diff --git a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
index e4e50c58..0214304a 100644
--- a/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
+++ b/internal/cloud/server-workbench-http.ts
@@ -1446,7 +1446,9 @@ async function handleWorkbenchMessagePage(request, response, url, options, actor
   }
   const messages = factMessagesForSession(session, result.facts);
   const limit = boundedLimit(url.searchParams.get("limit"));
-  const offset = cursorOffset(url.searchParams.get("cursor") ?? url.searchParams.get("after"));
+  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;
   const resolvedSessionId = factSessionId(session);