diff --git a/apps/automated/src/ui/list-view/list-view-tests.ts b/apps/automated/src/ui/list-view/list-view-tests.ts
index dfe5718a3..08a44e318 100644
--- a/apps/automated/src/ui/list-view/list-view-tests.ts
+++ b/apps/automated/src/ui/list-view/list-view-tests.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as TKUnit from '../../tk-unit';
 import * as helper from '../../ui-helper';
 import { UITest } from '../../ui-test';
-import { isAndroid, Page, View, KeyedTemplate, Utils, Observable, EventData, ObservableArray, Label, Application, ListView, ItemEventData } from '@nativescript/core';
+import { isAndroid, Page, View, KeyedTemplate, Utils, Observable, EventData, ObservableArray, Label, Application, ListView, ItemEventData, StackLayout } from '@nativescript/core';
 import { MyButton, MyStackLayout } from '../layouts/layout-helper';
 
 // >> article-item-tap
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ export class ListViewTest extends UITest<ListView> {
 	}
 
 	public test_loadMoreItems_raised_when_showing_few_items() {
+		this.setUp();
 		var listView = this.testView;
 
 		var loadMoreItemsCount = 0;
@@ -751,10 +752,136 @@ export class ListViewTest extends UITest<ListView> {
 		listView.scrollToIndex(10000);
 	}
 
+	// Sticky header sanity tests
+	public test_stickyHeader_iOS_sectioned_headers_basic() {
+		if (!__APPLE__) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		this.setUp();
+
+		const listView = this.testView;
+		listView.sectioned = true;
+		listView.stickyHeader = true;
+		listView.stickyHeaderTemplate = "<Label id='headerLabel' text='{{ title }}' />";
+
+		const items = [
+			{ title: 'Section A', items: [1, 2, 3] },
+			{ title: 'Section B', items: [4, 5] },
+		];
+		listView.items = items;
+
+		// Ensure layout
+		this.waitUntilTestElementIsLoaded();
+		this.waitUntilTestElementLayoutIsValid();
+
+		const table = <UITableView>listView.ios;
+		TKUnit.assertEqual(table.numberOfSections, 2, 'iOS sticky headers should use sections');
+
+		// Default auto height is ~44; ensure > 0
+		const rect0 = table.rectForHeaderInSection(0);
+		TKUnit.assert(rect0.size.height > 0, 'header height > 0');
+
+		// Template binding sanity: force-create header view via delegate and read label text
+		const header0 = (<any>table.delegate).tableViewViewForHeaderInSection(table, 0);
+		const headerText0 = this.getTextFromNativeHeaderForSection(listView, header0);
+		TKUnit.assertEqual(headerText0, 'Section A', 'iOS header 0 text');
+
+		// Respect explicit stickyHeaderHeight
+		listView.stickyHeaderHeight = 60;
+		listView.refresh();
+		TKUnit.wait(0.05);
+		const rect0b = table.rectForHeaderInSection(0);
+		// iOS reports in points; allow small variance
+		TKUnit.assert(Math.abs(rect0b.size.height - 60) <= 1, 'explicit header height ~60');
+	}
+
+	public test_stickyHeader_Android_header_updates_and_padding() {
+		if (!isAndroid) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		this.setUp();
+
+		const listView = this.testView;
+		listView.sectioned = true;
+		listView.stickyHeader = true;
+		listView.stickyHeaderTemplate = "<Label id='headerLabel' text='{{ title }}' />";
+		listView.items = [
+			{ title: 'First', items: ['a', 'b', 'c'] },
+			{ title: 'Second', items: ['d', 'e'] },
+		];
+
+		this.waitUntilTestElementIsLoaded();
+		this.waitUntilTestElementLayoutIsValid();
+		TKUnit.waitUntilReady(() => !!(<any>listView)._stickyHeaderView);
+
+		// Sticky header view exists and binds
+		const sticky = (<any>listView)._stickyHeaderView;
+		TKUnit.assert(!!sticky, 'sticky header view exists');
+		const text0 = this.getStickyHeaderTextAndroid(listView);
+		TKUnit.assertEqual(text0, 'First', 'Android sticky header initial text');
+
+		// ListView should have top padding to avoid content under header
+		const topPad = (<android.widget.ListView>listView.android).getPaddingTop();
+		TKUnit.assert(topPad > 0, 'ListView has top padding for sticky header');
+
+		// Update header to next section (simulate scroll)
+		if ((<any>listView)._updateStickyHeader) {
+			(<any>listView)._updateStickyHeader(1);
+			TKUnit.wait(0.05);
+			const text1 = this.getStickyHeaderTextAndroid(listView);
+			TKUnit.assertEqual(text1, 'Second', 'Android sticky header updated text');
+		}
+	}
+
 	private checkItemVisibleAtIndex(listView: ListView, index: number): boolean {
 		return listView.isItemAtIndexVisible(index);
 	}
 
+	private getTextFromNativeHeaderForSection(listView: ListView, headerView: any): string {
+		if (__APPLE__ && headerView && headerView.contentView && headerView.contentView.subviews) {
+			// subviews can be function or array-like depending on runtime bridge
+			try {
+				if (Utils.isFunction(headerView.contentView.subviews)) {
+					const sv = headerView.contentView.subviews();
+					return sv && sv.length ? sv[0].text + '' : '';
+				} else {
+					return headerView.contentView.subviews[0].text + '';
+				}
+			} catch (e) {
+				return '';
+			}
+		}
+
+		return '';
+	}
+
+	private getStickyHeaderTextAndroid(listView: ListView): string {
+		if (isAndroid) {
+			const headerView = (<any>listView)._stickyHeaderView as StackLayout;
+			if (!headerView) {
+				return '';
+			}
+			if (headerView instanceof Label) {
+				return headerView.text + '';
+			}
+			if (headerView.getChildAt) {
+				const child = headerView.getChildAt(0) as StackLayout;
+				if (child instanceof Label) {
+					return child.text + '';
+				}
+				if (child?.getChildAt) {
+					const gchild = child.getChildAt(0);
+					if (gchild instanceof Label) {
+						return gchild.text + '';
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return '';
+	}
+
 	private assertNoMemoryLeak(weakRef: WeakRef<ListView>) {
 		this.tearDown();
 		//
diff --git a/packages/core/ui/list-view/index.android.ts b/packages/core/ui/list-view/index.android.ts
index 3c94fee82..646caec8d 100644
--- a/packages/core/ui/list-view/index.android.ts
+++ b/packages/core/ui/list-view/index.android.ts
@@ -516,7 +516,8 @@ export class ListView extends ListViewBase {
 
 		for (let section = 0; section < sectionCount; section++) {
 			// Check if firstVisibleItem is in this section (header or items)
-			const itemsInSection = this._getItemsInSection(section).length;
+			const sectionItems = this._getItemsInSection(section) || [];
+			const itemsInSection = (sectionItems as any).length || 0;
 			const sectionEndPosition = currentPosition + 1 + itemsInSection; // +1 for header
 
 			if (firstVisibleItem < sectionEndPosition) {
@@ -844,7 +845,7 @@ function ensureListViewAdapterClass() {
 		}
 
 		public getCount() {
-			if (!this.owner || !this.owner.items) {
+			if (!this.owner) {
 				return 0;
 			}
 
@@ -852,18 +853,24 @@ function ensureListViewAdapterClass() {
 			let count = 0;
 
 			if (this.owner.sectioned) {
-				// Count items + section headers
+				// If items are not ready, report 0 to avoid early crashes
 				const sectionCount = this.owner._getSectionCount();
+				if (!this.owner.items || sectionCount <= 0) {
+					return 0;
+				}
+
+				// Count items + section headers
 				for (let i = 0; i < sectionCount; i++) {
-					const itemsInSection = this.owner._getItemsInSection(i);
-					// Only add header if section has items or we want to show empty sections
-					if (itemsInSection.length > 0) {
+					const itemsInSection = this.owner._getItemsInSection(i) || [];
+					// Only add header if section has items
+					if ((itemsInSection as any).length > 0) {
 						count += 1; // Section header
-						count += itemsInSection.length; // Items in section
+						count += (itemsInSection as any).length; // Items in section
 					}
 				}
 			} else {
-				count = this.owner.items.length;
+				const src: any = this.owner.items as any;
+				count = src && typeof src.length === 'number' ? src.length : 0;
 			}
 
 			// Return the count, ensuring it's never negative
@@ -889,9 +896,10 @@ function ensureListViewAdapterClass() {
 					return this.owner._getDataItemInSection(positionInfo.section, positionInfo.itemIndex);
 				}
 			} else {
-				if (i < this.owner.items.length) {
-					const getItem = (<ItemsSource>this.owner.items).getItem;
-					return getItem ? getItem.call(this.owner.items, i) : this.owner.items[i];
+				const src: any = this.owner.items as any;
+				if (src && typeof src.length === 'number' && i < src.length) {
+					const getItem = (<ItemsSource>src).getItem;
+					return getItem ? getItem.call(src, i) : src[i];
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -908,10 +916,10 @@ function ensureListViewAdapterClass() {
 			const sectionCount = this.owner._getSectionCount();
 
 			for (let section = 0; section < sectionCount; section++) {
-				const itemsInSection = this.owner._getItemsInSection(section);
+				const itemsInSection = this.owner._getItemsInSection(section) || [];
 
 				// Skip sections with no items (they won't have headers in our count)
-				if (itemsInSection.length === 0) {
+				if ((itemsInSection as any).length === 0) {
 					continue;
 				}
 
@@ -922,11 +930,11 @@ function ensureListViewAdapterClass() {
 				currentPosition++; // Move past header
 
 				// Check if position is within this section's items
-				if (position < currentPosition + itemsInSection.length) {
+				if (position < currentPosition + (itemsInSection as any).length) {
 					const itemIndex = position - currentPosition;
 					return { isHeader: false, section: section, itemIndex: itemIndex };
 				}
-				currentPosition += itemsInSection.length; // Move past items
+				currentPosition += (itemsInSection as any).length; // Move past items
 			}
 
 			// Fallback - should not reach here with proper bounds checking
@@ -1010,6 +1018,14 @@ function ensureListViewAdapterClass() {
 				return emptyView;
 			}
 
+			// Trigger loadMoreItems when binding the last visible row (matches prior Android behavior)
+			if (index === totalCount - 1) {
+				this.owner.notify({
+					eventName: LOADMOREITEMS,
+					object: this.owner,
+				});
+			}
+
 			if (this.owner.sectioned) {
 				const positionInfo = this._getPositionInfo(index);
 
@@ -1149,12 +1165,16 @@ function ensureListViewAdapterClass() {
 				}
 
 				if (!args.view.parent) {
-					// Android ListView doesn't properly respect margins on direct child views.
-					// Always wrap item views in a StackLayout container to ensure margins work correctly.
-					const container = new StackLayout();
-					container.addChild(args.view);
-					this.owner._addView(container);
-					convertView = container.nativeViewProtected;
+					// Proxy containers should not be treated as layouts. Wrap them in a real layout.
+					if (args.view instanceof LayoutBase && !(args.view instanceof ProxyViewContainer)) {
+						this.owner._addView(args.view);
+						convertView = args.view.nativeViewProtected;
+					} else {
+						const sp = new StackLayout();
+						sp.addChild(args.view);
+						this.owner._addView(sp);
+						convertView = sp.nativeViewProtected;
+					}
 				}
 
 				this.owner._registerViewToTemplate(template.key, convertView, args.view);