diff --git a/app/services/exports/export_distributions_csv_service.rb b/app/services/exports/export_distributions_csv_service.rb
index dae6df149c..64557e3369 100644
--- a/app/services/exports/export_distributions_csv_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/exports/export_distributions_csv_service.rb
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def base_headers
     def item_headers
       return @item_headers if @item_headers
 
-      @item_headers = @organization.items.order(:created_at).distinct.select([:created_at, :name]).map(&:name)
+      @item_headers = @organization.items.select("DISTINCT ON (LOWER(name)) items.name").order("LOWER(name) ASC").map(&:name)
     end
 
     def build_row_data(distribution)
diff --git a/spec/services/exports/export_distributions_csv_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/exports/export_distributions_csv_service_spec.rb
index 5d31de5c75..89c041d825 100644
--- a/spec/services/exports/export_distributions_csv_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/exports/export_distributions_csv_service_spec.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
     let(:item_id) { duplicate_item.id }
     let(:item_name) { duplicate_item.name }
     let(:filters) { {by_item_id: item_id} }
-    let(:all_org_items) { Item.where(organization:).uniq.sort_by(&:created_at) }
+    let(:all_org_items) { Item.where(organization:).uniq.sort_by { |item| item.name.downcase } }
 
     let(:total_item_quantities) do
       template = all_org_items.pluck(:name).index_with(0)