diff --git a/viator-collector.zip b/viator-collector.zip
index fa293a3..5d0bba9 100644
Binary files a/viator-collector.zip and b/viator-collector.zip differ
diff --git a/viator-collector/includes/class-vc-display.php b/viator-collector/includes/class-vc-display.php
index da13687..5fca79d 100644
--- a/viator-collector/includes/class-vc-display.php
+++ b/viator-collector/includes/class-vc-display.php
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ class VC_Display {
 	 */
 	public static function build_query_vars( array $base_tax = array() ) {
 		$f    = self::get_filter_state();
-		$vars = array( 'posts_per_page' => 12 );
+		$vars = array( 'posts_per_page' => 12, 'ignore_sticky_posts' => true );
 
 		if ( '' !== $f['q'] ) {
 			$vars['s'] = $f['q'];
@@ -346,46 +346,39 @@ class VC_Display {
 		if ( $f['sellout'] ) {
 			$meta_query[] = array( 'key' => '_vc_flags', 'value' => 'LIKELY_TO_SELL_OUT', 'compare' => 'LIKE' );
 		}
-		// Featured tours always sort first, whatever the chosen sort. OR/NOT
-		// EXISTS keeps non-featured tours in the results too.
-		$meta_query['vc_featured'] = array(
-			'relation' => 'OR',
-			array( 'key' => '_vc_featured', 'value' => '1', 'compare' => '=' ),
-			array( 'key' => '_vc_featured', 'compare' => 'NOT EXISTS' ),
-		);
-
-		$orderby = array( 'vc_featured' => 'DESC' );
-
+		// Sort. Performance: the default (newest) orders by post date only — no
+		// postmeta JOIN and no featured/review tiebreak — so the unfiltered
+		// archive stays fast even with a very large catalogue (tens of thousands
+		// of tours). Price/rating sorts add a single meta_key JOIN, on demand.
 		switch ( $f['sort'] ) {
 			case 'price_asc':
-				$meta_query['vc_price'] = array( 'key' => '_vc_price_from', 'type' => 'DECIMAL', 'compare' => 'EXISTS' );
-				$orderby['vc_price']    = 'ASC';
+				$vars['meta_key'] = '_vc_price_from';
+				$vars['orderby']  = 'meta_value_num';
+				$vars['order']    = 'ASC';
 				break;
 			case 'price_desc':
-				$meta_query['vc_price'] = array( 'key' => '_vc_price_from', 'type' => 'DECIMAL', 'compare' => 'EXISTS' );
-				$orderby['vc_price']    = 'DESC';
+				$vars['meta_key'] = '_vc_price_from';
+				$vars['orderby']  = 'meta_value_num';
+				$vars['order']    = 'DESC';
 				break;
 			case 'rating':
-				$meta_query['vc_rating_sort'] = array( 'key' => '_vc_rating', 'type' => 'DECIMAL', 'compare' => 'EXISTS' );
-				$orderby['vc_rating_sort']    = 'DESC';
+				$vars['meta_key'] = '_vc_rating';
+				$vars['orderby']  = 'meta_value_num';
+				$vars['order']    = 'DESC';
 				break;
+			default:
+				$vars['orderby'] = 'date';
+				$vars['order']   = 'DESC';
 		}
 
-		// Keep the selected sort as the primary order, then prefer the more
-		// established tour when two products otherwise rank the same.
-		$meta_query['vc_reviews_sort'] = array(
-			'key'     => '_vc_review_count',
-			'type'    => 'NUMERIC',
-			'compare' => 'EXISTS',
-		);
-		$orderby['vc_reviews_sort'] = 'DESC';
-		$orderby['date'] = 'DESC'; // stable tiebreak
-
-		if ( count( $meta_query ) > 1 ) {
-			$meta_query['relation'] = 'AND';
+		// Only attach a meta_query when a filter is actually active, so the plain
+		// archive query carries no postmeta joins at all.
+		if ( ! empty( $meta_query ) ) {
+			if ( count( $meta_query ) > 1 ) {
+				$meta_query['relation'] = 'AND';
+			}
+			$vars['meta_query'] = $meta_query;
 		}
-		$vars['meta_query'] = $meta_query;
-		$vars['orderby']    = $orderby;
 
 		return $vars;
 	}
diff --git a/viator-collector/viator-collector.php b/viator-collector/viator-collector.php
index 0a6d035..939b2a9 100644
--- a/viator-collector/viator-collector.php
+++ b/viator-collector/viator-collector.php
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ defined('ABSPATH') || exit;
 /**
  * Plugin Name: Viator Collector
  * Description: Import Viator tours using the Viator Partner API and display them with native WordPress post types, templates, and shortcodes.
- * Version: 1.8.3
+ * Version: 1.8.4
  * Author: Amir Bagheri
  * License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  * Text Domain: viator-collector
  */
 
-define('VC_VERSION', '1.8.3');
+define('VC_VERSION', '1.8.4');
 define('VC_PLUGIN_FILE', __FILE__);
 define('VC_PLUGIN_DIR', plugin_dir_path(__FILE__));
 define('VC_PLUGIN_URL', plugin_dir_url(__FILE__));