diff --git a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/active_music_session.rb b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/active_music_session.rb
index 57449ec49..838606798 100644
--- a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/active_music_session.rb
+++ b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/active_music_session.rb
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ module JamRuby
       my_audio_latency = connection.last_jam_audio_latency
 
       query = MusicSession
-      .select('music_sessions.*')
+        .select('music_sessions.*')
 
       # TODO this is not really needed when ams_music_session_tmp is joined
       # unless there is something specific we need out of active_music_sessions
@@ -358,7 +358,12 @@ module JamRuby
 
       query = query.order(
         %Q{
-          tag, latency
+          tag, latency, music_sessions.id
+        }
+      )
+      .group(
+        %Q{
+          tag, latency, music_sessions.id
         }
       )
 
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/active_music_session_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/active_music_session_spec.rb
index 4f2a1122a..4e838add1 100644
--- a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/active_music_session_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/models/active_music_session_spec.rb
@@ -332,6 +332,36 @@ describe ActiveMusicSession do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "ams_index" do
+    it "does not crash" do
+
+      creator = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+      creator2 = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+
+      earlier_session = FactoryGirl.create(:active_music_session, :creator => creator, :description => "Earlier Session")
+      c1 = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, user: creator, music_session: earlier_session, addr: 0x01020304, locidispid: 1)
+
+      later_session = FactoryGirl.create(:active_music_session, :creator => creator2, :description => "Later Session")
+      c2 = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, user: creator2, music_session: later_session, addr: 0x21020304, locidispid: 2)
+
+      user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+      c3 = FactoryGirl.create(:connection, user: user, locidispid: 3)
+
+      Score.createx(c1.locidispid, c1.client_id, c1.addr, c3.locidispid, c3.client_id, c3.addr, 20, nil);
+      Score.createx(c2.locidispid, c2.client_id, c2.addr, c3.locidispid, c3.client_id, c3.addr, 30, nil);
+
+      music_sessions = ActiveMusicSession.ams_index(user, client_id: c3.client_id).take(100)
+      music_sessions.should_not be_nil
+      music_sessions.length.should == 2
+    end
+
+    # todo we need more tests:
+    # rsvp'd user (chosen and not chosen)
+    # invited user
+    # creator (who should be automatically rsvp'd)
+    # musician_access and not
+  end
+
 
   it 'uninvited users cant join approval-required sessions without invitation' do
     user1 = FactoryGirl.create(:user) # in the jam session
diff --git a/web/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb b/web/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
index 07722f646..5ee8dbd85 100644
--- a/web/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
+++ b/web/app/controllers/api_music_sessions_controller.rb
@@ -60,6 +60,21 @@ class ApiMusicSessionsController < ApiController
                                          limit: params[:limit])
   end
 
+  def ams_index
+    # returns a relation which will produce a list of music_sessions which are active and augmented with attributes
+    # tag and latency, then sorted by tag, latency, and finally music_sessions.id (for stability). the list is
+    # filtered by genre, lang, and keyword, then paged by offset and limit (those are record numbers not page numbers).
+    # tag is 1 for chosen rsvp'd sessions, 2 for invited sessions, 3 for all others (musician_access). if you're the
+    # creator of a session it will be treated the same as if you had rsvp'd and been accepted.
+    @music_sessions = ActiveMusicSession.ams_index(current_user,
+                                                client_id: params[:client_id],
+                                                genre: params[:genre],
+                                                lang: params[:lang],
+                                                keyword: params[:keyword],
+                                                offset: params[:offset],
+                                                limit: params[:limit])
+  end
+
   def scheduled
     @music_sessions = MusicSession.scheduled(current_user)
   end