diff --git a/src/custom-sort/custom-sort.ts b/src/custom-sort/custom-sort.ts
index 1261261..686a252 100644
--- a/src/custom-sort/custom-sort.ts
+++ b/src/custom-sort/custom-sort.ts
@@ -466,12 +466,18 @@ export const determineSortingGroup = function (entry: TFile | TFolder, spec: Cus
 			case CustomSortGroupType.HasMetadataField:
 				if (group.withMetadataFieldName) {
 					if (ctx?._mCache) {
-						// For folders - scan metadata of 'folder note'
+						// For folders - scan metadata of 'folder note' in same-name-as-folder mode
 						const notePathToScan: string = aFile ? entry.path : `${entry.path}/${entry.name}.md`
 						const frontMatterCache: FrontMatterCache | undefined = ctx._mCache.getCache(notePathToScan)?.frontmatter
 						const hasMetadata: boolean | undefined = frontMatterCache?.hasOwnProperty(group.withMetadataFieldName)
+						// For folders, if index-based folder note mode, scan the index file, giving it the priority
+						!!! Non trivial part: - need to know the folder-index name, this is hidden
+						!!! in plugin settings, not exposed - refactoring is a must.
+						if (aFolder && ctx?.plugin?.s) {
 
-						if (hasMetadata) {
+						}
+
+						if (hasMetadata || folderIndexNoteHasMetadata) {
 							determined = true
 						}
 					}
@@ -554,6 +560,12 @@ export const determineSortingGroup = function (entry: TFile | TFolder, spec: Cus
 		if (isPrimaryOrderByMetadata || isSecondaryOrderByMetadata || isDerivedPrimaryByMetadata || isDerivedSecondaryByMetadata) {
 			if (ctx?._mCache) {
 				// For folders - scan metadata of 'folder note'
+				// and if index-based folder note mode, scan the index file, giving it the priority
+				!!! Non trivial part: - need to know the folder-index-note name, this is hidden
+				!!! in plugin settings, not exposed - refactoring is a must.
+				!!!
+				!!! Then challenging part - how to easily rewrite the below code to handle scanning
+				!!! of two frontMatterCaches for folders and give the priority to folder-index-note based cache, if configured
 				const notePathToScan: string = aFile ? entry.path : `${entry.path}/${entry.name}.md`
 				const frontMatterCache: FrontMatterCache | undefined = ctx._mCache.getCache(notePathToScan)?.frontmatter
 				if (isPrimaryOrderByMetadata) metadataValueToSortBy = frontMatterCache?.[group?.byMetadataField || group?.withMetadataFieldName || DEFAULT_METADATA_FIELD_FOR_SORTING]
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index d9d61fe..60c4fcb 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -125,10 +125,14 @@ export default class CustomSortPlugin extends Plugin {
 				if (aFile.name === SORTSPEC_FILE_NAME ||                         // file name == sortspec.md ?
 					aFile.name === `${SORTSPEC_FILE_NAME}.md` ||                 // file name == sortspec.md.md ?
 					aFile.basename === parent.name ||           // Folder Note mode: inside folder, same name
+
 					aFile.basename === this.settings.additionalSortspecFile ||   // when user configured _about_
 					aFile.name === this.settings.additionalSortspecFile ||       // when user configured _about_.md
 					aFile.path === this.settings.additionalSortspecFile ||       // when user configured Inbox/sort.md
-					aFile.path === `${this.settings.additionalSortspecFile}.md`  // when user configured Inbox/sort
+					aFile.path === `${this.settings.additionalSortspecFile}.md` || // when user configured Inbox/sort
+
+					aFile.basename === this.settings.indexNoteNameForFolderNotes ||   // when user configured as index
+					aFile.name === this.settings.indexNoteNameForFolderNotes          // when user configured as index.md
 				) {
 					const sortingSpecTxt: string = mCache.getCache(aFile.path)?.frontmatter?.[SORTINGSPEC_YAML_KEY]
 					// Warning: newer Obsidian versions can return objects as well, hence the explicit check for string value
@@ -713,7 +717,7 @@ export default class CustomSortPlugin extends Plugin {
 		const data: any = await this.loadData() || {}
 		const isFreshInstall: boolean = Object.keys(data).length === 0
 		this.settings = Object.assign({}, DEFAULT_SETTINGS, data);
-		if (requireApiVersion('1.2.0')) {
+		if (requireApiVersion('1.2.0') && isFreshInstall) {
 			this.settings = Object.assign(this.settings, DEFAULT_SETTING_FOR_1_2_0_UP)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/settings.ts b/src/settings.ts
index de165b0..3a0d251 100644
--- a/src/settings.ts
+++ b/src/settings.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import CustomSortPlugin from "./main";
 
 export interface CustomSortPluginSettings {
     additionalSortspecFile: string
+    indexNoteNameForFolderNotes: string
     suspended: boolean
     statusBarEntryEnabled: boolean
     notificationsEnabled: boolean
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ export interface CustomSortPluginSettings {
 
 export const DEFAULT_SETTINGS: CustomSortPluginSettings = {
     additionalSortspecFile: '',
+    indexNoteNameForFolderNotes: '',
     suspended: true,  // if false by default, it would be hard to handle the auto-parse after plugin install
     statusBarEntryEnabled: true,
     notificationsEnabled: true,
@@ -52,16 +54,10 @@ export class CustomSortSettingTab extends PluginSettingTab {
         // containerEl.createEl('h2', {text: 'Settings for Custom File Explorer Sorting Plugin'});
 
         const additionalSortspecFileDescr: DocumentFragment = sanitizeHTMLToDom(
-            'A note name or note path to scan (YAML frontmatter) for sorting specification in addition to the `sortspec` notes and Folder Notes<sup><b>*</b></sup>.'
+            'A note name or note path to scan (YAML frontmatter) for sorting specification in addition to the `sortspec` notes and Folder Notes.'
             + '<br>'
             + ' The `.md` filename suffix is optional.'
-            + '<p><b>(*)</b>&nbsp;if you employ the <i>Index-File based</i> approach to folder notes (as documented in '
-            + '<a href="https://github.com/aidenlx/alx-folder-note/wiki/folder-note-pref"'
-            + '>Aidenlx Folder Note preferences</a>'
-            + ') you can enter here the index note name, e.g. <b>_about_</b>'
             + '<br>'
-            + 'The <i>Inside Folder, with Same Name Recommended</i> mode of Folder Notes is handled automatically, no additional configuration needed.'
-            + '</p>'
             + '<p>NOTE: After updating this setting remember to refresh the custom sorting via clicking on the ribbon icon or via the <b>sort-on</b> command'
             + ' or by restarting Obsidian or reloading the vault</p>'
         )
@@ -70,13 +66,40 @@ export class CustomSortSettingTab extends PluginSettingTab {
             .setName('Path or name of additional note(s) containing sorting specification')
             .setDesc(additionalSortspecFileDescr)
             .addText(text => text
-                .setPlaceholder('e.g. _about_')
+                .setPlaceholder('e.g. sorting-configuration')
                 .setValue(this.plugin.settings.additionalSortspecFile)
                 .onChange(async (value) => {
                     this.plugin.settings.additionalSortspecFile = value.trim() ? normalizePath(value) : '';
                     await this.plugin.saveSettings();
                 }));
 
+        const indexNoteNameDescr: DocumentFragment = sanitizeHTMLToDom(
+            'If you employ the <i>Index-File based</i> approach to folder notes (as documented in '
+            + '<a href="https://github.com/aidenlx/alx-folder-note/wiki/folder-note-pref"'
+            + '>Aidenlx Folder Note preferences</a>'
+            + ') enter here the index note name, e.g. <b>_about_</b> or <b>index</b>'
+            + '<br>'
+            + ' The `.md` filename suffix is optional.'
+            + '<br>'
+            + 'This will tell the plugin to read sorting specs and also folders metadata from these files.'
+            + '<br></br>'
+            + 'The <i>Inside Folder, with Same Name Recommended</i> mode of Folder Notes is handled automatically, no additional configuration needed.'
+            + '</p>'
+            + '<p>NOTE: After updating this setting remember to refresh the custom sorting via clicking on the ribbon icon or via the <b>sort-on</b> command'
+            + ' or by restarting Obsidian or reloading the vault</p>'
+        )
+
+        new Setting(containerEl)
+            .setName('Name of index note (Folder Notes support)')
+            .setDesc(indexNoteNameDescr)
+            .addText(text => text
+                .setPlaceholder('e.g. _about_ or index')
+                .setValue(this.plugin.settings.indexNoteNameForFolderNotes)
+                .onChange(async (value) => {
+                    this.plugin.settings.indexNoteNameForFolderNotes = value.trim() ? normalizePath(value) : '';
+                    await this.plugin.saveSettings();
+                }));
+
         new Setting(containerEl)
             .setName('Enable the status bar entry')
             .setDesc('The status bar entry shows the label `Custom sort:ON` or `Custom sort:OFF`, representing the current state of the plugin.')