diff --git a/rattail/commands/typer.py b/rattail/commands/typer.py
index 7ccdbca8..8df23823 100644
--- a/rattail/commands/typer.py
+++ b/rattail/commands/typer.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ from typing import List, Optional
 
 import makefun
 import typer
+from click import Context
+from typer.core import TyperGroup
 from typing_extensions import Annotated
 from wuttjamaican.util import load_entry_points
 
@@ -39,6 +41,28 @@ from rattail.config import make_config
 from rattail.progress import ConsoleProgress, SocketProgress
 
 
+# nb. typer "by design" will not sort the commands listing, but we
+# definitely want that (until someone says otherwise).
+# nb. thanks to the following, for pointers
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/78351533
+# https://github.com/fastapi/typer/issues/428#issuecomment-1238866548
+class OrderCommands(TyperGroup):
+    """
+    Custom base class for top-level Typer command.
+
+    This exists only to ensure the commands listing is sorted when
+    displayed with ``--help`` param, since Typer "by design" will not
+    sort them.
+
+    See also this `Typer doc
+    <https://typer.tiangolo.com/tutorial/commands/#sorting-of-the-commands>`_.
+    """
+
+    def list_commands(self, ctx: Context):
+        """ """
+        return sorted(self.commands)
+
+
 def make_typer(**kwargs):
     """
     Create a Typer command instance, per Rattail conventions.
@@ -49,6 +73,7 @@ def make_typer(**kwargs):
 
     :returns: ``typer.Typer`` instance
     """
+    kwargs.setdefault('cls', OrderCommands)
     kwargs.setdefault('callback', typer_callback)
     return typer.Typer(**kwargs)
 
diff --git a/tests/commands/test_typer.py b/tests/commands/test_typer.py
index 7c14d354..be9e28a1 100644
--- a/tests/commands/test_typer.py
+++ b/tests/commands/test_typer.py
@@ -8,6 +8,29 @@ from wuttjamaican.testing import FileConfigTestCase
 from rattail.commands import typer as mod
 
 
+class TestOrderCommands(TestCase):
+
+    def test_list_commands(self):
+        cmd = mod.make_typer()
+        ctx = MagicMock()
+
+        @cmd.command()
+        def func_xyz(ctx):
+            pass
+
+        @cmd.command()
+        def func_abc(ctx):
+            pass
+
+        # TODO: ultimately i could not figure out how to inspect the
+        # typer cmd well enough to test anything, so had to just
+        # instantiate and mock the class under test
+        self.assertIs(cmd.info.cls, mod.OrderCommands)
+        inst = mod.OrderCommands()
+        with patch.object(inst, 'commands', new=['func_xyz', 'func_abc']):
+            self.assertEqual(inst.list_commands(ctx), ['func_abc', 'func_xyz'])
+
+
 class TestMakeCliConfig(FileConfigTestCase):
 
     def test_basic(self):