diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/NotificationRankingManager.kt b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/NotificationRankingManager.kt
index 2981252f148c7..e612c07ac18a7 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/NotificationRankingManager.kt
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/NotificationRankingManager.kt
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import com.android.systemui.statusbar.notification.stack.NotificationSectionsMan
 import com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.NotificationGroupManager
 import com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.HeadsUpManager
 import dagger.Lazy
+import java.util.Comparator
 import java.util.Objects
 import javax.inject.Inject
 
@@ -73,6 +74,9 @@ open class NotificationRankingManager @Inject constructor(
         val aIsPeople = a.isPeopleNotification()
         val bIsPeople = b.isPeopleNotification()
 
+        val aIsImportantPeople = a.isImportantPeopleNotification()
+        val bIsImportantPeople = b.isImportantPeopleNotification()
+
         val aMedia = isImportantMedia(a)
         val bMedia = isImportantMedia(b)
 
@@ -87,6 +91,8 @@ open class NotificationRankingManager @Inject constructor(
 
         when {
             usePeopleFiltering && aIsPeople != bIsPeople -> if (aIsPeople) -1 else 1
+            usePeopleFiltering && aIsImportantPeople != bIsImportantPeople ->
+                if (aIsImportantPeople) -1 else 1
             aHeadsUp != bHeadsUp -> if (aHeadsUp) -1 else 1
             // Provide consistent ranking with headsUpManager
             aHeadsUp -> headsUpManager.compare(a, b)
@@ -192,6 +198,9 @@ open class NotificationRankingManager @Inject constructor(
     private fun NotificationEntry.isPeopleNotification() =
             peopleNotificationIdentifier.isPeopleNotification(sbn, ranking)
 
+    private fun NotificationEntry.isImportantPeopleNotification() =
+            peopleNotificationIdentifier.isImportantPeopleNotification(sbn, ranking)
+
     private fun NotificationEntry.isHighPriority() =
             highPriorityProvider.isHighPriority(this)
 }
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/people/PeopleNotificationIdentifier.kt b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/people/PeopleNotificationIdentifier.kt
index 4672de046c49a..e15fa2eac4fd5 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/people/PeopleNotificationIdentifier.kt
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/people/PeopleNotificationIdentifier.kt
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import javax.inject.Singleton
 
 interface PeopleNotificationIdentifier {
     fun isPeopleNotification(sbn: StatusBarNotification, ranking: Ranking): Boolean
+    fun isImportantPeopleNotification(sbn: StatusBarNotification, ranking: Ranking): Boolean
 }
 
 @Singleton
@@ -32,4 +33,7 @@ class PeopleNotificationIdentifierImpl @Inject constructor(
 
     override fun isPeopleNotification(sbn: StatusBarNotification, ranking: Ranking) =
             ranking.isConversation || personExtractor.isPersonNotification(sbn)
+
+    override fun isImportantPeopleNotification(sbn: StatusBarNotification, ranking: Ranking) =
+            isPeopleNotification(sbn, ranking) && ranking.channel.isImportantConversation
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/NotificationRankingManagerTest.kt b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/NotificationRankingManagerTest.kt
index c6b496dd82155..8e330c6f5049c 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/NotificationRankingManagerTest.kt
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/NotificationRankingManagerTest.kt
@@ -144,6 +144,47 @@ class NotificationRankingManagerTest : SysuiTestCase() {
                 rankingManager.updateRanking(null, listOf(a, b), "test"))
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun testSort_importantPeople() {
+        val aN = Notification.Builder(mContext, "test")
+                .setStyle(Notification.MessagingStyle(""))
+                .build()
+        val aC = NotificationChannel("test", "", IMPORTANCE_DEFAULT)
+        aC.setConversationId("parent", "convo")
+        val a = NotificationEntryBuilder()
+                .setImportance(IMPORTANCE_HIGH)
+                .setPkg("pkg")
+                .setOpPkg("pkg")
+                .setTag("tag")
+                .setNotification(aN)
+                .setChannel(aC)
+                .setUser(mContext.getUser())
+                .setOverrideGroupKey("")
+                .build()
+
+        val bN = Notification.Builder(mContext, "test")
+                .setStyle(Notification.MessagingStyle(""))
+                .build()
+        val bC = NotificationChannel("test", "", IMPORTANCE_DEFAULT)
+        bC.setConversationId("parent", "convo")
+        bC.setImportantConversation(true)
+        val b = NotificationEntryBuilder()
+                .setImportance(IMPORTANCE_HIGH)
+                .setPkg("pkg2")
+                .setOpPkg("pkg2")
+                .setTag("tag")
+                .setNotification(bN)
+                .setChannel(bC)
+                .setUser(mContext.getUser())
+                .setOverrideGroupKey("")
+                .build()
+
+
+        assertEquals(
+                listOf(b, a),
+                rankingManager.updateRanking(null, listOf(a, b), "test"))
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun testSort_properlySetsAlertingBucket() {
         val notif = Notification.Builder(mContext, "test") .build()