diff --git a/categories/files.go b/categories/files.go
index 7c51322..9bac8ac 100644
--- a/categories/files.go
+++ b/categories/files.go
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"github.com/bouncepaw/mycorrhiza/files"
 	"github.com/bouncepaw/mycorrhiza/util"
+	"golang.org/x/exp/slices"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"sort"
 	"sync"
 )
 
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ func Init() {
 		for i, hyphaName := range cat.Hyphae {
 			cat.Hyphae[i] = util.CanonicalName(hyphaName)
 		}
+		sort.Strings(cat.Hyphae)
 		categoryToHyphae[cat.Name] = &categoryNode{hyphaList: cat.Hyphae}
 	}
 
@@ -46,49 +49,44 @@ func Init() {
 }
 
 type categoryNode struct {
-	// TODO: ensure this is sorted
 	hyphaList []string
 }
 
 func (cn *categoryNode) storeHypha(hypname string) {
-	for _, hyphaName := range cn.hyphaList {
-		if hyphaName == hypname {
-			return
-		}
+	i, found := slices.BinarySearch(cn.hyphaList, hypname)
+	if found {
+		return
 	}
-	cn.hyphaList = append(cn.hyphaList, hypname)
+	cn.hyphaList = slices.Insert(cn.hyphaList, i, hypname)
 }
 
 func (cn *categoryNode) removeHypha(hypname string) {
-	for i, hyphaName := range cn.hyphaList {
-		if hyphaName == hypname {
-			cn.hyphaList[i] = cn.hyphaList[len(cn.hyphaList)-1]
-			cn.hyphaList = cn.hyphaList[:len(cn.hyphaList)-1]
-		}
+	i, found := slices.BinarySearch(cn.hyphaList, hypname)
+	if !found {
+		return
 	}
+	cn.hyphaList = slices.Delete(cn.hyphaList, i, i+1)
 }
 
 type hyphaNode struct {
-	// TODO: ensure this is sorted
 	categoryList []string
 }
 
+// inserts sorted
 func (hn *hyphaNode) storeCategory(cat string) {
-	for _, category := range hn.categoryList {
-		if category == cat {
-			return
-		}
+	i, found := slices.BinarySearch(hn.categoryList, cat)
+	if found {
+		return
 	}
-	hn.categoryList = append(hn.categoryList, cat)
+	hn.categoryList = slices.Insert(hn.categoryList, i, cat)
 }
 
 func (hn *hyphaNode) removeCategory(cat string) {
-	for i, category := range hn.categoryList {
-		if category == cat {
-			hn.categoryList[i] = hn.categoryList[len(hn.categoryList)-1]
-			hn.categoryList = hn.categoryList[:len(hn.categoryList)-1]
-		}
+	i, found := slices.BinarySearch(hn.categoryList, cat)
+	if !found {
+		return
 	}
+	hn.categoryList = slices.Delete(hn.categoryList, i, i+1)
 }
 
 type catFileRecord struct {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 6d1974e..ae35eab 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.0
 	github.com/valyala/quicktemplate v1.7.0
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20211108221036-ceb1ce70b4fa
+	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20220414153411-bcd21879b8fd
 	golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20210927222741-03fcf44c2211
 	golang.org/x/text v0.3.7
 )
@@ -24,7 +25,6 @@ require (
 // but do not commit the change to the path:
 //  replace github.com/bouncepaw/mycomarkup/v4 v4.0.0 => "/Users/bouncepaw/GolandProjects/mycomarkup"
 
-
 // Use this utility every time Mycomarkup gets a major update:
 // https://github.com/marwan-at-work/mod
 // Or maybe just ⌘⇧R every time, the utility is kinda weird.
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 8896013..b3aebfe 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 github.com/andybalholm/brotli v1.0.2/go.mod h1:loMXtMfwqflxFJPmdbJO0a3KNoPuLBgiu3qAvBg8x/Y=
 github.com/andybalholm/brotli v1.0.3/go.mod h1:fO7iG3H7G2nSZ7m0zPUDn85XEX2GTukHGRSepvi9Eig=
-github.com/bouncepaw/mycomarkup/v4 v3.6.2 h1:5zqb12aOw19xg8/0QIvgoA8oEW2doSdWqCbXltPEaPQ=
-github.com/bouncepaw/mycomarkup/v4 v3.6.2/go.mod h1:BpiGUVsYCgRZCDxF0iIdc08LJokm/Ab36S/Hif0J6D0=
 github.com/bouncepaw/mycomarkup/v4 v4.0.0 h1:qokseZ+otcFuQ5vARdvxKqjlEZFMvsjFJ7YpJ4sUr8c=
 github.com/bouncepaw/mycomarkup/v4 v4.0.0/go.mod h1:y0b8U6Xfnh3KfNUpG3QuAXRJwqFPPpmS2kYvLzaf688=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0 h1:ZDRjVQ15GmhC3fiQ8ni8+OwkZQO4DARzQgrnXU1Liz8=
@@ -34,6 +32,8 @@ github.com/valyala/tcplisten v1.0.0/go.mod h1:T0xQ8SeCZGxckz9qRXTfG43PvQ/mcWh7Fw
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210513164829-c07d793c2f9a/go.mod h1:P+XmwS30IXTQdn5tA2iutPOUgjI07+tq3H3K9MVA1s8=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20211108221036-ceb1ce70b4fa h1:idItI2DDfCokpg0N51B2VtiLdJ4vAuXC9fnCb2gACo4=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20211108221036-ceb1ce70b4fa/go.mod h1:GvvjBRRGRdwPK5ydBHafDWAxML/pGHZbMvKqRZ5+Abc=
+golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20220414153411-bcd21879b8fd h1:zVFyTKZN/Q7mNRWSs1GOYnHM9NiFSJ54YVRsD0rNWT4=
+golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20220414153411-bcd21879b8fd/go.mod h1:lgLbSvA5ygNOMpwM/9anMpWVlVJ7Z+cHWq/eFuinpGE=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210226172049-e18ecbb05110/go.mod h1:m0MpNAwzfU5UDzcl9v0D8zg8gWTRqZa9RBIspLL5mdg=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210510120150-4163338589ed/go.mod h1:9nx3DQGgdP8bBQD5qxJ1jj9UTztislL4KSBs9R2vV5Y=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=