diff --git a/src/config/sessions/session-accessor.test.ts b/src/config/sessions/session-accessor.test.ts
index 6ef67e05f92..8ea2afc10ce 100644
--- a/src/config/sessions/session-accessor.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/sessions/session-accessor.test.ts
@@ -1036,6 +1036,92 @@ describe("session accessor file-backed seam", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("branches from the newest matching compaction checkpoint without sorting all checkpoints", async () => {
+    const sourceSessionId = "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111";
+    const branchSessionId = "22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222";
+    const branchPath = path.join(tempDir, "branch-newest.jsonl");
+    fs.writeFileSync(branchPath, `{"type":"session","id":"${branchSessionId}"}\n`, "utf8");
+    const oldMatchingCheckpoint = {
+      checkpointId: "checkpoint-1",
+      sessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+      sessionId: sourceSessionId,
+      createdAt: 10,
+      reason: "manual",
+      preCompaction: {
+        sessionId: sourceSessionId,
+        leafId: "old-leaf",
+      },
+      postCompaction: { sessionId: "33333333-3333-4333-8333-333333333333" },
+    } satisfies NonNullable<SessionEntry["compactionCheckpoints"]>[number];
+    const newestMatchingCheckpoint = {
+      ...oldMatchingCheckpoint,
+      createdAt: 20,
+      preCompaction: {
+        sessionId: sourceSessionId,
+        leafId: "new-leaf",
+      },
+      postCompaction: { sessionId: "44444444-4444-4444-8444-444444444444" },
+    } satisfies NonNullable<SessionEntry["compactionCheckpoints"]>[number];
+    const newestDifferentCheckpoint = {
+      ...oldMatchingCheckpoint,
+      checkpointId: "checkpoint-2",
+      createdAt: 30,
+      preCompaction: {
+        sessionId: sourceSessionId,
+        leafId: "different-leaf",
+      },
+      postCompaction: { sessionId: "55555555-5555-4555-8555-555555555555" },
+    } satisfies NonNullable<SessionEntry["compactionCheckpoints"]>[number];
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      storePath,
+      JSON.stringify(
+        {
+          main: {
+            sessionId: sourceSessionId,
+            updatedAt: 30,
+            compactionCheckpoints: [
+              oldMatchingCheckpoint,
+              newestDifferentCheckpoint,
+              newestMatchingCheckpoint,
+            ],
+          },
+        } satisfies Record<string, SessionEntry>,
+        null,
+        2,
+      ),
+      "utf8",
+    );
+
+    const result = await branchSessionFromCompactionCheckpoint({
+      storePath,
+      sourceKey: "agent:main:main",
+      sourceStoreKey: "main",
+      nextKey: "agent:main:branch-newest",
+      checkpointId: "checkpoint-1",
+      forkTranscriptFromCheckpoint: async (selectedCheckpoint) => {
+        expect(selectedCheckpoint).toEqual(newestMatchingCheckpoint);
+        return {
+          status: "created",
+          transcript: {
+            sessionFile: branchPath,
+            sessionId: branchSessionId,
+          },
+        };
+      },
+      buildEntry: ({ currentEntry, forkedTranscript }) => ({
+        ...currentEntry,
+        sessionFile: forkedTranscript.sessionFile,
+        sessionId: forkedTranscript.sessionId,
+      }),
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      status: "created",
+      key: "agent:main:branch-newest",
+      checkpoint: newestMatchingCheckpoint,
+    });
+  });
+
   it("does not persist checkpoint restores when the transcript boundary is missing", async () => {
     fs.writeFileSync(
       storePath,
diff --git a/src/config/sessions/session-accessor.ts b/src/config/sessions/session-accessor.ts
index af53aa512d9..7f1741335f0 100644
--- a/src/config/sessions/session-accessor.ts
+++ b/src/config/sessions/session-accessor.ts
@@ -1355,9 +1355,16 @@ function findSessionCompactionCheckpoint(params: {
   if (!checkpointId || !Array.isArray(params.entry.compactionCheckpoints)) {
     return undefined;
   }
-  return [...params.entry.compactionCheckpoints]
-    .toSorted((a, b) => b.createdAt - a.createdAt)
-    .find((checkpoint) => checkpoint.checkpointId === checkpointId);
+  let newest: SessionCompactionCheckpoint | undefined;
+  for (const checkpoint of params.entry.compactionCheckpoints) {
+    if (checkpoint.checkpointId !== checkpointId) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (!newest || checkpoint.createdAt > newest.createdAt) {
+      newest = checkpoint;
+    }
+  }
+  return newest;
 }
 
 type ApplySessionCompactionCheckpointMutationParams = {