diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/ru/dbotthepony/mc/otm/core/util/ItemSorter.kt b/src/main/kotlin/ru/dbotthepony/mc/otm/core/util/ItemSorter.kt
index fe6c1b229..a2034d840 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/ru/dbotthepony/mc/otm/core/util/ItemSorter.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/ru/dbotthepony/mc/otm/core/util/ItemSorter.kt
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@ package ru.dbotthepony.mc.otm.core.util
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.objects.Reference2IntFunction
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.objects.Reference2IntOpenHashMap
 import net.minecraft.network.chat.Component
+import net.minecraft.world.item.CreativeModeTabs
 import net.minecraft.world.item.Item
 import net.minecraftforge.common.CreativeModeTabRegistry
+import ru.dbotthepony.mc.otm.client.minecraft
 import ru.dbotthepony.mc.otm.core.TranslatableComponent
 import ru.dbotthepony.mc.otm.core.nullsFirst
 import ru.dbotthepony.mc.otm.core.nullsLast
@@ -23,14 +25,26 @@ object CreativeMenuComparator : Comparator<Item> {
 		item2index.defaultReturnValue(Int.MAX_VALUE)
 	}
 
+	private fun doRebuild() {
+		var i = 0
+
+		for (tab in CreativeModeTabRegistry.getSortedCreativeModeTabs()) {
+			for (item in tab.displayItems) {
+				item2index.computeIfAbsent(item.item, Reference2IntFunction { i++ })
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	private fun rebuild() {
 		if (item2index.isEmpty()) {
-			var i = 0
+			doRebuild()
 
-			for (tab in CreativeModeTabRegistry.getSortedCreativeModeTabs()) {
-				for (item in tab.displayItems) {
-					item2index.computeIfAbsent(item.item, Reference2IntFunction { i++ })
-				}
+			if (item2index.isEmpty()) {
+				val player = minecraft.player ?: return
+				// creative tabs were not populated yet
+				CreativeModeTabs.tryRebuildTabContents(player.connection.enabledFeatures(), false /* operator tabs */, player.level().registryAccess())
+
+				doRebuild()
 			}
 		}
 	}