diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/resource/document.go b/pkg/storage/unified/resource/document.go
index c43082d69fe..cea910f81c4 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/resource/document.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/resource/document.go
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ func NewIndexableDocument(key *ResourceKey, rv int64, obj utils.GrafanaMetaAcces
 		Key:       key,
 		Kind:      key.Resource,
 		RV:        rv,
-		Title:     title, // We always want *something* to display
-		TitleSort: title,
+		Title:     title,                  // We always want *something* to display
+		TitleSort: strings.ToLower(title), // Lowercase for case-insensitive sorting
 		Labels:    obj.GetLabels(),
 		Folder:    obj.GetFolder(),
 		CreatedBy: obj.GetCreatedBy(),
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/dashboard-aaa-out.json b/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/dashboard-aaa-out.json
index 483d9784fa7..9a139b8446a 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/dashboard-aaa-out.json
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/dashboard-aaa-out.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   "kind": "dashboards",
   "rv": 1234,
   "title": "Test title",
-  "title_sort": "Test title",
+  "title_sort": "test title",
   "description": "test description",
   "tags": [
     "a",
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/playlist-aaa-out.json b/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/playlist-aaa-out.json
index 7a920b9390b..de3d5e3ea91 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/playlist-aaa-out.json
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/playlist-aaa-out.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   "kind": "dashboards",
   "rv": 1234,
   "title": "Test AAA",
-  "title_sort": "Test AAA",
+  "title_sort": "test aaa",
   "created": 1731336353000,
   "createdBy": "user:t000000001",
   "repository": {
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/report-aaa-out.json b/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/report-aaa-out.json
index 0cebe848345..e8c6945a1b9 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/report-aaa-out.json
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/search/testdata/doc/report-aaa-out.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   "kind": "dashboards",
   "rv": 1234,
   "title": "Test AAA",
-  "title_sort": "Test AAA",
+  "title_sort": "test aaa",
   "created": 1706690655000,
   "createdBy": "user:abc",
   "repository": {
diff --git a/public/app/features/search/service/unified.ts b/public/app/features/search/service/unified.ts
index 560a6382fbc..40f57501b1e 100644
--- a/public/app/features/search/service/unified.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/search/service/unified.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,10 @@ export class UnifiedSearcher implements GrafanaSearcher {
     uri += `?query=${encodeURIComponent(query.query ?? '*')}`;
     uri += `&limit=${query.limit ?? pageSize}`;
 
+    if (!isEmpty(query.location)) {
+      uri += `&folder=${query.location}`;
+    }
+
     if (query.kind) {
       // filter resource types
       uri += '&' + query.kind.map((kind) => `type=${kind}`).join('&');