diff --git a/apps/api/src/db/migrations/0002_yielding_mattie_franklin.sql b/apps/api/src/db/migrations/0002_yielding_mattie_franklin.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c1aa71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/db/migrations/0002_yielding_mattie_franklin.sql
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ALTER TABLE `list_items` MODIFY COLUMN `rank` varchar(255) COLLATE utf8mb4_bin NOT NULL;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/api/src/db/schema.ts b/apps/api/src/db/schema.ts
index ea7d8d9..6ebd148 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/db/schema.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/db/schema.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,20 @@ import {
   boolean,
   index,
   unique,
+  customType,
 } from 'drizzle-orm/mysql-core'
 
+// Custom varchar type with explicit binary collation.
+// Drizzle 0.45.x does not expose a first-class collation option on varchar,
+// so we use customType to emit `varchar(255) COLLATE utf8mb4_bin`.
+// utf8mb4_bin is required for fractional-indexing rank keys: uppercase-prefixed
+// ranks (e.g. 'Zz') must sort BEFORE lowercase ranks (e.g. 'a0') — matching JS
+// string order — so that drag-to-top persists across a DB ORDER BY rank.
+const varcharBin = (name: string) =>
+  customType<{ data: string; driverData: string }>({
+    dataType: () => 'varchar(255) COLLATE utf8mb4_bin',
+  })(name)
+
 // ── Phase 4: List tables ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // Imported by test/setup.ts for afterEach cleanup — keep exports consistent.
 
@@ -228,7 +240,7 @@ export const listItems = mysqlTable(
       .references(() => lists.id, { onDelete: 'cascade' }),
     text: varchar('text', { length: 500 }).notNull(),
     checked: boolean('checked').default(false).notNull(),
-    rank: varchar('rank', { length: 255 }).notNull(), // fractional-indexing string (D-13)
+    rank: varcharBin('rank').notNull(), // fractional-indexing string (D-13) — COLLATE utf8mb4_bin
     createdAt: timestamp('created_at').defaultNow().notNull(),
     updatedAt: timestamp('updated_at').defaultNow().onUpdateNow(),
   },