diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/rollout/list.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/rollout/list.rs
index 01e7b1733d8..3338e181e0b 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/rollout/list.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/rollout/list.rs
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ struct HeadTailSummary {
 /// Hard cap to bound worst‑case work per request.
 const MAX_SCAN_FILES: usize = 10000;
 const HEAD_RECORD_LIMIT: usize = 10;
+const USER_EVENT_SCAN_LIMIT: usize = 200;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum ThreadSortKey {
@@ -683,14 +684,20 @@ async fn read_head_summary(path: &Path, head_limit: usize) -> io::Result<HeadTai
     let reader = tokio::io::BufReader::new(file);
     let mut lines = reader.lines();
     let mut summary = HeadTailSummary::default();
+    let mut lines_scanned = 0usize;
 
-    while summary.head.len() < head_limit {
+    while lines_scanned < head_limit
+        || (summary.saw_session_meta
+            && !summary.saw_user_event
+            && lines_scanned < head_limit + USER_EVENT_SCAN_LIMIT)
+    {
         let line_opt = lines.next_line().await?;
         let Some(line) = line_opt else { break };
         let trimmed = line.trim();
         if trimmed.is_empty() {
             continue;
         }
+        lines_scanned += 1;
 
         let parsed: Result<RolloutLine, _> = serde_json::from_str(trimmed);
         let Ok(rollout_line) = parsed else { continue };
@@ -703,9 +710,11 @@ async fn read_head_summary(path: &Path, head_limit: usize) -> io::Result<HeadTai
                     .created_at
                     .clone()
                     .or_else(|| Some(rollout_line.timestamp.clone()));
-                if let Ok(val) = serde_json::to_value(session_meta_line) {
+                summary.saw_session_meta = true;
+                if summary.head.len() < head_limit
+                    && let Ok(val) = serde_json::to_value(session_meta_line)
+                {
                     summary.head.push(val);
-                    summary.saw_session_meta = true;
                 }
             }
             RolloutItem::ResponseItem(item) => {
@@ -713,7 +722,9 @@ async fn read_head_summary(path: &Path, head_limit: usize) -> io::Result<HeadTai
                     .created_at
                     .clone()
                     .or_else(|| Some(rollout_line.timestamp.clone()));
-                if let Ok(val) = serde_json::to_value(item) {
+                if summary.head.len() < head_limit
+                    && let Ok(val) = serde_json::to_value(item)
+                {
                     summary.head.push(val);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/rollout/tests.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/rollout/tests.rs
index 08d4a1e2c9d..110eed0a9b4 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/rollout/tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/rollout/tests.rs
@@ -131,6 +131,63 @@ fn write_session_file_with_provider(
     Ok((dt, uuid))
 }
 
+fn write_session_file_with_delayed_user_event(
+    root: &Path,
+    ts_str: &str,
+    uuid: Uuid,
+    meta_lines_before_user: usize,
+) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    let format: &[FormatItem] =
+        format_description!("[year]-[month]-[day]T[hour]-[minute]-[second]");
+    let dt = PrimitiveDateTime::parse(ts_str, format)
+        .unwrap()
+        .assume_utc();
+    let dir = root
+        .join("sessions")
+        .join(format!("{:04}", dt.year()))
+        .join(format!("{:02}", u8::from(dt.month())))
+        .join(format!("{:02}", dt.day()));
+    fs::create_dir_all(&dir)?;
+
+    let filename = format!("rollout-{ts_str}-{uuid}.jsonl");
+    let file_path = dir.join(filename);
+    let mut file = File::create(file_path)?;
+
+    for i in 0..meta_lines_before_user {
+        let id = if i == 0 {
+            uuid
+        } else {
+            Uuid::from_u128(100 + i as u128)
+        };
+        let payload = serde_json::json!({
+            "id": id,
+            "timestamp": ts_str,
+            "cwd": ".",
+            "originator": "test_originator",
+            "cli_version": "test_version",
+            "source": "vscode",
+            "model_provider": "test-provider",
+        });
+        let meta = serde_json::json!({
+            "timestamp": ts_str,
+            "type": "session_meta",
+            "payload": payload,
+        });
+        writeln!(file, "{meta}")?;
+    }
+
+    let user_event = serde_json::json!({
+        "timestamp": ts_str,
+        "type": "event_msg",
+        "payload": {"type": "user_message", "message": "Hello from user", "kind": "plain"}
+    });
+    writeln!(file, "{user_event}")?;
+
+    let times = FileTimes::new().set_modified(dt.into());
+    file.set_times(times)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn write_session_file_with_meta_payload(
     root: &Path,
     ts_str: &str,
@@ -539,6 +596,31 @@ async fn test_pagination_cursor() {
     assert_eq!(page3, expected_page3);
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn test_list_threads_scans_past_head_for_user_event() {
+    let temp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let home = temp.path();
+
+    let uuid = Uuid::from_u128(99);
+    let ts = "2025-05-01T10-30-00";
+    write_session_file_with_delayed_user_event(home, ts, uuid, 12).unwrap();
+
+    let provider_filter = provider_vec(&[TEST_PROVIDER]);
+    let page = get_threads(
+        home,
+        10,
+        None,
+        ThreadSortKey::CreatedAt,
+        INTERACTIVE_SESSION_SOURCES,
+        Some(provider_filter.as_slice()),
+        TEST_PROVIDER,
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(page.items.len(), 1);
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn test_get_thread_contents() {
     let temp = TempDir::new().unwrap();