diff --git a/RetroFE/Source/Collection/MenuParser.cpp b/RetroFE/Source/Collection/MenuParser.cpp
index 3ff41fa..defee6d 100644
--- a/RetroFE/Source/Collection/MenuParser.cpp
+++ b/RetroFE/Source/Collection/MenuParser.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #include "MenuParser.h"
 #include "CollectionInfo.h"
+#include "CollectionInfoBuilder.h"
 #include "Item.h"
 #include "../Utility/Log.h"
 #include "../Utility/Utils.h"
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ MenuParser::~MenuParser()
 }
 
 //todo: clean up this method, too much nesting
-bool MenuParser::buildMenuItems(CollectionInfo *collection, bool sort)
+bool MenuParser::buildMenuItems(CollectionInfo *collection, bool sort, CollectionInfoBuilder &builder)
 {
     bool retVal = false;
     //todo: magic string
@@ -99,12 +100,23 @@ bool MenuParser::buildMenuItems(CollectionInfo *collection, bool sort)
                 {
                     std::string collectionName = collectionAttribute->value();
                     Logger::write(Logger::ZONE_INFO, "Menu", "Loading collection into menu: " + collectionName);
+                    CollectionInfo *subcollection = builder.buildCollection(collectionName);
+
+                    // todo, there must be a faster way of doing this
+                    collection->items.insert(collection->items.begin(), subcollection->items.begin(), subcollection->items.end());
+
+                    // prevent the temporary collection object from deleting the item pointers
+                    subcollection->items.clear();
+                    delete subcollection;
 
                     //todo: unsupported option with this refactor
                     // need to append the collection
                 }
             }
 
+
+            std::sort( collection->items.begin(), collection->items.end(), VectorSort);
+
             // todo: sorting should occur within the collection itself, not externally
             if(sort)
             {
diff --git a/RetroFE/Source/Collection/MenuParser.h b/RetroFE/Source/Collection/MenuParser.h
index bb957cb..5386cdd 100644
--- a/RetroFE/Source/Collection/MenuParser.h
+++ b/RetroFE/Source/Collection/MenuParser.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 #pragma once
 
+#include "CollectionInfoBuilder.h"
 class CollectionInfo;
 
 class MenuParser
@@ -22,6 +23,6 @@ class MenuParser
 public:
     MenuParser();
     virtual ~MenuParser();
-    bool buildMenuItems(CollectionInfo *cdb, bool sort);
+    bool buildMenuItems(CollectionInfo *cdb, bool sort, CollectionInfoBuilder &builder);
 
 };
diff --git a/RetroFE/Source/RetroFE.cpp b/RetroFE/Source/RetroFE.cpp
index 95b18f4..1ce9bbe 100644
--- a/RetroFE/Source/RetroFE.cpp
+++ b/RetroFE/Source/RetroFE.cpp
@@ -284,7 +284,10 @@ void RetroFE::run()
                     config_.setProperty("currentCollection", firstCollection);
                     CollectionInfo *info = getCollection(firstCollection);
                     MenuParser mp;
-                    mp.buildMenuItems(info, menuSort);
+
+                    CollectionInfoBuilder cib(config_, *metadb_);
+                    mp.buildMenuItems(info, menuSort, cib);
+
                     currentPage_->pushCollection(info);
                 }
                 else
@@ -469,7 +472,8 @@ RetroFE::RETROFE_STATE RetroFE::processUserInput(Page *page)
                     CollectionInfo *info = getCollection(nextPageItem_->name);
 
                     MenuParser mp;
-                    mp.buildMenuItems(info, menuSort);
+                    CollectionInfoBuilder cib(config_, *metadb_);
+                    mp.buildMenuItems(info, menuSort, cib);
                     page->pushCollection(info);
 
                     if(rememberMenu && lastMenuOffsets_.find(nextPageItem_->name) != lastMenuOffsets_.end())