diff --git a/client/src/graphql/bills.queries.js b/client/src/graphql/bills.queries.js
index a9c3433fa..03be22e61 100644
--- a/client/src/graphql/bills.queries.js
+++ b/client/src/graphql/bills.queries.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export const QUERY_ALL_BILLS_PAGINATED = gql`
         ro_number
       }
     }
-    bills_aggregate {
+    bills_aggregate(where: $where) {
       aggregate {
         count(distinct: true)
       }
diff --git a/client/src/pages/bills/bills.page.component.jsx b/client/src/pages/bills/bills.page.component.jsx
index e3d2f55b0..0fb17a978 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/bills/bills.page.component.jsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/bills/bills.page.component.jsx
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import { DateFormatter } from "../../utils/DateFormatter";
 import { TemplateList } from "../../utils/TemplateConstants";
 import { pageLimit } from "../../utils/config";
 import { alphaSort, dateSort } from "../../utils/sorters";
-import useLocalStorage from "../../utils/useLocalStorage";
 import { QUERY_ALL_VENDORS } from "../../graphql/vendors.queries";
 import { logImEXEvent } from "../../firebase/firebase.utils";
 
@@ -24,16 +23,12 @@ const mapDispatchToProps = (dispatch) => ({
   setBillEnterContext: (context) => dispatch(setModalContext({ context: context, modal: "billEnter" }))
 });
 
-export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterContext }) {
+export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterContext, handleTableChange, sortedInfo }) {
   const search = queryString.parse(useLocation().search);
   const [openSearchResults, setOpenSearchResults] = useState([]);
   const [searchLoading, setSearchLoading] = useState(false);
   const { page } = search;
   const history = useNavigate();
-  const [state, setState] = useLocalStorage("bills_list_sort", {
-    sortedInfo: {},
-    filteredInfo: { vendorname: [] }
-  });
   const Templates = TemplateList("bill");
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
@@ -50,7 +45,7 @@ export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterConte
       }),
       filters: (vendorsData?.vendors || []).map((v) => ({ text: v.name, value: v.id })),
       filteredValue: search.vendorIds ? search.vendorIds.split(",") : null,
-      sortOrder: state.sortedInfo.columnKey === "vendorname" && state.sortedInfo.order,
+      sortOrder: sortedInfo.columnKey === "vendorname" && sortedInfo.order,
       render: (text, record) => <span>{record.vendor.name}</span>
     },
     {
@@ -58,7 +53,7 @@ export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterConte
       dataIndex: "invoice_number",
       key: "invoice_number",
       sorter: (a, b) => alphaSort(a.invoice_number, b.invoice_number),
-      sortOrder: state.sortedInfo.columnKey === "invoice_number" && state.sortedInfo.order
+      sortOrder: sortedInfo.columnKey === "invoice_number" && sortedInfo.order
     },
     {
       title: t("jobs.fields.ro_number"),
@@ -68,7 +63,7 @@ export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterConte
       sortObject: (order) => ({
         job: { ro_number: order === "descend" ? "desc" : "asc" }
       }),
-      sortOrder: state.sortedInfo.columnKey === "ro_number" && state.sortedInfo.order,
+      sortOrder: sortedInfo.columnKey === "ro_number" && sortedInfo.order,
       render: (text, record) => record.job && <Link to={`/manage/jobs/${record.job.id}`}>{record.job.ro_number}</Link>
     },
     {
@@ -76,7 +71,7 @@ export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterConte
       dataIndex: "date",
       key: "date",
       sorter: (a, b) => dateSort(a.date, b.date),
-      sortOrder: state.sortedInfo.columnKey === "date" && state.sortedInfo.order,
+      sortOrder: sortedInfo.columnKey === "date" && sortedInfo.order,
       render: (text, record) => <DateFormatter>{record.date}</DateFormatter>
     },
     {
@@ -84,7 +79,7 @@ export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterConte
       dataIndex: "total",
       key: "total",
       sorter: (a, b) => a.total - b.total,
-      sortOrder: state.sortedInfo.columnKey === "total" && state.sortedInfo.order,
+      sortOrder: sortedInfo.columnKey === "total" && sortedInfo.order,
       render: (text, record) => <CurrencyFormatter>{record.total}</CurrencyFormatter>
     },
     {
@@ -92,7 +87,7 @@ export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterConte
       dataIndex: "is_credit_memo",
       key: "is_credit_memo",
       sorter: (a, b) => a.is_credit_memo - b.is_credit_memo,
-      sortOrder: state.sortedInfo.columnKey === "is_credit_memo" && state.sortedInfo.order,
+      sortOrder: sortedInfo.columnKey === "is_credit_memo" && sortedInfo.order,
       render: (text, record) => <Checkbox checked={record.is_credit_memo} />
     },
     {
@@ -100,7 +95,7 @@ export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterConte
       dataIndex: "exported",
       key: "exported",
       sorter: (a, b) => a.exported - b.exported,
-      sortOrder: state.sortedInfo.columnKey === "exported" && state.sortedInfo.order,
+      sortOrder: sortedInfo.columnKey === "exported" && sortedInfo.order,
       render: (text, record) => <Checkbox checked={record.exported} />
     },
     {
@@ -164,37 +159,7 @@ export function BillsListPage({ loading, data, refetch, total, setBillEnterConte
     }
   ];
 
-  const handleTableChange = (pagination, filters, sorter) => {
-    setState({
-      sortedInfo: sorter,
-      filteredInfo: { ...state.filteredInfo, vendorname: filters.vendorname || [] }
-    });
-
-    search.page = pagination.current;
-    if (filters.vendorname && filters.vendorname.length) {
-      search.vendorIds = filters.vendorname.join(",");
-    } else {
-      delete search.vendorIds;
-    }
-    if (sorter && sorter.column && sorter.column.sortObject) {
-      search.searchObj = JSON.stringify(sorter.column.sortObject(sorter.order));
-      delete search.sortcolumn;
-      delete search.sortorder;
-    } else {
-      delete search.searchObj;
-      search.sortcolumn = sorter.order ? sorter.columnKey : null;
-      search.sortorder = sorter.order;
-    }
-    history({ search: queryString.stringify(search) });
-    logImEXEvent("bills_list_sort_filter", { pagination, filters, sorter });
-  };
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!search.vendorIds && state.filteredInfo.vendorname && state.filteredInfo.vendorname.length) {
-      search.vendorIds = state.filteredInfo.vendorname.join(",");
-      history({ search: queryString.stringify(search) });
-    }
-  }, []);
+  // (State & URL handling moved to container - Option C)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (search.search && search.search.trim() !== "") {
diff --git a/client/src/pages/bills/bills.page.container.jsx b/client/src/pages/bills/bills.page.container.jsx
index 68c5d4c01..f4a7a1859 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/bills/bills.page.container.jsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/bills/bills.page.container.jsx
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@ import queryString from "query-string";
 import { useEffect } from "react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { connect } from "react-redux";
-import { useLocation } from "react-router-dom";
+import { useLocation, useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import AlertComponent from "../../components/alert/alert.component";
 import BillDetailEditContainer from "../../components/bill-detail-edit/bill-detail-edit.container";
 import RbacWrapper from "../../components/rbac-wrapper/rbac-wrapper.component";
 import { QUERY_ALL_BILLS_PAGINATED } from "../../graphql/bills.queries";
 import { setBreadcrumbs, setSelectedHeader } from "../../redux/application/application.actions";
 import BillsPageComponent from "./bills.page.component";
+import useLocalStorage from "../../utils/useLocalStorage";
 import { pageLimit } from "../../utils/config";
 import FeatureWrapperComponent from "../../components/feature-wrapper/feature-wrapper.component";
 import InstanceRenderManager from "../../utils/instanceRenderMgr";
@@ -23,7 +24,9 @@ const mapDispatchToProps = (dispatch) => ({
 
 export function BillsPageContainer({ setBreadcrumbs, setSelectedHeader }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
-  const searchParams = queryString.parse(useLocation().search);
+  const location = useLocation();
+  const history = useNavigate();
+  const searchParams = queryString.parse(location.search);
   const { page, sortcolumn, sortorder, searchObj } = searchParams;
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -37,6 +40,12 @@ export function BillsPageContainer({ setBreadcrumbs, setSelectedHeader }) {
     setBreadcrumbs([{ link: "/manage/bills", label: t("titles.bc.bills-list") }]);
   }, [t, setBreadcrumbs, setSelectedHeader]);
 
+  // Persisted table state (sorting & filtering)
+  const [persistState, setPersistState] = useLocalStorage("bills_list_sort", {
+    sortedInfo: {},
+    filteredInfo: { vendorname: [] }
+  });
+
   const { loading, error, data, refetch } = useQuery(QUERY_ALL_BILLS_PAGINATED, {
     fetchPolicy: "network-only",
     nextFetchPolicy: "network-only",
@@ -54,6 +63,90 @@ export function BillsPageContainer({ setBreadcrumbs, setSelectedHeader }) {
     }
   });
 
+  const handleTableChange = (pagination, filters, sorter) => {
+    const search = queryString.parse(location.search);
+
+    const vendorArr = filters?.vendorname ?? [];
+    const newVendorIds = vendorArr.length ? vendorArr.join(",") : undefined;
+    const vendorFilterChanged = search.vendorIds !== newVendorIds;
+
+    search.page = vendorFilterChanged || !search.page ? 1 : pagination.current;
+    newVendorIds ? (search.vendorIds = newVendorIds) : delete search.vendorIds;
+
+    const { columnKey, order, column } = sorter || {};
+    if (column?.sortObject) {
+      search.searchObj = JSON.stringify(column.sortObject(order));
+      delete search.sortcolumn;
+      delete search.sortorder;
+    } else {
+      delete search.searchObj;
+      search.sortcolumn = order ? columnKey : null;
+      search.sortorder = order ?? null; // keep explicit null to mirror prior behavior
+    }
+
+    setPersistState({
+      sortedInfo: sorter || {},
+      filteredInfo: { vendorname: vendorArr }
+    });
+
+    history({ search: queryString.stringify(search) });
+  };
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const search = queryString.parse(location.search);
+    let changed = false;
+
+    const vendorPersisted = persistState.filteredInfo.vendorname || [];
+    if (!search.vendorIds && vendorPersisted.length) {
+      search.vendorIds = vendorPersisted.join(",");
+      search.page = 1; // reset page when injecting filter
+      changed = true;
+    }
+
+    const { sortedInfo } = persistState;
+    if (!search.searchObj && !search.sortcolumn && sortedInfo?.order) {
+      const { columnKey, order } = sortedInfo;
+      if (columnKey) {
+        const dir = order === "descend" ? "desc" : "asc";
+        if (columnKey === "vendorname") {
+          search.searchObj = JSON.stringify({ vendor: { name: dir } });
+        } else if (columnKey === "ro_number") {
+          search.searchObj = JSON.stringify({ job: { ro_number: dir } });
+        } else {
+          search.sortcolumn = columnKey;
+          search.sortorder = order;
+        }
+        changed = true;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (changed) {
+      history({ search: queryString.stringify(search) });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const hasPersistSort = !!sortedInfo?.order;
+    const hasUrlSort = !!(search.searchObj || (search.sortcolumn && search.sortorder));
+    if (!hasPersistSort && hasUrlSort) {
+      let derived = {};
+      if (search.searchObj) {
+        try {
+          const o = JSON.parse(search.searchObj);
+          if (o.vendor?.name) {
+            derived = { columnKey: "vendorname", order: o.vendor.name === "desc" ? "descend" : "ascend" };
+          } else if (o.job?.ro_number) {
+            derived = { columnKey: "ro_number", order: o.job.ro_number === "desc" ? "descend" : "ascend" };
+          }
+        } catch {
+          /* ignore parse errors */
+        }
+      } else {
+        derived = { columnKey: search.sortcolumn, order: search.sortorder };
+      }
+      if (derived.order) setPersistState((prev) => ({ ...prev, sortedInfo: derived }));
+    }
+  }, [location.search]);
+
   if (error) return <AlertComponent message={error.message} type="error" />;
   return (
     <FeatureWrapperComponent
@@ -71,6 +164,8 @@ export function BillsPageContainer({ setBreadcrumbs, setSelectedHeader }) {
             loading={loading}
             refetch={refetch}
             total={data ? data.bills_aggregate.aggregate.count : 0}
+            handleTableChange={handleTableChange}
+            sortedInfo={persistState.sortedInfo || {}}
           />
 
           <BillDetailEditContainer />