diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/instances/QInstanceEnricher.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/instances/QInstanceEnricher.java
index a87713e5..0e101379 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/instances/QInstanceEnricher.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/instances/QInstanceEnricher.java
@@ -123,6 +123,18 @@ public class QInstanceEnricher
     *******************************************************************************/
    public void enrich()
    {
+      /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // at one point, we did apps later - but - it was possible to put tables in an app's   //
+      // sections, but not its children list (enrichApp fixes this by adding such tables to  //
+      // the children list) so then when enrichTable runs, it looks for fields that are      //
+      // possible-values pointed at tables,  for adding LINK adornments - and that could     //
+      // cause such links to be omitted, mysteriously!  so, do app enrichment before tables. //
+      /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+      if(qInstance.getApps() != null)
+      {
+         qInstance.getApps().values().forEach(this::enrichApp);
+      }
+
       if(qInstance.getTables() != null)
       {
          qInstance.getTables().values().forEach(this::enrichTable);
@@ -139,11 +151,6 @@ public class QInstanceEnricher
          qInstance.getBackends().values().forEach(this::enrichBackend);
       }
 
-      if(qInstance.getApps() != null)
-      {
-         qInstance.getApps().values().forEach(this::enrichApp);
-      }
-
       if(qInstance.getReports() != null)
       {
          qInstance.getReports().values().forEach(this::enrichReport);