self.history.last_used.cmp(&other.history.last_used) {
+                    Ordering::Equal => string_collate(&self.display_string, &other.display_string),
+                    ord => ord.reverse()
+                }
                 ord => ord.reverse()
             }
             ord => ord.reverse()
@@ -129,7 +132,8 @@ fn add_attrs(list: &AttrList, attrs: &Vec<Attribute>, start: u32, end: u32) {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn load_entries(config: &Config, history: &History) -> HashMap<ListBoxRow, AppEntry> {
+pub fn load_entries(config: &Config, history: &HashMap<String, HistoryData>)
+  -> HashMap<ListBoxRow, AppEntry> {
     let mut entries = HashMap::new();
     let icon_theme = IconTheme::default().unwrap();
     let apps = gio::AppInfo::all();
@@ -151,14 +155,14 @@ pub fn load_entries(config: &Config, history: &History) -> HashMap<ListBoxRow, A
             continue
         }
 
-        let (display_string, extra_range) = if let Some(name) 
+        let (display_string, extra_range) = if let Some(name)
                 = get_app_field(&app, Field::Id).and_then(|id| config.name_overrides.get(&id)) {
             let i = name.find('\r');
             (name.replace('\r', " "), i.map(|i| (i as u32 +1, name.len() as u32)))
         } else {
             let extra = config.extra_field.get(0).and_then(|f| get_app_field(&app, *f));
             match extra {
-                Some(e) if (!config.hide_extra_if_contained || !name.to_lowercase().contains(&e.to_lowercase())) => (format!("{} {}", name, e), 
+                Some(e) if (!config.hide_extra_if_contained || !name.to_lowercase().contains(&e.to_lowercase())) => (format!("{} {}", name, e),
                     Some((name.len() as u32 + 1, name.len() as u32 + 1 + e.len() as u32))),
                 _ => (name, None)
             }
@@ -202,9 +206,9 @@ pub fn load_entries(config: &Config, history: &History) -> HashMap<ListBoxRow, A
         row.add(&hbox);
         row.style_context().add_class(APP_ROW_CLASS);
 
-        let last_used = if config.recent_first {
-            history.last_used.get(&id).copied().unwrap_or_default()
-        } else { 0 };
+        let history_data = history.get(&id).copied().unwrap_or_default();
+        let last_used = if config.recent_first { history_data.last_used } else { 0 };
+        let usage_count = if config.frequent_first { history_data.usage_count } else { 0 };
 
         let app_entry = AppEntry {
             display_string,
@@ -213,7 +217,7 @@ pub fn load_entries(config: &Config, history: &History) -> HashMap<ListBoxRow, A
             info: app,
             label,
             score: 100,
-            last_used,
+            history: HistoryData { last_used, usage_count }
         };
         app_entry.set_markup(config);
         entries.insert(row, app_entry);
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 2830890..7ad184e 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ make_config!(Config {
     markup_highlight: Vec<Attribute> = (parse_attributes("foreground=\"red\" underline=\"double\"").unwrap()) "markup_highlight" [deserialize_with = "deserialize_markup"],
     markup_extra: Vec<Attribute> = (parse_attributes("font_style=\"italic\" font_size=\"smaller\"").unwrap()) "markup_extra" [deserialize_with = "deserialize_markup"],
     exclusive: bool = (true) "exclusive",
+    frequent_first: bool = (true) "frequent_first",
     recent_first: bool = (true) "recent_first",
     icon_size: i32 = (64) "icon_size",
     lines: i32 = (2) "lines",
diff --git a/src/history.rs b/src/history.rs
index 76cd35f..d3537df 100644
--- a/src/history.rs
+++ b/src/history.rs
@@ -5,31 +5,42 @@ use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 use super::util::get_history_file;
 use std::fs::File;
 
-#[derive(Deserialize, Serialize)]
-pub struct History {
-    pub last_used: HashMap<String, u64>
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Default, Eq, Deserialize, Serialize)]
+pub struct HistoryData {
+    pub last_used : u64,
+    pub usage_count : u32
 }
 
-impl History {
-    pub fn load() -> History {
-        match get_history_file(false) {
-            Some(file) => {
-                let config_str = std::fs::read_to_string(file).expect("Cannot read history file");
-                toml::from_str(&config_str).expect("Cannot parse config: {}")
-            },
-            _ => History { last_used: HashMap::new() }
-        }
+impl PartialEq for HistoryData {
+    fn eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool {
+        self.last_used.eq(&other.last_used) && self.usage_count.eq(&other.usage_count)
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn load_history() -> HashMap<String, HistoryData> {
+    match get_history_file(false) {
+        Some(file) => {
+            let config_str = std::fs::read_to_string(file).expect("Cannot read history file");
+            toml::from_str(&config_str).expect("Cannot parse config: {}")
+        },
+        _ => HashMap::new()
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn save_history(history: &HashMap<String, HistoryData>) {
+    let file = get_history_file(true).expect("Cannot create history file or cache directory");
+    let mut file = File::create(file).expect("Cannot open history file for writing");
+    let s = toml::to_string(history).unwrap();
+    file.write_all(s.as_bytes()).expect("Cannot write to history file");
+}
+
+pub fn update_history(history: &mut HashMap<String, HistoryData>, id: &str) {
+    let epoch = SystemTime::now().duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH).expect("Time went backwards");
+    let usage_count;
+    match history.get(&id.to_string()) {
+        Some(history_match) => { usage_count = history_match.usage_count + 1 },
+        None => { usage_count = 1 }
     }
 
-    pub fn save(&self) {
-        let file = get_history_file(true).expect("Cannot create history file or cache directory");
-        let mut file = File::create(file).expect("Cannot open history file for writing");
-        let s = toml::to_string(self).unwrap();
-        file.write_all(s.as_bytes()).expect("Cannot write to history file");
-    }
-
-    pub fn update(&mut self, id: &str) {
-        let epoch = SystemTime::now().duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH).expect("Time went backwards");
-        self.last_used.insert(id.to_string(), epoch.as_secs());
-    }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    history.insert( id.to_string(), HistoryData{ last_used: epoch.as_secs(), usage_count } );
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index b02e31a..ab02d00 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ fn app_startup(application: &gtk::Application) {
     let listbox = gtk::ListBoxBuilder::new().name(LISTBOX_NAME).build();
     scroll.add(&listbox);
 
-    let history = Rc::new(RefCell::new(History::load()));
+    let history = Rc::new(RefCell::new(load_history()));
     let entries = Rc::new(RefCell::new(load_entries(&config, &history.borrow())));
 
     for (row, _) in &entries.borrow() as &HashMap<ListBoxRow, AppEntry> {
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ fn app_startup(application: &gtk::Application) {
             launch_app(&e.info, term_command.as_deref());
 
             let mut history = history.borrow_mut();
-            history.update(e.info.id().unwrap().as_str());
-            history.save();
+            update_history(&mut history, e.info.id().unwrap().as_str());
+            save_history(&history);
 
             window.close();
         }