diff --git a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
index 0214304a..54d61410 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
+++ b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
@@ -1436,7 +1436,13 @@ async function handleWorkbenchSessionDetail(request, response, options, actor, s
 
 async function handleWorkbenchMessagePage(request, response, url, options, actor, sessionId) {
   const readModel = workbenchRuntimeFactsReadModel(request, options, actor);
-  const result = await queryFactsByRouteId(readModel, sessionId, { families: WORKBENCH_SESSION_MESSAGE_PAGE_FAMILIES });
+  const limit = boundedLimit(url.searchParams.get("limit"));
+  const cursorParam = url.searchParams.get("cursor") ?? url.searchParams.get("after");
+  const hasCursor = Boolean(textValue(cursorParam));
+  const result = await queryFactsByRouteId(readModel, sessionId, {
+    families: WORKBENCH_SESSION_MESSAGE_PAGE_FAMILIES,
+    ...(hasCursor ? {} : { limit, messagesOrder: "updated_desc", partsOrder: "updated_desc", turnsOrder: "updated_desc", checkpointsOrder: "updated_desc" })
+  });
   if (result.error) return sendJson(response, 503, workbenchProjectionStoreError(result.error));
   const session = visibleFactSessions(result.facts, actor)[0] ?? null;
   if (!session) {
@@ -1445,9 +1451,6 @@ async function handleWorkbenchMessagePage(request, response, url, options, actor
     return sendJson(response, 404, body);
   }
   const messages = factMessagesForSession(session, result.facts);
-  const limit = boundedLimit(url.searchParams.get("limit"));
-  const cursorParam = url.searchParams.get("cursor") ?? url.searchParams.get("after");
-  const hasCursor = Boolean(textValue(cursorParam));
   const offset = hasCursor ? cursorOffset(cursorParam) : Math.max(0, messages.length - limit);
   const page = messages.slice(offset, offset + limit);
   const nextOffset = offset + page.length;