diff --git a/src/Backend/App.vala b/src/Backend/App.vala
index e312d4afd..7b10ab8b3 100644
--- a/src/Backend/App.vala
+++ b/src/Backend/App.vala
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.App : Object {
     public string exec { get; private set; }
     public string[] keywords { get; private set;}
     public Icon icon { get; private set; default = new ThemedIcon ("application-default-icon"); }
-    public double popularity { get; set; }
+    public int popularity { get; set; }
     public string desktop_path { get; private set; }
     public string categories { get; private set; }
     public string generic_name { get; private set; default = ""; }
diff --git a/src/Backend/AppSystem.vala b/src/Backend/AppSystem.vala
index 49950c1bc..de9dc79e8 100644
--- a/src/Backend/AppSystem.vala
+++ b/src/Backend/AppSystem.vala
@@ -63,13 +63,19 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.AppSystem : Object {
     private void update_app_system () {
         debug ("Updating Applications menu tree…");
 #if HAVE_ZEITGEIST
-        rl_service.refresh_popularity ();
+        rl_service.refresh_popularity.begin ();
 #endif
 
         update_categories_index ();
         changed ();
     }
 
+    public async void update_popularities () {
+#if HAVE_ZEITGEIST
+        yield rl_service.refresh_popularity ();
+#endif
+    }
+
     private void update_categories_index () {
         categories_cache.clear ();
 
@@ -220,4 +226,30 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.AppSystem : Object {
     private static int sort_apps_by_name (Backend.App a, Backend.App b) {
         return a.name.collate (b.name);
     }
+
+#if HAVE_ZEITGEIST
+    public SList<App> get_apps_by_popularity () {
+        var sorted_apps = new SList<App> ();
+        string[] sorted_apps_execs = {};
+
+        foreach (Gee.ArrayList<App> category in apps.values) {
+            foreach (App app in category) {
+                if (!(app.exec in sorted_apps_execs)) {
+                    sorted_apps.insert_sorted_with_data (app, sort_apps_by_popularity);
+                    sorted_apps_execs += app.exec;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return sorted_apps;
+    }
+
+    private static int sort_apps_by_popularity (Backend.App a, Backend.App b) {
+        if (a.popularity == b.popularity) {
+            return a.name.collate (b.name);
+        }
+
+        return a.popularity > b.popularity ? 1 : -1;
+    }
+#endif
 }
diff --git a/src/Backend/RelevancyService.vala b/src/Backend/RelevancyService.vala
index 364962f63..36882d0fc 100644
--- a/src/Backend/RelevancyService.vala
+++ b/src/Backend/RelevancyService.vala
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.RelevancyService : Object {
     private bool has_datahub_gio_module = false;
     private bool refreshing = false;
 
-    private const float MULTIPLIER = 65535.0f;
-
     public signal void update_complete ();
 
     public RelevancyService () {
@@ -35,10 +33,13 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.RelevancyService : Object {
         zg_log = new Zeitgeist.Log ();
         app_popularity = new Gee.HashMap<string, int> ();
 
-        refresh_popularity ();
+        refresh_popularity.begin ();
         check_data_sources.begin ();
 
-        Timeout.add_seconds (60*30, refresh_popularity);
+        Timeout.add_seconds (60*30, () => {
+            refresh_popularity.begin ();
+            return Source.CONTINUE;
+        });
 
     }
 
@@ -64,12 +65,12 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.RelevancyService : Object {
         }
     }
 
-    public bool refresh_popularity () {
-
-        load_application_relevancies.begin ();
+    public async bool refresh_popularity () {
+        yield load_application_relevancies ();
         return true;
 
     }
+
     private void reload_relevancies () {
 
         Idle.add_full (Priority.LOW, () => {
@@ -104,7 +105,6 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.RelevancyService : Object {
 
         var ptr_arr = new GLib.GenericArray<Zeitgeist.Event> ();
         ptr_arr.add (event);
-
         try {
             Zeitgeist.ResultSet rs = yield zg_log.find_events (tr, ptr_arr,
                     Zeitgeist.StorageState.ANY,
@@ -119,13 +119,15 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.RelevancyService : Object {
             // Zeitgeist (0.6) doesn't have any stats API, so let's approximate
 
             foreach (Zeitgeist.Event e in rs) {
+                if (e.num_subjects () <= 0) {
+                    continue;
+                }
 
-                if (e.num_subjects () <= 0) continue;
                 Zeitgeist.Subject s = e.get_subject (0);
 
-                float power = index / (size * 2) + 0.5f; // linearly <0.5, 1.0>
-                float relevancy = 1.0f / Math.powf (index + 1, power);
-                app_popularity[s.uri] = (int)(relevancy * MULTIPLIER);
+                // Simply use the (inverted) order of the app in the result set as
+                // measure of popularity for now.  Suffices for the applications menu.
+                app_popularity[s.uri] = (int) (size - index);
                 index++;
             }
             update_complete ();
@@ -137,15 +139,15 @@ public class Slingshot.Backend.RelevancyService : Object {
         }
     }
 
-    public float get_app_popularity (string desktop_id) {
-
+    public int get_app_popularity (string desktop_id) {
         var id = "application://" + desktop_id;
 
         if (app_popularity.has_key (id)) {
-            return app_popularity[id] / MULTIPLIER;
+            // return app_popularity[id] / MULTIPLIER;
+            return app_popularity[id];
         }
 
-        return 0.0f;
+        return 0;
     }
 
     public void app_launched (App app) {
diff --git a/src/Indicator.vala b/src/Indicator.vala
index 4aa2843f3..218c1a06c 100644
--- a/src/Indicator.vala
+++ b/src/Indicator.vala
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 public class Slingshot.Indicator : Wingpanel.Indicator {
     private const string KEYBINDING_SCHEMA = "io.elementary.desktop.wm.keybindings";
     private const string GALA_BEHAVIOR_SCHEMA = "io.elementary.desktop.wm.behavior";
+    private const string DOCK_SCHEMA = "io.elementary.dock";
 
     private DBusService? dbus_service = null;
     private Gtk.Grid? indicator_grid = null;
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ public class Slingshot.Indicator : Wingpanel.Indicator {
 
     private static GLib.Settings? keybinding_settings;
     private static GLib.Settings? gala_behavior_settings;
+    private static GLib.Settings? dock_settings;
 
     public Indicator () {
         Object (code_name: Wingpanel.Indicator.APP_LAUNCHER);
@@ -39,6 +41,10 @@ public class Slingshot.Indicator : Wingpanel.Indicator {
         if (SettingsSchemaSource.get_default ().lookup (GALA_BEHAVIOR_SCHEMA, true) != null) {
             gala_behavior_settings = new GLib.Settings (GALA_BEHAVIOR_SCHEMA);
         }
+
+        if (SettingsSchemaSource.get_default ().lookup (DOCK_SCHEMA, true) != null) {
+            dock_settings = new GLib.Settings (DOCK_SCHEMA);
+        }
     }
 
     construct {
@@ -54,19 +60,6 @@ public class Slingshot.Indicator : Wingpanel.Indicator {
     }
 
     public override Gtk.Widget? get_widget () {
-        if (view == null) {
-            view = new SlingshotView ();
-
-            unowned var unity_client = Unity.get_default ();
-            unity_client.add_client (view);
-
-            view.close_indicator.connect (on_close_indicator);
-
-            if (dbus_service == null) {
-                dbus_service = new DBusService (view);
-            }
-        }
-
         return view;
     }
 
@@ -101,12 +94,42 @@ public class Slingshot.Indicator : Wingpanel.Indicator {
 
         visible = true;
 
+        // Create the view now so that there is time for app popularities to initialise
+        // before the view is shown for the first time.
+        if (view == null) {
+            view = new SlingshotView ();
+
+            unowned var unity_client = Unity.get_default ();
+            unity_client.add_client (view);
+
+            view.close_indicator.connect (on_close_indicator);
+
+            if (dbus_service == null) {
+                dbus_service = new DBusService (view);
+            }
+
+            if (dock_settings != null) {
+                dock_settings.changed.connect ((key) => {
+                    if (key == "launchers") {
+                        view.update (dock_settings.get_strv ("launchers"));
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Wait for AppSystem to initialize
+        Idle.add (() => {
+            view.update (dock_settings != null ? dock_settings.get_strv ("launchers") : null);
+            return Source.REMOVE;
+        });
+
         return indicator_grid;
     }
 
     public override void opened () {
-        if (view != null)
+        if (view != null) {
             view.show_slingshot ();
+        }
     }
 
     public override void closed () {
diff --git a/src/SlingshotView.vala b/src/SlingshotView.vala
index d490acc93..436c00423 100644
--- a/src/SlingshotView.vala
+++ b/src/SlingshotView.vala
@@ -159,11 +159,14 @@ public class Slingshot.SlingshotView : Gtk.Grid, UnityClient {
         // Auto-update applications grid
         app_system.changed.connect (() => {
             grid_view.populate (app_system);
-
-            category_view.setup_sidebar ();
+            category_view.update (null);
         });
     }
 
+    public void update (string[] pinned) {
+        category_view.update (pinned);
+    }
+
     public void update_launcher_entry (string sender_name, GLib.Variant parameters, bool is_retry = false) {
         if (!is_retry) {
             // Wait to let further update requests come in to catch the case where one application
@@ -323,6 +326,7 @@ public class Slingshot.SlingshotView : Gtk.Grid, UnityClient {
 
     public void show_slingshot () {
         search_entry.text = "";
+        category_view.update (null);
 
     /* TODO
         set_focus (null);
diff --git a/src/Views/CategoryView.vala b/src/Views/CategoryView.vala
index 04c97828c..bd93ab477 100644
--- a/src/Views/CategoryView.vala
+++ b/src/Views/CategoryView.vala
@@ -19,13 +19,19 @@
 public class Slingshot.Widgets.CategoryView : Gtk.EventBox {
     public signal void search_focus_request ();
 
+    public const string PINNED_CATEGORY = N_("Pinned");
+    public const string RECENT_CATEGORY = N_("Recent");
+    public const double MIN_POPULARITY = 1;
+
     public SlingshotView view { get; construct; }
 
     private bool dragging = false;
     private string? drag_uri = null;
     private NavListBox category_switcher;
     private NavListBox listbox;
-
+    private Gee.ArrayList<string> pinned;
+    private bool show_pinned = true;
+    private Gee.ArrayList<string> popular_apps;
     private const Gtk.TargetEntry DND = { "text/uri-list", 0, 0 };
 
     public CategoryView (SlingshotView view) {
@@ -36,6 +42,11 @@ public class Slingshot.Widgets.CategoryView : Gtk.EventBox {
         set_visible_window (false);
         hexpand = true;
 
+        popular_apps = new Gee.ArrayList<string> ();
+        pinned = new Gee.ArrayList<string> ();
+#if HAVE_ZEITGEIST
+        show_pinned = false;
+#endif
         category_switcher = new NavListBox ();
         category_switcher.selection_mode = Gtk.SelectionMode.BROWSE;
         category_switcher.set_sort_func ((Gtk.ListBoxSortFunc) category_sort_func);
@@ -65,7 +76,12 @@ public class Slingshot.Widgets.CategoryView : Gtk.EventBox {
 
         add (container);
 
-        category_switcher.row_selected.connect (() => {
+        category_switcher.row_selected.connect ((row) => {
+            if (row != null && ((CategoryRow) row).cat_name == _(RECENT_CATEGORY)) {
+                listbox.set_sort_func ((Gtk.ListBoxSortFunc) recent_sort_func);
+            } else {
+                listbox.set_sort_func (null);
+            }
             listbox.invalidate_filter ();
         });
 
@@ -121,7 +137,7 @@ public class Slingshot.Widgets.CategoryView : Gtk.EventBox {
                 var drag_item = (AppListRow) selected_row;
                 drag_uri = "file://" + drag_item.desktop_path;
                 if (drag_uri != null) {
-                    Gtk.drag_set_icon_gicon (ctx, drag_item.app_info.get_icon (), 32, 32);
+                    Gtk.drag_set_icon_gicon (ctx, drag_item.icon, 32, 32);
                 }
 
                 view.close_indicator ();
@@ -151,9 +167,25 @@ public class Slingshot.Widgets.CategoryView : Gtk.EventBox {
     }
 
     private static int category_sort_func (CategoryRow row1, CategoryRow row2) {
+        if (row1.cat_name == _(RECENT_CATEGORY)) {
+            return -1;
+        }
+
+        if (row1.cat_name == _(PINNED_CATEGORY)) {
+            return row2.cat_name != _(RECENT_CATEGORY) ? -1 : 1;
+        }
+
         return row1.cat_name.collate (row2.cat_name);
     }
 
+    private static int recent_sort_func (AppListRow row1, AppListRow row2) {
+        if (row1.popularity == row2.popularity) {
+            return row1.display_name.collate (row2.display_name);
+        }
+
+        return row1.popularity > row2.popularity ? -1 : 1;
+    }
+
     private bool create_context_menu (Gdk.Event event) {
         var selected_row = (AppListRow) listbox.get_selected_row ();
 
@@ -193,7 +225,7 @@ public class Slingshot.Widgets.CategoryView : Gtk.EventBox {
         }
     }
 
-    public void setup_sidebar () {
+    private CategoryRow? setup_sidebar () {
         CategoryRow? old_selected = (CategoryRow) category_switcher.get_selected_row ();
         foreach (unowned Gtk.Widget child in category_switcher.get_children ()) {
             child.destroy ();
@@ -202,12 +234,29 @@ public class Slingshot.Widgets.CategoryView : Gtk.EventBox {
         listbox.foreach ((app_list_row) => listbox.remove (app_list_row));
 
         foreach (unowned Backend.App app in view.app_system.get_apps_by_name ()) {
-            listbox.add (new AppListRow (app.desktop_id, app.desktop_path));
+            listbox.add (new AppListRow (app));
         }
+
         listbox.show_all ();
 
         // Fill the sidebar
-        unowned Gtk.ListBoxRow? new_selected = null;
+        CategoryRow? new_selected = null;
+        CategoryRow? recent_row = null;
+        CategoryRow? pinned_row = null;
+        int n_rows = 0;
+        // Add pinned/recent category if there are any pinned/recent apps
+        if (popular_apps.size > 0) {
+            recent_row = new CategoryRow (_(RECENT_CATEGORY));
+            category_switcher.add (recent_row);
+            n_rows++;
+        }
+
+        if (pinned.size > 0) {
+            pinned_row = new CategoryRow (_(PINNED_CATEGORY));
+            category_switcher.add (pinned_row);
+            n_rows++;
+        }
+
         foreach (string cat_name in view.app_system.apps.keys) {
             if (cat_name == "switchboard") {
                 continue;
@@ -215,19 +264,62 @@ public class Slingshot.Widgets.CategoryView : Gtk.EventBox {
 
             var row = new CategoryRow (cat_name);
             category_switcher.add (row);
-            if (old_selected != null && old_selected.cat_name == cat_name) {
-                new_selected = row;
+            n_rows++;
+        }
+
+        if (old_selected != null) {
+            for (int i = 0; i < n_rows; i++) {
+                var row = (CategoryRow) category_switcher.get_row_at_index (i);
+                if (old_selected.cat_name == row.cat_name) {
+                    new_selected = row;
+                    break;
+                }
             }
         }
 
         category_switcher.show_all ();
-        category_switcher.select_row (new_selected ?? category_switcher.get_row_at_index (0));
+        return new_selected ?? (recent_row ?? pinned_row);
+    }
+
+    public void update (string[]? pinned_apps) {
+        if (pinned_apps != null && show_pinned) {
+            pinned.clear ();
+            foreach (string app_id in pinned_apps) {
+                pinned.add (app_id);
+            }
+        }
+
+#if HAVE_ZEITGEIST
+        view.app_system.update_popularities.begin ((obj, res) => {
+            view.app_system.update_popularities.end (res);
+            popular_apps.clear ();
+            var popularity = view.app_system.get_apps_by_popularity ();
+            popularity.@foreach ((app) => {
+                popular_apps.add (app.desktop_id);
+            });
+            // Any new entries will not appear until next showing, but
+            // at lease resort the existing entries.
+            listbox.invalidate_filter ();
+            listbox.invalidate_sort ();
+        });
+#endif
+        var selected = setup_sidebar ();
+        category_switcher.select_row (selected);
+
     }
 
     [CCode (instance_pos = -1)]
     private bool filter_function (AppListRow row) {
         unowned CategoryRow category_row = (CategoryRow) category_switcher.get_selected_row ();
         if (category_row != null) {
+            if (category_row.cat_name == _(PINNED_CATEGORY)) {
+                return pinned.contains (row.app_id);
+            }
+
+            if (category_row.cat_name == _(RECENT_CATEGORY)) {
+                return popular_apps.contains (row.app_id);
+            }
+
             foreach (Backend.App app in view.app_system.apps[category_row.cat_name]) {
                 if (row.app_id == app.desktop_id) {
                     return true;
diff --git a/src/Widgets/AppListRow.vala b/src/Widgets/AppListRow.vala
index 9cf303586..94a373e19 100644
--- a/src/Widgets/AppListRow.vala
+++ b/src/Widgets/AppListRow.vala
@@ -17,21 +17,23 @@
  * Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
  */
 
-public class AppListRow : Gtk.ListBoxRow {
-    public string app_id { get; construct; }
-    public string desktop_path { get; construct; }
-    public GLib.DesktopAppInfo app_info { get; private set; }
+public class Slingshot.AppListRow : Gtk.ListBoxRow {
+    public Backend.App app {get; construct; }
+    public string app_id { get { return app.desktop_id; }}
+    public int popularity { get { return app.popularity; }}
+    public string desktop_path { get { return app.desktop_path; }}
+    public string display_name { get; private set; }
+    public Icon icon { get { return app_info.get_icon (); }}
+    private GLib.DesktopAppInfo app_info;
 
-    public AppListRow (string app_id, string desktop_path) {
+    public AppListRow (Backend.App app) {
         Object (
-            app_id: app_id,
-            desktop_path: desktop_path
+            app: app
         );
     }
 
     construct {
         app_info = new GLib.DesktopAppInfo (app_id);
-
         var icon = app_info.get_icon ();
         weak Gtk.IconTheme theme = Gtk.IconTheme.get_default ();
         if (icon == null || theme.lookup_by_gicon (icon, 32, Gtk.IconLookupFlags.USE_BUILTIN) == null) {
@@ -42,7 +44,8 @@ public class AppListRow : Gtk.ListBoxRow {
         image.gicon = icon;
         image.pixel_size = 32;
 
-        var name_label = new Gtk.Label (app_info.get_display_name ());
+        display_name = app_info.get_display_name ();
+        var name_label = new Gtk.Label (display_name);
         name_label.set_ellipsize (Pango.EllipsizeMode.END);
         name_label.xalign = 0;