diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/ShellStream.test.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/ShellStream.test.ts
index fbc610235dd01..ad39c266b434c 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/ShellStream.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/ShellStream.test.ts
@@ -282,6 +282,35 @@ describe("omitOlderSettledShells", () => {
     expect(result.threads.map((thread) => thread.id).slice(25)).toEqual(["tie"]);
   });
 
+  it("finds the same cut whatever order the settled threads arrive in", () => {
+    const ascending = Array.from({ length: 200 }, (_, index) =>
+      row(`${index % 2 === 0 ? "a" : "b"}-${index}`, index),
+    );
+    let seed = 7;
+    const shuffled = [...ascending];
+    for (let index = shuffled.length - 1; index > 0; index--) {
+      seed = (Math.imul(seed, 1664525) + 1013904223) >>> 0;
+      const other = seed % (index + 1);
+      [shuffled[index], shuffled[other]] = [shuffled[other]!, shuffled[index]!];
+    }
+    const newestIds = new Set(ascending.slice(0, 25).map((thread) => thread.id));
+    for (const threads of [ascending, [...ascending].reverse(), shuffled]) {
+      const result = omit(threads);
+      expect(result.threads.map((thread) => thread.id)).toEqual(
+        threads.filter((thread) => newestIds.has(thread.id)).map((thread) => thread.id),
+      );
+      expect(result.olderSettled.before).toBe(
+        DateTime.formatIso(DateTime.makeUnsafe(100 * DAY - 24 * DAY)),
+      );
+      expect(result.olderSettled.counts).toEqual(
+        expect.arrayContaining([
+          { projectId: "project-a", count: 87 },
+          { projectId: "project-b", count: 88 },
+        ]),
+      );
+    }
+  });
+
   it("omits nothing with fewer than 25 settled threads, however old", () => {
     const old = Array.from({ length: 5 }, (_, index) => row(`old-${index}`, 300 + index));
     const result = omit(old);
diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/ShellStream.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/ShellStream.ts
index 5ee1005b16830..2a7d4151e83f2 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/ShellStream.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/ShellStream.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ function shellTrimFacts(rows: ReadonlyArray<ShellTrimRow>): ShellTrimFacts {
   const subagentParentIds = new Set<string>();
   const subagentThreadIds = new Set<string>();
   const remoteTaskParentIds = new Set<string>();
+  // A bounded min-heap keeps the 25th newest timestamp at its root.
   const settledTimes: Array<number> = [];
   for (const row of rows) {
     if (row.hasRemoteTasks === true) remoteTaskParentIds.add(row.id);
@@ -213,12 +214,33 @@ function shellTrimFacts(rows: ReadonlyArray<ShellTrimRow>): ShellTrimFacts {
       row.settledOverride === "settled" &&
       row.settledAt !== null
     ) {
-      settledTimes.push(DateTime.toEpochMillis(row.settledAt));
+      const settledAtMs = DateTime.toEpochMillis(row.settledAt);
+      let position = settledTimes.length;
+      if (position < NEWEST_SETTLED_KEPT) {
+        settledTimes.push(settledAtMs);
+        while (position > 0) {
+          const parent = (position - 1) >>> 1;
+          if (settledTimes[parent]! <= settledAtMs) break;
+          settledTimes[position] = settledTimes[parent]!;
+          position = parent;
+        }
+      } else {
+        if (settledAtMs <= settledTimes[0]!) continue;
+        position = 0;
+        while (position * 2 + 1 < settledTimes.length) {
+          let child = position * 2 + 1;
+          if (child + 1 < settledTimes.length && settledTimes[child + 1]! < settledTimes[child]!)
+            child++;
+          if (settledAtMs <= settledTimes[child]!) break;
+          settledTimes[position] = settledTimes[child]!;
+          position = child;
+        }
+      }
+      settledTimes[position] = settledAtMs;
     }
   }
-  settledTimes.sort((left, right) => right - left);
   // With fewer than 25, the oldest one is the cut, so nothing is older.
-  const olderSettledBeforeMs = settledTimes[NEWEST_SETTLED_KEPT - 1] ?? settledTimes.at(-1);
+  const olderSettledBeforeMs = settledTimes[0];
   const counts = new Map<ProjectId, number>();
   if (olderSettledBeforeMs !== undefined) {
     for (const row of rows) {