diff --git a/packages/backend/convex/schema.ts b/packages/backend/convex/schema.ts
index 1e23bbc..3e2b375 100644
--- a/packages/backend/convex/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/convex/schema.ts
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ const applicationTables = {
     updatedAt: v.number(),
   })
     .index('by_spoon_side', ['spoonId', 'side'])
+    .index('by_spoon_side_committed', ['spoonId', 'side', 'committedAt'])
     .index('by_owner', ['ownerId'])
     .index('by_sha', ['spoonId', 'sha'])
     .index('by_committed', ['spoonId', 'committedAt']),
diff --git a/packages/backend/convex/spoonCommits.ts b/packages/backend/convex/spoonCommits.ts
index af4d656..8be1986 100644
--- a/packages/backend/convex/spoonCommits.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/convex/spoonCommits.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export const listForSpoon = query({
     if (side) {
       return await ctx.db
         .query('spoonCommits')
-        .withIndex('by_spoon_side', (q) =>
+        .withIndex('by_spoon_side_committed', (q) =>
           q.eq('spoonId', spoonId).eq('side', side),
         )
         .order('desc')
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@ export const listForSpoon = query({
     const [upstream, fork] = await Promise.all([
       ctx.db
         .query('spoonCommits')
-        .withIndex('by_spoon_side', (q) =>
+        .withIndex('by_spoon_side_committed', (q) =>
           q.eq('spoonId', spoonId).eq('side', 'upstream'),
         )
         .order('desc')
         .take(take),
       ctx.db
         .query('spoonCommits')
-        .withIndex('by_spoon_side', (q) =>
+        .withIndex('by_spoon_side_committed', (q) =>
           q.eq('spoonId', spoonId).eq('side', 'fork'),
         )
         .order('desc')
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export const listInternal = internalQuery({
   handler: async (ctx, { spoonId, ownerId, side, limit }) => {
     const rows = await ctx.db
       .query('spoonCommits')
-      .withIndex('by_spoon_side', (q) =>
+      .withIndex('by_spoon_side_committed', (q) =>
         q.eq('spoonId', spoonId).eq('side', side),
       )
       .order('desc')
diff --git a/packages/backend/tests/unit/hot-paths.test.ts b/packages/backend/tests/unit/hot-paths.test.ts
index 01c689d..b80c4bb 100644
--- a/packages/backend/tests/unit/hot-paths.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/tests/unit/hot-paths.test.ts
@@ -108,6 +108,33 @@ describe('spoonCommits.listForSpoon (no side) bounded + merged', () => {
     expect(times).toEqual([...times].sort((a, b) => b - a));
   });
 
+  test('keeps the true newest-N per side when a side exceeds the limit', async () => {
+    const t = convexTest(schema, modules);
+    const ownerId = await createUser(t, 'owner@example.com');
+    const spoonId = await seedSpoon(t, ownerId);
+
+    // One side holds MORE commits than the limit, inserted in NON-monotonic
+    // committedAt order (so DB creation order != committedAt order). A query
+    // that bounds by insertion/_creationTime order would drop the true newest
+    // commit (500). Only ordering by committedAt keeps the real top-3.
+    await seedCommits(t, spoonId, ownerId, [
+      { side: 'upstream', committedAt: 500, sha: 'u500' },
+      { side: 'upstream', committedAt: 100, sha: 'u100' },
+      { side: 'upstream', committedAt: 200, sha: 'u200' },
+      { side: 'upstream', committedAt: 300, sha: 'u300' },
+      { side: 'upstream', committedAt: 400, sha: 'u400' },
+    ]);
+
+    const result = await authed(t, ownerId).query(
+      api.spoonCommits.listForSpoon,
+      { spoonId, limit: 3 },
+    );
+
+    // True top-3 by committedAt desc. The buggy index (by_spoon_side, ordered
+    // by _creationTime) would instead return the last-3-inserted [400,300,200].
+    expect(result.map((c) => c.sha)).toEqual(['u500', 'u400', 'u300']);
+  });
+
   test('returns all rows when under the limit', async () => {
     const t = convexTest(schema, modules);
     const ownerId = await createUser(t, 'owner@example.com');
@@ -148,6 +175,31 @@ describe('spoonCommits.listForSpoon (no side) bounded + merged', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('spoonCommits.listForSpoon (single side) bounded', () => {
+  test('keeps the true newest-N when the side exceeds the limit', async () => {
+    const t = convexTest(schema, modules);
+    const ownerId = await createUser(t, 'owner@example.com');
+    const spoonId = await seedSpoon(t, ownerId);
+
+    // Non-monotonic insertion order so _creationTime order != committedAt.
+    await seedCommits(t, spoonId, ownerId, [
+      { side: 'fork', committedAt: 500, sha: 'f500' },
+      { side: 'fork', committedAt: 100, sha: 'f100' },
+      { side: 'fork', committedAt: 200, sha: 'f200' },
+      { side: 'fork', committedAt: 300, sha: 'f300' },
+      { side: 'fork', committedAt: 400, sha: 'f400' },
+    ]);
+
+    const result = await authed(t, ownerId).query(
+      api.spoonCommits.listForSpoon,
+      { spoonId, side: 'fork', limit: 3 },
+    );
+
+    // True top-3 by committedAt desc, not the last-3-inserted [400,300,200].
+    expect(result.map((c) => c.sha)).toEqual(['f500', 'f400', 'f300']);
+  });
+});
+
 const seedJobs = async (
   t: ReturnType<typeof convexTest>,
   spoonId: Id<'spoons'>,