diff --git a/packages/agent/docs/harness-v2.md b/packages/agent/docs/harness-v2.md
index b88e5678b..b27a5a83a 100644
--- a/packages/agent/docs/harness-v2.md
+++ b/packages/agent/docs/harness-v2.md
@@ -1764,6 +1764,13 @@ Stale branches (no lane resolves through them) are kept.
 
 Every restore query is an index seek plus a bounded scan: a lane's open operation via `(lane, type, seq)`, its last run-kind start via `(lane, type, op_kind, seq)`, its records above the operation via the same index, its own entries via the read plan from its leaf. No query touches another lane's traffic.
 
+SQLite implementation follow-ups:
+
+- Finish search backend work now in progress.
+- Add limit and cursor support to search results.
+- Route `findEntries` through indexed/search-backed query paths where possible instead of decoding and filtering all session entries.
+- Re-audit SQLite query plans after search and `findEntries` changes to see whether further index or query-shape improvements are warranted.
+
 ## 14. Agent-loop building blocks
 
 `agent-loop.ts` exposes building blocks that own no durable state and know nothing about sessions, records, or lanes. The harness composes them and inserts durability writes between their phases.
diff --git a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/migrations/001_initial.sql b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/migrations/001_initial.sql
index 74cbf3490..706b0b04d 100644
--- a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/migrations/001_initial.sql
+++ b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/migrations/001_initial.sql
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sessions (
 
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_sessions_created_at ON sessions(created_at DESC);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_sessions_cwd_created_at ON sessions(cwd, created_at DESC);
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_sessions_parent ON sessions(parent_session_id);
 
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS entries (
 	session_id TEXT NOT NULL,
@@ -22,7 +21,6 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS entries (
 	UNIQUE (session_id, seq)
 );
 
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_entries_session_seq ON entries(session_id, seq);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_entries_session_parent ON entries(session_id, parent_id);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_entries_session_type_seq ON entries(session_id, type, seq);
 
@@ -79,7 +77,6 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS records (
 	UNIQUE (session_id, seq)
 ) WITHOUT ROWID;
 
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_records_session_seq ON records(session_id, seq);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_records_session_lane_seq ON records(session_id, lane, seq);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_records_session_type_seq ON records(session_id, type, seq);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_records_session_type_op_kind_seq ON records(session_id, type, op_kind, seq);
@@ -95,7 +92,6 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS lane_moves (
 	PRIMARY KEY (session_id, seq)
 ) WITHOUT ROWID;
 
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_lane_moves_session_lane_seq ON lane_moves(session_id, lane, seq);
 
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS facts (
 	session_id TEXT NOT NULL,
@@ -110,8 +106,8 @@ CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_facts_session_kind_key_seq ON facts(session_id, k
 
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS branch_tips (
 	session_id TEXT NOT NULL,
-	tip_id TEXT NOT NULL,
 	branch_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+	tip_id TEXT NOT NULL,
 	PRIMARY KEY (session_id, tip_id),
 	UNIQUE (session_id, branch_id)
 ) WITHOUT ROWID;
diff --git a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/repo.ts b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/repo.ts
index 5bd2f2591..da4b13c01 100644
--- a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/repo.ts
+++ b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/repo.ts
@@ -532,7 +532,14 @@ class SqliteSessionStorage implements SessionStorage<SqliteSessionMetadata> {
 	}
 
 	async findEntries(query: EntryQuery = {}): Promise<Entry[]> {
-		const rows = readEntryRows(this.db, this.metadata.id, { order: query.order });
+		const sqlType = query.type ?? (query.customType === undefined ? undefined : "custom");
+		const sqlLimit = query.customType === undefined ? query.limit : undefined;
+		const rows = readEntryRows(this.db, this.metadata.id, {
+			cursor: query.cursor,
+			limit: sqlLimit,
+			order: query.order,
+			type: sqlType,
+		});
 		const entries = rows.map(decodeEntry).filter((entry) => matchesEntryQuery(entry, query));
 		return query.limit === undefined ? entries : entries.slice(0, query.limit);
 	}
diff --git a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/branch-entries.ts b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/branch-entries.ts
index 58807897d..76016a71c 100644
--- a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/branch-entries.ts
+++ b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/branch-entries.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { Entry } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
+import { type Entry, SessionError } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import { joinSqlFragments, sql } from "../sql.ts";
 import type { SqliteDatabase } from "../types.ts";
 
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ export interface CachedBranchQuery {
 	limit?: number;
 }
 
+interface BranchPathEntryRow {
+	id: string;
+	seq: number;
+	parent_id: string | null;
+	type: Entry["type"];
+	payload: string;
+}
+
 export function readCachedBranch(db: SqliteDatabase, sessionId: string, leafId: string) {
 	const membership = sql`SELECT branch_id, entry_seq
 		FROM branch_entries
@@ -56,14 +64,12 @@ export function queryCachedBranchRows(
 	const boundary =
 		stopPredicates.length === 0
 			? sql``
-			: sql`WITH boundary AS (
-				SELECT ${aggregate}(stop.entry_seq) AS entry_seq
+			: sql`SELECT ${aggregate}(stop.entry_seq)
 				FROM branch_entries AS stop
 				WHERE stop.session_id = ${sessionId}
 					AND stop.branch_id = ${branch.branchId}
 					AND stop.entry_seq <= ${branch.leafSeq}
-					AND (${joinSqlFragments(stopPredicates, " OR ")})
-			)`;
+					AND (${joinSqlFragments(stopPredicates, " OR ")})`;
 
 	const predicates = [
 		sql`b.session_id = ${sessionId}`,
@@ -71,17 +77,16 @@ export function queryCachedBranchRows(
 		sql`b.entry_seq <= ${branch.leafSeq}`,
 	];
 	if (stopPredicates.length > 0) {
-		predicates.push(sql`b.entry_seq ${boundaryComparison} COALESCE(
-			(SELECT entry_seq FROM boundary), ${oldestFirst ? branch.leafSeq : 0}
-		)`);
+		predicates.push(
+			sql`b.entry_seq ${boundaryComparison} COALESCE((${boundary}), ${oldestFirst ? branch.leafSeq : 0})`,
+		);
 	}
 	if (query.cursor !== undefined) predicates.push(sql`b.entry_seq ${cursorComparison} ${query.cursor.afterSeq}`);
 	if (query.type !== undefined) predicates.push(sql`b.entry_type = ${query.type}`);
 	if (query.customType !== undefined) predicates.push(sql`b.custom_type = ${query.customType}`);
 	const limit = query.limit === undefined ? sql`` : sql` LIMIT ${query.limit}`;
 
-	return sql`${boundary}
-		SELECT e.session_id, e.id, e.seq AS entry_seq, e.parent_id, e.type, e.timestamp, e.payload
+	return sql`SELECT e.session_id, e.id, e.seq AS entry_seq, e.parent_id, e.type, e.timestamp, e.payload
 		FROM branch_entries AS b
 		JOIN entries AS e ON e.session_id = b.session_id AND e.id = b.entry_id
 		WHERE ${joinSqlFragments(predicates, " AND ")}
@@ -106,21 +111,44 @@ export function insertBranchEntry(
 			VALUES (${sessionId}, ${branchId}, ${entryId}, ${entrySeq}, ${entryType}, ${customType})`.run(db);
 }
 
+function customTypeFromPayload(row: BranchPathEntryRow): string | null {
+	if (row.type !== "custom") return null;
+	try {
+		const payload = JSON.parse(row.payload) as unknown;
+		if (typeof payload !== "object" || payload === null || Array.isArray(payload)) {
+			throw new Error("Payload is not an object");
+		}
+		const customType = (payload as { customType?: unknown }).customType;
+		if (typeof customType !== "string") throw new Error("Invalid custom payload");
+		return customType;
+	} catch (error) {
+		throw new SessionError(
+			"invalid_entry",
+			`Invalid SQLite session entry ${row.id}: failed to decode entry ${row.id}`,
+			error instanceof Error ? error : undefined,
+		);
+	}
+}
+
 export function insertBranchEntriesForPath(db: SqliteDatabase, sessionId: string, branchId: string, leafId: string) {
-	sql`WITH RECURSIVE path(id, entry_seq, parent_id, type, custom_type) AS (
-			SELECT id, seq, parent_id, type,
-				CASE WHEN type = 'custom' THEN json_extract(payload, '$.customType') ELSE NULL END
+	const path: BranchPathEntryRow[] = [];
+	const seen = new Set<string>();
+	let entryId: string | null = leafId;
+
+	while (entryId !== null) {
+		if (seen.has(entryId)) throw new SessionError("invalid_entry", `Entry parent cycle at ${entryId}`);
+		seen.add(entryId);
+		const row: BranchPathEntryRow | undefined = sql`SELECT id, seq, parent_id, type, payload
 			FROM entries
-			WHERE session_id = ${sessionId} AND id = ${leafId}
-			UNION ALL
-			SELECT parent.id, parent.seq, parent.parent_id, parent.type,
-				CASE WHEN parent.type = 'custom' THEN json_extract(parent.payload, '$.customType') ELSE NULL END
-			FROM entries AS parent
-			JOIN path AS child ON child.parent_id = parent.id
-			WHERE parent.session_id = ${sessionId}
-		)
-		INSERT INTO branch_entries (session_id, branch_id, entry_id, entry_seq, entry_type, custom_type)
-		SELECT ${sessionId}, ${branchId}, id, entry_seq, type, custom_type FROM path`.run(db);
+			WHERE session_id = ${sessionId} AND id = ${entryId}`.get<BranchPathEntryRow>(db);
+		if (!row) throw new SessionError("invalid_entry", `Entry ${entryId} not found`);
+		path.push(row);
+		entryId = row.parent_id;
+	}
+
+	for (const row of path.reverse()) {
+		insertBranchEntry(db, sessionId, branchId, row.id, row.seq, row.type, customTypeFromPayload(row));
+	}
 }
 
 export function readBranchContainingEntry(db: SqliteDatabase, sessionId: string, entryId: string) {
diff --git a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/entries.ts b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/entries.ts
index c2a8b625e..e76ef3cf6 100644
--- a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/entries.ts
+++ b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/entries.ts
@@ -42,14 +42,28 @@ export function readEntryRow(db: SqliteDatabase, sessionId: string, entryId: str
 export function readEntryRows(
 	db: SqliteDatabase,
 	sessionId: string,
-	options: { afterSeq?: number; order?: EntryOrder; limit?: number } = {},
+	options: {
+		afterSeq?: number;
+		cursor?: { afterSeq: number };
+		type?: Entry["type"];
+		order?: EntryOrder;
+		limit?: number;
+	} = {},
 ) {
+	const oldestFirst = options.order === "oldestFirst";
 	const after = options.afterSeq === undefined ? sql`` : sql` AND seq > ${options.afterSeq}`;
-	const direction = options.order === "oldestFirst" ? sql`ASC` : sql`DESC`;
+	const cursor =
+		options.cursor === undefined
+			? sql``
+			: oldestFirst
+				? sql` AND seq > ${options.cursor.afterSeq}`
+				: sql` AND seq < ${options.cursor.afterSeq}`;
+	const type = options.type === undefined ? sql`` : sql` AND type = ${options.type}`;
+	const direction = oldestFirst ? sql`ASC` : sql`DESC`;
 	const limit = options.limit === undefined ? sql`` : sql` LIMIT ${options.limit}`;
 	return sql`SELECT session_id, seq, id, parent_id, type, timestamp, payload
 		FROM entries
-		WHERE session_id = ${sessionId}${after}
+		WHERE session_id = ${sessionId}${after}${cursor}${type}
 		ORDER BY seq ${direction}${limit}`.all<EntryRow>(db);
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/facts.ts b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/facts.ts
index a9654aede..19fa76e75 100644
--- a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/facts.ts
+++ b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/src/sqlite/storage/facts.ts
@@ -31,17 +31,19 @@ export function readLatestFact(db: SqliteDatabase, sessionId: string, kind: stri
 }
 
 export function readLatestLabelFacts(db: SqliteDatabase, sessionId: string) {
-	return sql`WITH latest AS (
-			SELECT key, MAX(seq) AS seq
-			FROM facts INDEXED BY idx_facts_session_kind_key_seq
-			WHERE session_id = ${sessionId} AND kind = 'label'
-			GROUP BY key
-		)
-		SELECT latest.key, f.value
-		FROM latest
-		JOIN facts AS f ON f.session_id = ${sessionId} AND f.seq = latest.seq
-		WHERE f.value IS NOT NULL
-		ORDER BY latest.key`.all<{ key: string; value: string }>(db);
+	return sql`SELECT f.key, f.value
+		FROM facts AS f INDEXED BY idx_facts_session_kind_key_seq
+		WHERE f.session_id = ${sessionId}
+			AND f.kind = 'label'
+			AND f.value IS NOT NULL
+			AND f.seq = (
+				SELECT MAX(candidate.seq)
+				FROM facts AS candidate INDEXED BY idx_facts_session_kind_key_seq
+				WHERE candidate.session_id = f.session_id
+					AND candidate.kind = f.kind
+					AND candidate.key IS f.key
+			)
+		ORDER BY f.key`.all<{ key: string; value: string }>(db);
 }
 
 export function readFactRows(
diff --git a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/test/migrations.test.ts b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/test/migrations.test.ts
index ae8f4f352..fb1631100 100644
--- a/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/test/migrations.test.ts
+++ b/packages/session-backends/sqlite-node/test/migrations.test.ts
@@ -36,8 +36,11 @@ describe("SQLite migrations", () => {
 			expect(sessionColumns.map((column) => column.name)).not.toContain("leaf_id");
 			const sessionIndexes = db.prepare("PRAGMA index_list(sessions)").all<{ name: string }>();
 			expect(sessionIndexes.map((index) => index.name)).toContain("idx_sessions_cwd_created_at");
+			expect(sessionIndexes.map((index) => index.name)).not.toContain("idx_sessions_parent");
 			const laneColumns = db.prepare("PRAGMA table_info(lanes)").all<{ name: string }>();
 			expect(laneColumns.map((column) => column.name)).toContain("open_operation_id");
+			const entryIndexes = db.prepare("PRAGMA index_list(entries)").all<{ name: string }>();
+			expect(entryIndexes.map((index) => index.name)).not.toContain("idx_entries_session_seq");
 			const branchEntryIndexes = db.prepare("PRAGMA index_list(branch_entries)").all<{ name: string }>();
 			expect(branchEntryIndexes.map((index) => index.name)).toContain("idx_branch_entries_session_entry");
 			const recordIndexes = db.prepare("PRAGMA index_list(records)").all<{ name: string }>();
@@ -48,6 +51,9 @@ describe("SQLite migrations", () => {
 					"idx_records_session_type_op_kind_seq",
 				]),
 			);
+			expect(recordIndexes.map((index) => index.name)).not.toContain("idx_records_session_seq");
+			const laneMoveIndexes = db.prepare("PRAGMA index_list(lane_moves)").all<{ name: string }>();
+			expect(laneMoveIndexes.map((index) => index.name)).not.toContain("idx_lane_moves_session_lane_seq");
 		} finally {
 			db.close();
 		}