diff --git a/client/components/site-selector/index.jsx b/client/components/site-selector/index.jsx
index 7dc3140eb61eb..420e71fea6fa2 100644
--- a/client/components/site-selector/index.jsx
+++ b/client/components/site-selector/index.jsx
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass( {
 		} else {
 			sites = this.props.sites.getVisible();
 		}
+		sites = this.props.sites.withSelectedFirst( sites );
 
 		// Render sites
 		siteElements = sites.map( function( site ) {
diff --git a/client/lib/sites-list/list.js b/client/lib/sites-list/list.js
index 5c3d2e4f8286a..4cda51c0e759f 100644
--- a/client/lib/sites-list/list.js
+++ b/client/lib/sites-list/list.js
@@ -371,11 +371,7 @@ SitesList.prototype.getSite = function( siteID ) {
 	}
 
 	return this.get().filter( function( site ) {
-		// We need to check `slug` before `domain` to grab the correct site on certain
-		// clashes between a domain redirect and a Jetpack site, as well as domains
-		// on subfolders, but we also need to look for the `domain` as a last resort
-		// to cover mapped domains for regular WP.com sites.
-		return site.ID === siteID || site.slug === siteID || site.domain === siteID || site.wpcom_url === siteID;
+		return siteMatchesSiteId( site, siteID );
 	}, this ).shift();
 };
 
@@ -577,4 +573,22 @@ SitesList.prototype.onUpdatedPlugin = function( site ) {
 	}
 };
 
+SitesList.prototype.withSelectedFirst = function( sites ) {
+	if ( ! this.selected ) {
+		// we return a copy, so that we are consistent with returning a copy in the other case
+		return sites.slice();
+	}
+
+	return sites.filter( site => siteMatchesSiteId( site, this.selected ) )
+			.concat( sites.filter( site => ! siteMatchesSiteId( site, this.selected ) ) );
+}
+
+function siteMatchesSiteId( site, siteID ) {
+	// We need to check `slug` before `domain` to grab the correct site on certain
+	// clashes between a domain redirect and a Jetpack site, as well as domains
+	// on subfolders, but we also need to look for the `domain` as a last resort
+	// to cover mapped domains for regular WP.com sites.
+	return site.ID === siteID || site.slug === siteID || site.domain === siteID || site.wpcom_url === siteID;
+}
+
 module.exports = SitesList;
diff --git a/client/lib/sites-list/test/test.js b/client/lib/sites-list/test/test.js
index e0a8c3cc256b3..bbcc9601e605d 100644
--- a/client/lib/sites-list/test/test.js
+++ b/client/lib/sites-list/test/test.js
@@ -101,4 +101,40 @@ describe( 'SitesList', function() {
 		} );
 	} );
 
+	describe( 'withSelectedFirst', function() {
+		it( 'should return empty array when given empty array', function() {
+			var sitesList = SitesList();
+			assert.deepEqual( [], sitesList.withSelectedFirst( [] ) );
+		} );
+		it( 'should return an equal array if there is no selected element', function() {
+			var sitesList = SitesList();
+			sitesList.selected = null;
+			assert.deepEqual( original, sitesList.withSelectedFirst( original ) );
+		} );
+		it( 'should keep the first element if it is selected', function() {
+			var sitesList = SitesList();
+			sitesList.initialize( original.slice() );
+			sitesList.selected = original[0].ID;
+			assert.deepEqual( original, sitesList.withSelectedFirst( original ) );
+		} );
+		it( 'should move the selected site to the front', function() {
+			var sitesList = SitesList(),
+				sites = [ {ID: 1}, {ID: 2}, {ID: 3} ];
+			sitesList.initialize( sites.slice() );
+			sitesList.selected = 2;
+			assert.deepEqual( [ {ID: 2}, {ID: 1}, {ID: 3}], sitesList.withSelectedFirst( sites ) );
+		} );
+		it( 'should not mutate original array', function() {
+			var sitesList = SitesList(),
+				sites = [ {ID: 1}, {ID: 2}, {ID: 3} ],
+				originalSites = sites.slice(),
+				after;
+			sitesList.initialize( sites.slice() );
+			sitesList.selected = 2;
+			sitesList.withSelectedFirst( sites );
+			after = assert.deepEqual( originalSites, sites );
+			assert( after !== sites );
+		} );
+	} );
+
 } );