diff --git a/webui/react/src/components/ColumnPickerMenu.tsx b/webui/react/src/components/ColumnPickerMenu.tsx
index 9cfd63c33ff..6838723479b 100644
--- a/webui/react/src/components/ColumnPickerMenu.tsx
+++ b/webui/react/src/components/ColumnPickerMenu.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import { Loadable } from 'hew/utils/loadable';
 import React, { ChangeEvent, useCallback, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import { FixedSizeList as List } from 'react-window';
 
-import { runColumns } from 'pages/FlatRuns/columns';
 import { V1ColumnType, V1LocationType } from 'services/api-ts-sdk';
 import { ProjectColumn } from 'types';
 import { ensureArray } from 'utils/data';
@@ -66,6 +65,8 @@ interface ColumnTabProps {
   onHeatmapSelectionRemove?: (id: string) => void;
 }
 
+const KNOWN_BOOLEAN_COLUMNS = ['archived', 'isExpMultitrial', 'parentArchived'];
+
 const ColumnPickerTab: React.FC<ColumnTabProps> = ({
   columnState,
   compare,
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ const ColumnPickerTab: React.FC<ColumnTabProps> = ({
       : [...new Set([...columnState, ...filteredColumns.map((col) => formatColumnKey(col))])];
     const pinnedCount = allFilteredColumnsChecked
       ? // If uncheck something pinned, reduce the pinnedColumnsCount
-        newColumns.filter((col) => columnState.indexOf(col) < pinnedColumnsCount).length
+      newColumns.filter((col) => columnState.indexOf(col) < pinnedColumnsCount).length
       : pinnedColumnsCount;
 
     onVisibleColumnChange?.(newColumns, pinnedCount);
@@ -174,8 +175,7 @@ const ColumnPickerTab: React.FC<ColumnTabProps> = ({
     ({ index, style }: { index: number; style: React.CSSProperties }) => {
       const col = filteredColumns[index];
       const colType =
-        (runColumns as readonly string[]).includes(col.column) &&
-        col.type === V1ColumnType.UNSPECIFIED
+        KNOWN_BOOLEAN_COLUMNS.includes(col.column) && col.type === V1ColumnType.UNSPECIFIED
           ? 'BOOLEAN'
           : removeColumnTypePrefix(col.type);
       const getColDisplayName = (col: ProjectColumn) => {
diff --git a/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/TableFilter.tsx b/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/TableFilter.tsx
index 62a91c42109..6fd3f42ef74 100644
--- a/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/TableFilter.tsx
+++ b/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/TableFilter.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import FilterForm from 'components/FilterForm/components/FilterForm';
 import { FilterFormStore } from 'components/FilterForm/components/FilterFormStore';
 import { FormKind } from 'components/FilterForm/components/type';
 import { V1ProjectColumn } from 'services/api-ts-sdk';
+import { formatColumnKey } from 'utils/flatRun';
 
 interface Props {
   loadableColumns: Loadable<V1ProjectColumn[]>;
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ const TableFilter = ({
   onIsOpenFilterChange,
 }: Props): JSX.Element => {
   const columns: V1ProjectColumn[] = Loadable.getOrElse([], loadableColumns).filter(
-    (column) => !bannedFilterColumns?.has(column.column),
+    (column) => !bannedFilterColumns?.has(formatColumnKey(column)),
   );
   const fieldCount = useObservable(formStore.fieldCount);
   const formset = useObservable(formStore.formset);
diff --git a/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/components/FilterField.tsx b/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/components/FilterField.tsx
index eda8536a474..5512e925781 100644
--- a/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/components/FilterField.tsx
+++ b/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/components/FilterField.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import dayjs from 'dayjs';
+import Badge from 'hew/Badge';
 import Button from 'hew/Button';
 import DatePicker, { DatePickerProps } from 'hew/DatePicker';
 import Icon from 'hew/Icon';
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ import { getMetadataValues } from 'services/api';
 import { V1ColumnType, V1LocationType, V1ProjectColumn } from 'services/api-ts-sdk';
 import clusterStore from 'stores/cluster';
 import userStore from 'stores/users';
+import { formatColumnKey, METADATA_SEPARATOR, removeColumnTypePrefix } from 'utils/flatRun';
 import { alphaNumericSorter } from 'utils/sort';
 
 import css from './FilterField.module.scss';
@@ -69,7 +71,10 @@ const FilterField = ({
 }: Props): JSX.Element => {
   const users = Loadable.getOrElse([], useObservable(userStore.getUsers()));
   const resourcePools = Loadable.getOrElse([], useObservable(clusterStore.resourcePools));
-  const currentColumn = columns.find((c) => c.column === field.columnName);
+  const currentColumn = useMemo(
+    () => columns.find((c) => c.type === field.type && c.column === field.columnName),
+    [columns, field.columnName, field.type],
+  );
 
   const columnType = useMemo(() => {
     if (field.location === V1LocationType.RUNMETADATA && field.type === V1ColumnType.TEXT) {
@@ -96,19 +101,18 @@ const FilterField = ({
   };
 
   const onChangeColumnName = (value: SelectValue) => {
-    const prevType = currentColumn?.type;
-    const newColName = value?.toString() ?? '';
-    const newCol = columns.find((c) => c.column === newColName);
+    const prevType = field.type;
+    const [type, newColName] = (value?.toString() ?? '').split(METADATA_SEPARATOR, 2);
+    const newCol = columns.find((c) => c.column === newColName && type === c.type);
     if (newCol) {
       Observable.batch(() => {
         formStore.setFieldColumnName(field.id, newCol);
-
         if ((SpecialColumnNames as ReadonlyArray<string>).includes(newColName)) {
           formStore.setFieldOperator(field.id, Operator.Eq);
           updateFieldValue(field.id, null);
-        } else if (prevType !== newCol?.type) {
+        } else if (prevType !== newCol.type) {
           const defaultOperator: Operator =
-            AvailableOperators[newCol?.type ?? V1ColumnType.UNSPECIFIED][0];
+            AvailableOperators[newCol.type ?? V1ColumnType.UNSPECIFIED][0];
           formStore.setFieldOperator(field.id, defaultOperator);
           updateFieldValue(field.id, null);
         }
@@ -218,6 +222,16 @@ const FilterField = ({
     [columnType, field.type, formStore, index, inputOpen, parentId],
   );
 
+  const getColDisplayName = (col: V1ProjectColumn) => {
+    const colType = removeColumnTypePrefix(col.type);
+
+    return (
+      <>
+        {col.displayName || col.column} <Badge text={colType} />
+      </>
+    );
+  };
+
   return (
     <div className={css.base} data-test-component="FilterField" ref={(node) => drop(node)}>
       <ConjunctionContainer
@@ -232,12 +246,13 @@ const FilterField = ({
           autoFocus
           data-test="columnName"
           dropdownMatchSelectWidth={300}
-          options={columns.map((col, idx) => ({
-            key: `${col.column} ${idx}`,
-            label: col.displayName || col.column,
-            value: col.column,
+          options={columns.map((col) => ({
+            key: formatColumnKey(col, true),
+            label: getColDisplayName(col),
+            title: col.displayName || col.column,
+            value: formatColumnKey(col, true),
           }))}
-          value={field.columnName}
+          value={`${field.type}${METADATA_SEPARATOR}${field.columnName}`}
           width={'100%'}
           onChange={onChangeColumnName}
         />
diff --git a/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/components/FilterFormStore.ts b/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/components/FilterFormStore.ts
index 9bb61000a04..880c1421701 100644
--- a/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/components/FilterFormStore.ts
+++ b/webui/react/src/components/FilterForm/components/FilterFormStore.ts
@@ -242,7 +242,8 @@ export class FilterFormStore {
     col: Pick<V1ProjectColumn, 'location' | 'type' | 'column'>,
   ): void {
     return this.#updateField(id, (form) => {
-      if (form.columnName === col.column && form.location === col.location) {
+      const isSameColumn = form.columnName === col.column && form.type === col.type;
+      if (isSameColumn && form.location === col.location) {
         return form;
       }
       return {
diff --git a/webui/react/src/components/MultiSortMenu.tsx b/webui/react/src/components/MultiSortMenu.tsx
index 68916cb3fd6..1b677894876 100644
--- a/webui/react/src/components/MultiSortMenu.tsx
+++ b/webui/react/src/components/MultiSortMenu.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
+import Badge from 'hew/Badge';
 import Button from 'hew/Button';
 import { DirectionType, Sort, validSort } from 'hew/DataGrid/DataGrid';
 import Dropdown, { MenuItem } from 'hew/Dropdown';
 import Icon from 'hew/Icon';
 import Select, { Option } from 'hew/Select';
 import { Loadable } from 'hew/utils/loadable';
+import { groupBy, mapValues } from 'lodash';
+import { Fragment, useMemo } from 'react';
 
+import { runColumns } from 'pages/FlatRuns/columns';
 import { V1ColumnType } from 'services/api-ts-sdk';
 import { ProjectColumn } from 'types';
+import { removeColumnTypePrefix } from 'utils/flatRun';
 
 import css from './MultiSortMenu.module.scss';
 
@@ -25,6 +30,7 @@ interface MultiSortRowProps {
   onChange?: (sort: Sort) => void;
   onRemove?: () => void;
   bannedSortColumns: Set<string>;
+  typeMap: Record<string, V1ColumnType[]>;
 }
 interface DirectionOptionsProps {
   onChange?: (direction: DirectionType) => void;
@@ -36,6 +42,7 @@ interface ColumnOptionsProps {
   onChange?: (column: string) => void;
   value?: string;
   bannedSortColumns: Set<string>;
+  typeMap: Record<string, V1ColumnType[]>;
 }
 
 export const optionsByColumnType = {
@@ -153,6 +160,7 @@ const ColumnOptions: React.FC<ColumnOptionsProps> = ({
   columns,
   value,
   bannedSortColumns,
+  typeMap,
 }) => (
   <Select
     autoFocus
@@ -161,10 +169,31 @@ const ColumnOptions: React.FC<ColumnOptionsProps> = ({
     loading={Loadable.isNotLoaded(columns)}
     options={Loadable.getOrElse([], columns)
       .filter((c) => !bannedSortColumns.has(c.column))
-      .map((c) => ({
-        label: c.displayName || c.column,
-        value: c.column,
-      }))}
+      .map((c) => {
+        const badges = typeMap[c.column].map((type) => {
+          const copy =
+            (runColumns as readonly string[]).includes(c.column) &&
+            type === V1ColumnType.UNSPECIFIED
+              ? 'BOOLEAN'
+              : removeColumnTypePrefix(type);
+          return (
+            <Fragment key={type}>
+              <Badge text={copy} />{' '}
+            </Fragment>
+          );
+        });
+        const title = c.displayName || c.column;
+        const label = (
+          <>
+            {title} {badges}
+          </>
+        );
+        return {
+          label,
+          title,
+          value: c.column,
+        };
+      })}
     placeholder="Select column"
     value={value}
     width="100%"
@@ -178,6 +207,7 @@ const MultiSortRow: React.FC<MultiSortRowProps> = ({
   onChange,
   onRemove,
   bannedSortColumns,
+  typeMap,
 }) => {
   const valueType =
     Loadable.getOrElse([], columns).find((c) => c.column === sort.column)?.type ||
@@ -188,6 +218,7 @@ const MultiSortRow: React.FC<MultiSortRowProps> = ({
         <ColumnOptions
           bannedSortColumns={bannedSortColumns}
           columns={columns}
+          typeMap={typeMap}
           value={sort.column}
           onChange={(column) => onChange?.({ ...sort, column })}
         />
@@ -231,6 +262,27 @@ const MultiSort: React.FC<MultiSortProps> = ({ sorts, columns, onChange, bannedS
     window.document.body.dispatchEvent(new Event('mousedown', { bubbles: true }));
     onChange?.([EMPTY_SORT]);
   };
+  // replace duplicate columns with a single unspecified column for copy
+  // reasons. maintain types so we can display in the select
+  const [mergedColumns, typeMap] = useMemo(() => {
+    const loadableTuple = columns.map((c) => {
+      const columnGroups = groupBy(c, 'column');
+      const fixedColumns = Object.values(columnGroups).flatMap((group) => {
+        if (group.length > 1) {
+          return [
+            {
+              ...group[0],
+              type: V1ColumnType.UNSPECIFIED,
+            },
+          ];
+        }
+        return group;
+      });
+      const typeMap = mapValues(columnGroups, (group) => group.map((column) => column.type));
+      return [fixedColumns, typeMap] as const;
+    });
+    return [loadableTuple.map((l) => l[0]), loadableTuple.map((l) => l[1]).getOrElse({})];
+  }, [columns]);
 
   return (
     <div className={css.base} data-test-component="multiSort">
@@ -238,7 +290,7 @@ const MultiSort: React.FC<MultiSortProps> = ({ sorts, columns, onChange, bannedS
       <div className={css.rows} data-test="rows">
         {sorts.map((sort, idx) => {
           const seenColumns = sorts.slice(0, idx).map((s) => s.column);
-          const columnOptions = Loadable.map(columns, (cols) =>
+          const columnOptions = mergedColumns.map((cols) =>
             cols.filter((c) => !seenColumns.includes(c.column)),
           );
           return (
@@ -247,6 +299,7 @@ const MultiSort: React.FC<MultiSortProps> = ({ sorts, columns, onChange, bannedS
               columns={columnOptions}
               key={sort.column || idx}
               sort={sort}
+              typeMap={typeMap}
               onChange={makeOnRowChange(idx)}
               onRemove={makeOnRowRemove(idx)}
             />
diff --git a/webui/react/src/e2e/tests/experimentList.spec.ts b/webui/react/src/e2e/tests/experimentList.spec.ts
index 8ae7f66d01a..8726fc6093b 100644
--- a/webui/react/src/e2e/tests/experimentList.spec.ts
+++ b/webui/react/src/e2e/tests/experimentList.spec.ts
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ test.describe('Experiment List', () => {
       async () => {
         await expect(
           tableFilter.filterForm.filter.filterFields.columnName.selectionItem.pwLocator,
-        ).toHaveText('ID');
+        ).toContainText('ID');
         await tableFilter.filterForm.filter.filterFields.operator.selectMenuOption('!=');
       },
       totalExperiments - 1,
diff --git a/webui/react/src/pages/FlatRuns/FlatRuns.tsx b/webui/react/src/pages/FlatRuns/FlatRuns.tsx
index 173d5fe380d..81210441468 100644
--- a/webui/react/src/pages/FlatRuns/FlatRuns.tsx
+++ b/webui/react/src/pages/FlatRuns/FlatRuns.tsx
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
     const arrayTypeColumns = projectColumns
       .getOrElse([])
       .filter((col) => col.type === V1ColumnType.ARRAY)
-      .map((col) => col.column);
+      .map((col) => formatColumnKey(col));
     return arrayTypeColumns;
   }, [projectColumns]);
 
@@ -379,8 +379,8 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
                 columnDefKey,
                 currentColumn.displayName || currentColumn.column,
                 settings.columnWidths[columnDefKey] ??
-                  defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
-                  MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
+                defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
+                MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
                 dataPath,
                 {
                   max: heatmap.max,
@@ -392,8 +392,8 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
                 columnDefKey,
                 currentColumn.displayName || currentColumn.column,
                 settings.columnWidths[columnDefKey] ??
-                  defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
-                  MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
+                defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
+                MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
                 dataPath,
                 undefined,
               );
@@ -405,8 +405,8 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
               columnDefKey,
               currentColumn.displayName || currentColumn.column,
               settings.columnWidths[columnDefKey] ??
-                defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
-                MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
+              defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
+              MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
               dataPath,
             );
             break;
@@ -415,8 +415,8 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
               columnDefKey,
               currentColumn.displayName || currentColumn.column,
               settings.columnWidths[columnDefKey] ??
-                defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
-                MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
+              defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
+              MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
               dataPath,
             );
             break;
@@ -427,8 +427,8 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
               columnDefKey,
               currentColumn.displayName || currentColumn.column,
               settings.columnWidths[columnDefKey] ??
-                defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
-                MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
+              defaultColumnWidths[columnDefKey as RunColumn] ??
+              MIN_COLUMN_WIDTH,
               dataPath,
             );
         }
@@ -441,9 +441,9 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
             settings.columnWidths[currentColumn.column],
             heatmap && settings.heatmapOn && !settings.heatmapSkipped.includes(currentColumn.column)
               ? {
-                  max: heatmap.max,
-                  min: heatmap.min,
-                }
+                max: heatmap.max,
+                min: heatmap.min,
+              }
               : undefined,
           );
         }
@@ -817,32 +817,32 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
           ? null
           : !isPinned
             ? {
-                icon: <Icon decorative name="pin" />,
-                key: 'pin',
-                label: 'Pin column',
-                onClick: () => {
-                  const newColumnsOrder = columnsIfLoaded.filter((c) => c !== columnId);
-                  newColumnsOrder.splice(settings.pinnedColumnsCount, 0, columnId);
-                  handleColumnsOrderChange(
-                    newColumnsOrder,
-                    Math.min(settings.pinnedColumnsCount + 1, columnsIfLoaded.length),
-                  );
-                },
-              }
+              icon: <Icon decorative name="pin" />,
+              key: 'pin',
+              label: 'Pin column',
+              onClick: () => {
+                const newColumnsOrder = columnsIfLoaded.filter((c) => c !== columnId);
+                newColumnsOrder.splice(settings.pinnedColumnsCount, 0, columnId);
+                handleColumnsOrderChange(
+                  newColumnsOrder,
+                  Math.min(settings.pinnedColumnsCount + 1, columnsIfLoaded.length),
+                );
+              },
+            }
             : {
-                disabled: settings.pinnedColumnsCount <= 1,
-                icon: <Icon decorative name="pin" />,
-                key: 'unpin',
-                label: 'Unpin column',
-                onClick: () => {
-                  const newColumnsOrder = columnsIfLoaded.filter((c) => c !== columnId);
-                  newColumnsOrder.splice(settings.pinnedColumnsCount - 1, 0, columnId);
-                  handleColumnsOrderChange(
-                    newColumnsOrder,
-                    Math.max(settings.pinnedColumnsCount - 1, 0),
-                  );
-                },
+              disabled: settings.pinnedColumnsCount <= 1,
+              icon: <Icon decorative name="pin" />,
+              key: 'unpin',
+              label: 'Unpin column',
+              onClick: () => {
+                const newColumnsOrder = columnsIfLoaded.filter((c) => c !== columnId);
+                newColumnsOrder.splice(settings.pinnedColumnsCount - 1, 0, columnId);
+                handleColumnsOrderChange(
+                  newColumnsOrder,
+                  Math.max(settings.pinnedColumnsCount - 1, 0),
+                );
               },
+            },
         {
           icon: <Icon decorative name="eye-close" />,
           key: 'hide',
@@ -871,9 +871,9 @@ const FlatRuns: React.FC<Props> = ({ projectId, workspaceId, searchId }) => {
           sortCount === 0
             ? []
             : [
-                { type: 'divider' as const },
-                ...sortMenuItemsForColumn(column, sorts, handleSortChange),
-              ];
+              { type: 'divider' as const },
+              ...sortMenuItemsForColumn(column, sorts, handleSortChange),
+            ];
         items.push(...sortMenuItems);
       }
 
diff --git a/webui/react/src/utils/flatRun.ts b/webui/react/src/utils/flatRun.ts
index cbf0803ac87..34a85f677b4 100644
--- a/webui/react/src/utils/flatRun.ts
+++ b/webui/react/src/utils/flatRun.ts
@@ -122,8 +122,9 @@ export const removeColumnTypePrefix = (columnName: V1ColumnType): string => {
   return columnName.replace('COLUMN_TYPE_', '');
 };
 
-/// wanna know why this separator is used? see https://hpe-aiatscale.atlassian.net/browse/ET-785
-export const METADATA_SEPARATOR = '\u241F' as const; // TODO: unify after merging PR 10052
+/// we want to use special characters as "separators" to prevent user input to match with such when creating the arbitrary metadata
+export const COLUMN_SEPARATOR = '␟';
+export const METADATA_SEPARATOR = '\u241F' as const;
 
 export const formatColumnKey = (col: ProjectColumn, required = false): string => {
   if (required || col.location === V1LocationType.RUNMETADATA)