diff --git a/rosbag2_cpp/test/rosbag2_cpp/test_sequential_reader.cpp b/rosbag2_cpp/test/rosbag2_cpp/test_sequential_reader.cpp
index ce0d3c494a..ecdb142837 100644
--- a/rosbag2_cpp/test/rosbag2_cpp/test_sequential_reader.cpp
+++ b/rosbag2_cpp/test/rosbag2_cpp/test_sequential_reader.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "rosbag2_storage/bag_metadata.hpp"
 #include "rosbag2_storage/metadata_io.hpp"
+#include "rosbag2_storage/ros_helper.hpp"
 #include "rosbag2_storage/topic_metadata.hpp"
 
 #include "rosbag2_test_common/temporary_directory_fixture.hpp"
@@ -241,7 +242,8 @@ class OrderTestWriter : public rosbag2_cpp::writers::SequentialWriter
 {
 public:
   // makes the method public for manual splitting
-  void split() {
+  void split()
+  {
     split_bagfile();
   }
 };
@@ -252,20 +254,33 @@ class ReadOrderTest : public TemporaryDirectoryFixture
 public:
   ReadOrderTest()
   {
-    fake_data = std::make_shared<rcutils_uint8_array_t>();
+    std::string msg_content = "Hello";
+    auto msg_length = msg_content.length();
+    fake_data = rosbag2_storage::make_serialized_message(
+      msg_content.c_str(), msg_length);
+
     storage_options.uri = (std::filesystem::path(temporary_dir_path_) / "ordertest").string();
     storage_options.storage_id = "sqlite3";
 
     writer.open(storage_options, rosbag2_cpp::ConverterOptions{});
+    writer.create_topic(
+    {
+      topic_name,
+      "test_msgs/ByteMultiArray",
+      "cdr",
+      ""
+    });
+
     for (const auto & file_messages : message_timestamps_by_file) {
       for (const auto time_stamp : file_messages) {
+        message_timestamps.push_back(time_stamp);
         auto msg = std::make_shared<rosbag2_storage::SerializedBagMessage>();
         msg->serialized_data = fake_data;
         msg->time_stamp = time_stamp;
         msg->topic_name = topic_name;
         writer.write(msg);
       }
-      writer.split();
+      // writer.split();
     }
     writer.close();
   }
@@ -274,6 +289,7 @@ class ReadOrderTest : public TemporaryDirectoryFixture
     {100, 300, 200},
     {500, 400, 600}
   };
+  std::vector<rcutils_time_point_value_t> message_timestamps;
   const std::string topic_name = "testtopic";
   OrderTestWriter writer;
   rosbag2_cpp::readers::SequentialReader reader;
@@ -283,18 +299,12 @@ class ReadOrderTest : public TemporaryDirectoryFixture
 
 TEST_F(ReadOrderTest, default_read_order) {
   reader.open(storage_options, rosbag2_cpp::ConverterOptions{});
-  auto next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 100);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 200);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 300);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 400);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 500);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 600);
+  std::sort(message_timestamps.begin(), message_timestamps.end());
+  for (const auto time_stamp : message_timestamps) {
+    ASSERT_TRUE(reader.has_next());
+    auto next = reader.read_next();
+    ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, time_stamp);
+  }
   ASSERT_FALSE(reader.has_next());
 }
 
@@ -307,17 +317,27 @@ TEST_F(ReadOrderTest, reverse_received_timestamp_order) {
   auto metadata = reader.get_metadata();
   reader.seek((metadata.starting_time + metadata.duration).time_since_epoch().count());
 
-  auto next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 600);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 500);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 400);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 300);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 200);
-  next = reader.read_next();
-  ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, 100);
+  std::sort(
+    message_timestamps.begin(), message_timestamps.end(), [](auto a, auto b) {return a > b;});
+  for (const auto time_stamp : message_timestamps) {
+    ASSERT_TRUE(reader.has_next());
+    auto next = reader.read_next();
+    ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, time_stamp);
+  }
+  ASSERT_FALSE(reader.has_next());
+}
+
+TEST_F(ReadOrderTest, file_order) {
+  rosbag2_storage::ReadOrder order;
+  order.sort_by = rosbag2_storage::ReadOrder::File;
+  reader.set_read_order(order);
+  reader.open(storage_options, rosbag2_cpp::ConverterOptions{});
+
+  // Don't sort timestamps, should be returned in write order
+  for (const auto time_stamp : message_timestamps) {
+    ASSERT_TRUE(reader.has_next());
+    auto next = reader.read_next();
+    ASSERT_EQ(next->time_stamp, time_stamp);
+  }
   ASSERT_FALSE(reader.has_next());
 }
diff --git a/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/include/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/sqlite/sqlite_storage.hpp b/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/include/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/sqlite/sqlite_storage.hpp
index d16c47c0c4..8c4d556fc9 100644
--- a/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/include/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/sqlite/sqlite_storage.hpp
+++ b/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/include/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/sqlite/sqlite_storage.hpp
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ class ROSBAG2_STORAGE_DEFAULT_PLUGINS_PUBLIC SqliteStorage
   void write_locked(std::shared_ptr<const rosbag2_storage::SerializedBagMessage> message)
   RCPPUTILS_TSA_REQUIRES(database_write_mutex_);
 
+  int get_last_rowid();
+
   using ReadQueryResult = SqliteStatementWrapper::QueryResult<
     std::shared_ptr<rcutils_uint8_array_t>, rcutils_time_point_value_t, std::string, int>;
 
diff --git a/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/src/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/sqlite/sqlite_storage.cpp b/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/src/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/sqlite/sqlite_storage.cpp
index 28146bc53a..6638e437a3 100644
--- a/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/src/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/sqlite/sqlite_storage.cpp
+++ b/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/src/rosbag2_storage_default_plugins/sqlite/sqlite_storage.cpp
@@ -294,11 +294,15 @@ void SqliteStorage::set_read_order(rosbag2_storage::ReadOrder read_order)
   if (read_order == read_order_) {
     return;
   }
+  read_order_ = read_order;
+  read_statement_ = nullptr;
+
   if (read_order_.sort_by == rosbag2_storage::ReadOrder::PublishedTimestamp) {
     throw std::runtime_error("Not Implemented - PublishedTimestamp read order.");
   }
-  read_order_ = read_order;
-  read_statement_ = nullptr;
+  if (read_order.reverse && seek_row_id_ == 0) {
+    seek_row_id_ = get_last_rowid();
+  }
 }
 
 bool SqliteStorage::has_next()
@@ -403,6 +407,7 @@ void SqliteStorage::prepare_for_reading()
 {
   std::string statement_str = "SELECT data, timestamp, topics.name, messages.id "
     "FROM messages JOIN topics ON messages.topic_id = topics.id WHERE ";
+  std::vector<std::string> where_conditions;
 
   // add topic filter
   if (!storage_filter_.topics.empty()) {
@@ -414,38 +419,50 @@ void SqliteStorage::prepare_for_reading()
         topic_list += ",";
       }
     }
-    statement_str += "(topics.name IN (" + topic_list + ")) AND ";
+    where_conditions.push_back("(topics.name IN (" + topic_list + "))");
   }
   // add topic filter based on regular expression
   if (!storage_filter_.topics_regex.empty()) {
     // Construct string for selected topics
-    statement_str += "(topics.name REGEXP '" + storage_filter_.topics_regex + "')";
-    statement_str += " AND ";
+    where_conditions.push_back("(topics.name REGEXP '" + storage_filter_.topics_regex + "')");
   }
   // exclude topics based on regular expressions
   if (!storage_filter_.topics_regex_to_exclude.empty()) {
     // Construct string for selected topics
-    statement_str += " (topics.name NOT IN ";
-    statement_str += " (SELECT topics.name FROM topics WHERE topics.name REGEXP '";
-    statement_str += storage_filter_.topics_regex_to_exclude + "')";
-    statement_str += " ) AND ";
+    where_conditions.push_back(
+      "(topics.name NOT IN "
+      "(SELECT topics.name FROM topics WHERE topics.name REGEXP '" +
+      storage_filter_.topics_regex_to_exclude + "'))");
   }
+
+  const std::string direction_op = read_order_.reverse ? "<" : ">";
+  const std::string order_direction = read_order_.reverse ? "DESC" : "ASC";
+
   // add seek head filter
-  std::string message_id_filter = "(messages.id >= " + std::to_string(seek_row_id_) + ")";
-  std::string timestamp_equal_filter = "(timestamp = " + std::to_string(seek_time_) + ")";
-  std::string timestamp_greater_filter = "(timestamp > " + std::to_string(seek_time_) + ")";
   if (read_order_.sort_by == rosbag2_storage::ReadOrder::File) {
-    statement_str += message_id_filter;
+    where_conditions.push_back(
+      "(messages.id " + direction_op + "= " + std::to_string(seek_row_id_) + ") ");
   } else {
-    statement_str += "((" + message_id_filter + " AND " + timestamp_equal_filter + ") "
-      "OR " + timestamp_greater_filter + ") ";
+    where_conditions.push_back(
+      "(((timestamp = " + std::to_string(seek_time_) + ") "
+      "AND (messages.id " + direction_op + "= " + std::to_string(seek_row_id_) + ")) "
+      "OR (timestamp " + direction_op + " " + std::to_string(seek_time_) + ")) ");
+  }
+
+  for (
+    std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it = where_conditions.begin();
+    it != where_conditions.end(); ++it)
+  {
+    statement_str += *it;
+    if (it != where_conditions.end() - 1) {
+      statement_str += " AND ";
+    }
   }
 
   // add order by time then id
-  std::string order_direction = read_order_.reverse ? "DESC" : "ASC";
   switch (read_order_.sort_by) {
     case rosbag2_storage::ReadOrder::ReceivedTimestamp:
-      statement_str += "ORDER BY messages.timestamp " + order_direction +
+      statement_str += "ORDER BY messages.timestamp " + order_direction;
       statement_str += ", messages.id " + order_direction;
       break;
     case rosbag2_storage::ReadOrder::File:
@@ -578,9 +595,9 @@ void SqliteStorage::reset_filter()
 
 void SqliteStorage::seek(const rcutils_time_point_value_t & timestamp)
 {
-  // reset row id to 0 and set start time to input
+  // reset row id and set start time to input
   // keep topic filter and reset read statement for re-read
-  seek_row_id_ = 0;
+  seek_row_id_ = read_order_.reverse ? get_last_rowid() : 0;
   seek_time_ = timestamp;
   read_statement_ = nullptr;
 }
@@ -598,6 +615,13 @@ SqliteWrapper & SqliteStorage::get_sqlite_database_wrapper()
   return *database_;
 }
 
+int SqliteStorage::get_last_rowid()
+{
+  auto statement = database_->prepare_statement("SELECT max(rowid) from messages;");
+  auto query_results = statement->execute_query<int>();
+  return std::get<0>(*query_results.begin());
+}
+
 }  // namespace rosbag2_storage_plugins
 
 #include "pluginlib/class_list_macros.hpp"  // NOLINT