diff --git a/src/app/admin/forum-moderation/page.tsx b/src/app/admin/forum-moderation/page.tsx
index a5e2f42..9eab546 100644
--- a/src/app/admin/forum-moderation/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/admin/forum-moderation/page.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ interface ForumThread {
   body: string;
   reply_count: number;
   view_count: number;
-  upvote_count: number;
+  upvotes: number;
   is_pinned: boolean;
   is_featured: boolean;
   is_locked: boolean;
diff --git a/src/app/api/forum/threads/route.ts b/src/app/api/forum/threads/route.ts
index 2801883..6f06733 100644
--- a/src/app/api/forum/threads/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/forum/threads/route.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ export async function GET(req: NextRequest) {
     }
 
     if (sort === 'top-voted') {
-      query = query.order('upvote_count', { ascending: false }).order('created_at', { ascending: false });
+      // The schema has upvotes / downvotes / vote_score (no upvote_count).
+      // Use vote_score so downvotes properly demote a thread.
+      query = query.order('vote_score', { ascending: false }).order('created_at', { ascending: false });
     } else if (sort === 'most-viewed') {
       query = query.order('view_count', { ascending: false }).order('created_at', { ascending: false });
     } else if (sort === 'most-replied') {
@@ -39,8 +41,9 @@ export async function GET(req: NextRequest) {
     } else if (sort === 'unanswered') {
       query = query.eq('reply_count', 0).order('created_at', { ascending: false });
     } else {
-      // newest — default
-      query = query.order('status', { ascending: false }).order('last_reply_at', { ascending: false });
+      // newest — default. forum_threads has no 'status' column; sort
+      // pinned-first then by recent activity.
+      query = query.order('is_pinned', { ascending: false }).order('last_reply_at', { ascending: false, nullsFirst: false });
     }
 
     const { data, error, count } = await query;
diff --git a/src/app/forum/[slug]/page.tsx b/src/app/forum/[slug]/page.tsx
index 78e952b..0c5bc52 100644
--- a/src/app/forum/[slug]/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/forum/[slug]/page.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ interface ForumThread {
   status: string;
   reply_count: number;
   view_count: number;
-  upvote_count?: number;
+  upvotes?: number;
   last_reply_at: string;
   created_at: string;
   is_ai_seeded: boolean;
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ function TopThreadsWidget({ categoryId }: { categoryId: string }) {
   ];
 
   const getMetricValue = (thread: ForumThread) => {
-    if (activeMetric === 'upvotes') return { value: thread.upvote_count ?? 0, label: 'votes', color: 'text-[#22c55e]' };
+    if (activeMetric === 'upvotes') return { value: thread.upvotes ?? 0, label: 'votes', color: 'text-[#22c55e]' };
     if (activeMetric === 'replies') return { value: thread.reply_count, label: 'replies', color: 'text-[#3b82f6]' };
     return { value: thread.view_count, label: 'views', color: 'text-[#f59e0b]' };
   };
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ export default function ForumCategoryPage() {
                   </div>
                   {sort === 'top-voted' && (
                     <div className="flex-shrink-0 text-right hidden md:block">
-                      <div className="text-[#22c55e] font-body text-sm font-semibold">+{thread.upvote_count ?? 0}</div>
+                      <div className="text-[#22c55e] font-body text-sm font-semibold">+{thread.upvotes ?? 0}</div>
                       <div className="text-[#555] font-body text-xs">votes</div>
                     </div>
                   )}
diff --git a/src/app/forum/page.tsx b/src/app/forum/page.tsx
index 9f0ccbd..2a49009 100644
--- a/src/app/forum/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/forum/page.tsx
@@ -22,12 +22,15 @@ interface ForumCategory {
 interface ForumThread {
   id: string;
   title: string;
+  author_id?: string | null;
   author_name: string;
   reply_count: number;
   view_count: number;
   last_reply_at: string;
   created_at: string;
-  upvote_count?: number;
+  upvotes?: number;
+  downvotes?: number;
+  vote_score?: number;
   forum_categories?: { name: string; slug: string };
 }
 
@@ -77,7 +80,7 @@ function TopThreadsWidget({ categoryId }: { categoryId?: string }) {
   ];
 
   const getMetricValue = (thread: ForumThread) => {
-    if (activeMetric === 'upvotes') return { value: thread.upvote_count ?? 0, label: 'votes', color: 'text-[#22c55e]' };
+    if (activeMetric === 'upvotes') return { value: thread.upvotes ?? 0, label: 'votes', color: 'text-[#22c55e]' };
     if (activeMetric === 'replies') return { value: thread.reply_count, label: 'replies', color: 'text-[#3b82f6]' };
     return { value: thread.view_count, label: 'views', color: 'text-[#f59e0b]' };
   };
@@ -493,7 +496,7 @@ export default function ForumIndexPage() {
                           </div>
                           {sort === 'top-voted' && (
                             <div className="flex-shrink-0 text-right hidden md:block">
-                              <div className="text-[#22c55e] font-body text-sm font-semibold">+{thread.upvote_count ?? 0}</div>
+                              <div className="text-[#22c55e] font-body text-sm font-semibold">+{thread.upvotes ?? 0}</div>
                               <div className="text-[#555] font-body text-xs">votes</div>
                             </div>
                           )}