diff --git a/src/custom-sort/sorting-spec-processor.spec.ts b/src/custom-sort/sorting-spec-processor.spec.ts
index 7632209..f013118 100644
--- a/src/custom-sort/sorting-spec-processor.spec.ts
+++ b/src/custom-sort/sorting-spec-processor.spec.ts
@@ -436,6 +436,86 @@ describe('SortingSpecProcessor', () => {
 	})
 })
 
+const txtInputSimplistic1: string = `
+target-folder: /*
+/:files
+//folders
+`
+
+const expectedSortSpecForSimplistic1: { [key: string]: CustomSortSpec } = {
+	"/": {
+		groups: [{
+			filesOnly: true,
+			order: CustomSortOrder.alphabetical,
+			type: CustomSortGroupType.Outsiders
+		}, {
+			order: CustomSortOrder.alphabetical,
+			type: CustomSortGroupType.Outsiders
+		}],
+		outsidersFilesGroupIdx: 0,
+		outsidersGroupIdx: 1,
+		targetFoldersPaths: ['/*']
+	}
+}
+
+const expectedWildcardMatchingTreeForSimplistic1 = {
+	"matchAll": {
+		groups: [{
+			filesOnly: true,
+			order: CustomSortOrder.alphabetical,
+			type: CustomSortGroupType.Outsiders
+		}, {
+			order: CustomSortOrder.alphabetical,
+			type: CustomSortGroupType.Outsiders
+		}],
+		outsidersFilesGroupIdx: 0,
+		outsidersGroupIdx: 1,
+		targetFoldersPaths: ['/*']
+	},
+	"subtree": {}
+}
+
+const txtInputSimplistic2: string = `
+target-folder: /
+/:files
+//folders
+`
+
+const expectedSortSpecForSimplistic2: { [key: string]: CustomSortSpec } = {
+	"/": {
+		groups: [{
+			filesOnly: true,
+			order: CustomSortOrder.alphabetical,
+			type: CustomSortGroupType.Outsiders
+		}, {
+			order: CustomSortOrder.alphabetical,
+			type: CustomSortGroupType.Outsiders
+		}],
+		outsidersFilesGroupIdx: 0,
+		outsidersGroupIdx: 1,
+		targetFoldersPaths: ['/']
+	}
+}
+
+describe('SortingSpecProcessor', () => {
+	let processor: SortingSpecProcessor;
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		processor = new SortingSpecProcessor();
+	});
+	it('should recognize the simplistic sorting spec to put files first (wildcard /* rule)', () => {
+		const inputTxtArr: Array<string> = txtInputSimplistic1.split('\n')
+		const result = processor.parseSortSpecFromText(inputTxtArr, 'mock-folder', 'custom-name-note.md')
+		expect(result?.sortSpecByPath).toEqual(expectedSortSpecForSimplistic1)
+		expect(result?.sortSpecByWildcard.tree).toEqual(expectedWildcardMatchingTreeForSimplistic1)
+	})
+	it('should recognize the simplistic sorting spec to put files first (direct / rule)', () => {
+		const inputTxtArr: Array<string> = txtInputSimplistic2.split('\n')
+		const result = processor.parseSortSpecFromText(inputTxtArr, 'mock-folder', 'custom-name-note.md')
+		expect(result?.sortSpecByPath).toEqual(expectedSortSpecForSimplistic2)
+		expect(result?.sortSpecByWildcard).toBeUndefined()
+	})
+})
+
 const txtInputItemsToHideWithDupsSortSpec: string = `
 target-folder: AAA
 /--hide: SomeFileToHide.md
diff --git a/src/custom-sort/sorting-spec-processor.ts b/src/custom-sort/sorting-spec-processor.ts
index be2aadf..17e360b 100644
--- a/src/custom-sort/sorting-spec-processor.ts
+++ b/src/custom-sort/sorting-spec-processor.ts
@@ -326,20 +326,23 @@ enum WildcardPriority {
 
 const stripWildcardPatternSuffix = (path: string): [path: string, priority: number] => {
 	if (path.endsWith(MATCH_ALL_SUFFIX)) {
+		path = path.slice(0, -MATCH_ALL_SUFFIX.length)
 		return [
-			path.slice(0, -MATCH_ALL_SUFFIX.length),
+			path.length > 0 ? path : '/',
 			WildcardPriority.MATCH_ALL
 		]
 	}
 	if (path.endsWith(MATCH_CHILDREN_1_SUFFIX)) {
+		path = path.slice(0, -MATCH_CHILDREN_1_SUFFIX.length)
 		return [
-			path.slice(0, -MATCH_CHILDREN_1_SUFFIX.length),
+			path.length > 0 ? path : '/',
 			WildcardPriority.MATCH_CHILDREN,
 		]
 	}
 	if (path.endsWith(MATCH_CHILDREN_2_SUFFIX)) {
+		path = path.slice(0, -MATCH_CHILDREN_2_SUFFIX.length)
 		return [
-			path.slice(0, -MATCH_CHILDREN_2_SUFFIX.length),
+			path.length > 0 ? path : '/',
 			WildcardPriority.MATCH_CHILDREN
 		]
 	}
@@ -732,7 +735,7 @@ export class SortingSpecProcessor {
 			console.warn(`Inconsistent Outsiders sorting group definition in sort spec for folder '${last(spec.targetFoldersPaths)}'`)
 		}
 		// For consistency and to simplify sorting code later on, implicitly append a single catch-all Outsiders group
-		if (!outsidersGroupForFiles && !outsidersGroupForFolders) {
+		if (!(outsidersGroupForFiles && outsidersGroupForFolders)) {
 			spec.outsidersGroupIdx = spec.groups.length
 			spec.groups.push({
 				type: CustomSortGroupType.Outsiders