diff --git a/deploy/deploy.yaml b/deploy/deploy.yaml
index d060a9fd..c800922c 100644
--- a/deploy/deploy.yaml
+++ b/deploy/deploy.yaml
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ lanes:
         env:
           HWLAB_WORKBENCH_RUNTIME_DB_URL: secretRef:hwlab-cloud-api-v03-db/database-url
           HWLAB_WORKBENCH_RUNTIME_PORT: "6671"
-          HWLAB_WORKBENCH_RUNTIME_DB_POOL_MAX: "8"
+          HWLAB_WORKBENCH_RUNTIME_DB_POOL_MAX: "32"
           HWLAB_WORKBENCH_RUNTIME_QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS: "10000"
           HWLAB_WORKBENCH_RUNTIME_READY_TIMEOUT_MS: "2000"
           OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT: http://otel-collector.platform-infra.svc.cluster.local:4318/v1/traces
diff --git a/internal/workbenchruntime/service.go b/internal/workbenchruntime/service.go
index f062cca9..0e5c3b1a 100644
--- a/internal/workbenchruntime/service.go
+++ b/internal/workbenchruntime/service.go
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ var workbenchRuntimeReadIndexes = []string{
 	"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_workbench_sessions_updated ON workbench_sessions(updated_at DESC, session_id)",
 	"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_workbench_sessions_owner_updated ON workbench_sessions(owner_user_id, updated_at DESC, session_id)",
 	"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_workbench_sessions_status_updated ON workbench_sessions(status, updated_at DESC, session_id)",
+	"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_workbench_messages_session_updated ON workbench_messages(session_id, updated_at ASC, message_id)",
 	"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_workbench_messages_session_role_updated ON workbench_messages(session_id, role, updated_at ASC, message_id)",
+	"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_workbench_turns_trace_updated ON workbench_turns(trace_id, updated_at DESC)",
+	"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_workbench_projection_checkpoints_trace_updated ON workbench_projection_checkpoints(trace_id, updated_at DESC)",
 }
 
 type factQuery struct {
@@ -593,37 +596,70 @@ func (s *Server) queryMessageSummaries(ctx context.Context, sessionIDs []string)
 		args = append(args, sid)
 		placeholders = append(placeholders, fmt.Sprintf("$%d", len(args)))
 	}
-	sqlText := fmt.Sprintf("SELECT session_id, COUNT(*) AS message_count, (ARRAY_AGG(message_json ORDER BY updated_at ASC) FILTER (WHERE role = 'user'))[1] AS first_user_message_json FROM workbench_messages WHERE session_id IN (%s) GROUP BY session_id", strings.Join(placeholders, ", "))
-	result := []any{}
-	stage := "workbench_runtime.db.message_summaries"
-	err := s.withOtelInternalSpan(ctx, stage, s.dbQueryAttrs("workbench_messages", len(args), map[string]any{"db.index.expected": "idx_workbench_messages_session_updated|idx_workbench_messages_session_role_updated"}), func(spanCtx context.Context) error {
-		rows, err := s.db.QueryContext(spanCtx, sqlText, args...)
+	bySession := map[string]map[string]any{}
+	countSQL := fmt.Sprintf("SELECT session_id, COUNT(*) AS message_count FROM workbench_messages WHERE session_id IN (%s) GROUP BY session_id", strings.Join(placeholders, ", "))
+	countStage := "workbench_runtime.db.message_counts"
+	err := s.withOtelInternalSpan(ctx, countStage, s.dbQueryAttrs("workbench_messages", len(args), map[string]any{"db.index.expected": "idx_workbench_messages_session_updated"}), func(spanCtx context.Context) error {
+		rows, err := s.db.QueryContext(spanCtx, countSQL, args...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		defer rows.Close()
 		for rows.Next() {
-			var sessionID, firstUserMessageJSON sql.NullString
+			var sessionID sql.NullString
 			var messageCount sql.NullInt64
-			if err := rows.Scan(&sessionID, &messageCount, &firstUserMessageJSON); err != nil {
+			if err := rows.Scan(&sessionID, &messageCount); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			if !sessionID.Valid || strings.TrimSpace(sessionID.String) == "" {
 				continue
 			}
 			item := map[string]any{"sessionId": sessionID.String, "messageCount": nullableInt(messageCount), "valuesRedacted": true}
+			bySession[sessionID.String] = item
+		}
+		return rows.Err()
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, wrapQueryStage(countStage, err)
+	}
+	firstUserSQL := fmt.Sprintf("SELECT DISTINCT ON (session_id) session_id, message_json FROM workbench_messages WHERE session_id IN (%s) AND role = 'user' ORDER BY session_id ASC, updated_at ASC, message_id ASC", strings.Join(placeholders, ", "))
+	firstUserStage := "workbench_runtime.db.first_user_messages"
+	err = s.withOtelInternalSpan(ctx, firstUserStage, s.dbQueryAttrs("workbench_messages", len(args), map[string]any{"db.index.expected": "idx_workbench_messages_session_role_updated"}), func(spanCtx context.Context) error {
+		rows, err := s.db.QueryContext(spanCtx, firstUserSQL, args...)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer rows.Close()
+		for rows.Next() {
+			var sessionID, firstUserMessageJSON sql.NullString
+			if err := rows.Scan(&sessionID, &firstUserMessageJSON); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if !sessionID.Valid || strings.TrimSpace(sessionID.String) == "" {
+				continue
+			}
+			item := bySession[sessionID.String]
+			if item == nil {
+				item = map[string]any{"sessionId": sessionID.String, "messageCount": 0, "valuesRedacted": true}
+				bySession[sessionID.String] = item
+			}
 			if firstUserMessageJSON.Valid && strings.TrimSpace(firstUserMessageJSON.String) != "" {
 				var message map[string]any
 				if json.Unmarshal([]byte(firstUserMessageJSON.String), &message) == nil && len(message) > 0 {
 					item["firstUserMessagePreview"] = firstUserPreview([]map[string]any{message})
 				}
 			}
-			result = append(result, item)
 		}
 		return rows.Err()
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, wrapQueryStage(stage, err)
+		return nil, wrapQueryStage(firstUserStage, err)
+	}
+	result := []any{}
+	for _, sid := range cleaned {
+		if item := bySession[sid]; item != nil {
+			result = append(result, item)
+		}
 	}
 	return result, nil
 }