diff --git a/lib/pangea/toolbar/repo/practice_repo.dart b/lib/pangea/toolbar/repo/practice_repo.dart
index c02cbcf50..cb748ba53 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/toolbar/repo/practice_repo.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/toolbar/repo/practice_repo.dart
@@ -161,9 +161,9 @@ class PracticeGenerationController {
       req: req,
       context: context,
     );
+    res.activity.content.choices.sort((a, b) => a.length.compareTo(b.length));
 
     // TODO resolve some wierdness here whereby the activity can be null but then... it's not
-
     final eventCompleter = Completer<PracticeActivityEvent?>();
 
     debugPrint('Activity generated: ${res.activity.toJson()}');
diff --git a/lib/pangea/toolbar/widgets/message_token_text.dart b/lib/pangea/toolbar/widgets/message_token_text.dart
index 4c04bcebf..49be95482 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/toolbar/widgets/message_token_text.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/toolbar/widgets/message_token_text.dart
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ class MessageTextWidget extends StatelessWidget {
       );
     }
 
+    final hasHiddenTokens = tokenPositions.any((t) => t.hideContent);
+
     return RichText(
       softWrap: softWrap ?? true,
       maxLines: maxLines,
@@ -196,6 +198,17 @@ class MessageTextWidget extends StatelessWidget {
               .take(tokenPosition.end - tokenPosition.start)
               .toString();
 
+          Color backgroundColor = Colors.transparent;
+          if (!hasHiddenTokens) {
+            if (tokenPosition.selected) {
+              backgroundColor = AppConfig.primaryColor.withAlpha(80);
+            } else if (isSelected != null && shouldDo) {
+              backgroundColor = !didMeaningActivity
+                  ? AppConfig.success.withAlpha(60)
+                  : AppConfig.gold.withAlpha(60);
+            }
+          }
+
           if (tokenPosition.token != null) {
             if (tokenPosition.hideContent) {
               return WidgetSpan(
@@ -214,13 +227,7 @@ class MessageTextWidget extends StatelessWidget {
               text: substring,
               style: style.merge(
                 TextStyle(
-                  backgroundColor: tokenPosition.selected
-                      ? AppConfig.primaryColor.withAlpha(80)
-                      : (isSelected != null && shouldDo)
-                          ? !didMeaningActivity
-                              ? AppConfig.success.withAlpha(60)
-                              : AppConfig.gold.withAlpha(60)
-                          : Colors.transparent,
+                  backgroundColor: backgroundColor,
                 ),
               ),
             );