diff --git a/packages/core/src/runner/runner.ts b/packages/core/src/runner/runner.ts
index eca9e27b..6a17db4e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runner/runner.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runner/runner.ts
@@ -259,6 +259,8 @@ export function getRun(id: string): Run {
   return toRun(row);
 }
 
+const UNFINISHED = new Set(["queued", "running", "paused"]);
+
 export function listRuns(opts: { agentId?: string; status?: string; conversationId?: string; parentRunId?: string; limit?: number } = {}): Run[] {
   const where: string[] = [];
   const params: (string | number)[] = [];
@@ -274,17 +276,17 @@ export function listRuns(opts: { agentId?: string; status?: string; conversation
     where.push("conversation_id = ?");
     params.push(opts.conversationId);
   }
-  if (opts.status) {
-    const statuses = opts.status.split(",").map((s) => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
-    if (statuses.length) {
-      where.push(`status IN (${statuses.map(() => "?").join(", ")})`);
-      params.push(...statuses);
-    }
+  const statuses = (opts.status ?? "").split(",").map((s) => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+  if (statuses.length) {
+    where.push(`status IN (${statuses.map(() => "?").join(", ")})`);
+    params.push(...statuses);
   }
+  // Unfinished runs are a handful: find them by status instead of walking every run newest first.
+  const order = statuses.length && statuses.every((s) => UNFINISHED.has(s)) ? "+created_at" : "created_at";
   const limit = Math.min(Math.max(1, Math.floor(opts.limit ?? 50)), 500);
   params.push(limit);
   const runs = all<RunRow>(
-    `SELECT * FROM runs ${where.length ? `WHERE ${where.join(" AND ")}` : ""} ORDER BY created_at DESC, rowid DESC LIMIT ?`,
+    `SELECT * FROM runs ${where.length ? `WHERE ${where.join(" AND ")}` : ""} ORDER BY ${order} DESC, rowid DESC LIMIT ?`,
     ...params,
   ).map(toRun);
   // Why a paused run stands still: paused by the human, waiting for Claude's limit, or for the human's answer.
diff --git a/packages/core/src/services/conversations.ts b/packages/core/src/services/conversations.ts
index a3fe06a5..e7e604b1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/services/conversations.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/services/conversations.ts
@@ -512,9 +512,11 @@ export function listConversations(
   }
   const limit = Math.min(Math.max(1, Math.floor(opts.limit ?? 100)), 500);
   params.push(limit);
+  const order = `${opts.archived ? "" : "c.pinned DESC, "}COALESCE(c.last_message_at, c.created_at) DESC`;
+  // Pick the page first: the preview and the derived columns are then looked up for those chats only, not for every one.
   const rows = all<ConversationRow>(
-    `SELECT c.*, ${PREVIEW_SQL}, ${FOLLOWUP_SQL}, ${PAUSE_SQL}, ${DELEGATED_SQL} FROM ${FROM_SQL} WHERE ${where.join(" AND ")}
-     ORDER BY ${opts.archived ? "" : "c.pinned DESC, "}COALESCE(c.last_message_at, c.created_at) DESC LIMIT ?`,
+    `SELECT c.*, ${PREVIEW_SQL}, ${FOLLOWUP_SQL}, ${PAUSE_SQL}, ${DELEGATED_SQL} FROM ${FROM_SQL}
+     WHERE c.id IN (SELECT c.id FROM ${FROM_SQL} WHERE ${where.join(" AND ")} ORDER BY ${order} LIMIT ?) ORDER BY ${order}`,
     ...params,
   );
   return rows.map(toConversation);
diff --git a/packages/core/test/conversations.test.ts b/packages/core/test/conversations.test.ts
index e05f63a1..fac0172a 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/conversations.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/conversations.test.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ describe("conversation list", () => {
     expect(list.slice(0, 3).map((x) => x.id)).toEqual([c.id, b.id, a.id]);
     expect(list.find((x) => x.id === a.id)!.preview).toBe("hello from alpha");
     expect(list.every((x) => x.running === false)).toBe(true);
+    const page = listConversations({ agentId: agent.id, limit: 2 });
+    expect(page.map((x) => x.id)).toEqual([c.id, b.id]);
+    expect(page[1]!.preview).toBe("find the needle here");
 
     expect(listConversations({ search: "needle" }).map((x) => x.id)).toEqual([b.id]);
     expect(listConversations({ search: "alph" }).map((x) => x.id)).toEqual([a.id]);
diff --git a/packages/core/test/runner.test.ts b/packages/core/test/runner.test.ts
index b8af10d6..8d50b039 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/runner.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/runner.test.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import {
   findRunLog,
   getRun,
   listActiveRuns,
+  listRuns,
   recoverInterruptedRuns,
   waitForRun,
 } from "../src/runner/runner";
@@ -592,3 +593,26 @@ describe("recoverInterruptedRuns", () => {
     expect(all("SELECT 1 FROM message_images WHERE message_id = ?", messageId)).toEqual([]);
   });
 });
+
+describe("listRuns", () => {
+  test("filters by status newest first, unfinished and finished alike", () => {
+    const conv = createConversation({ agentId: agent.id });
+    const at = (m: number) => `2031-01-01T00:0${m}:00.000Z`;
+    const rows = [
+      ["run_list_test_000001", "succeeded", at(1)],
+      ["run_list_test_000002", "running", at(2)],
+      ["run_list_test_000003", "queued", at(3)],
+      ["run_list_test_000004", "succeeded", at(4)],
+      ["run_list_test_000005", "running", at(4)],
+    ] as const;
+    for (const [id, status, created] of rows) insert("runs", { id, agent_id: agent.id, conversation_id: conv.id, trigger: "chat", status, prompt: "x", created_at: created });
+    expect(listRuns({ conversationId: conv.id, status: "queued,running,paused" }).map((r) => r.id)).toEqual([
+      "run_list_test_000005",
+      "run_list_test_000003",
+      "run_list_test_000002",
+    ]);
+    expect(listRuns({ conversationId: conv.id, status: "running", limit: 1 }).map((r) => r.id)).toEqual(["run_list_test_000005"]);
+    expect(listRuns({ conversationId: conv.id, status: "succeeded" }).map((r) => r.id)).toEqual(["run_list_test_000004", "run_list_test_000001"]);
+    sql("DELETE FROM runs WHERE id LIKE 'run_list_test_%'");
+  });
+});