diff --git a/scripts/odysseus-mail b/scripts/odysseus-mail
index e63d9f166..443541df9 100755
--- a/scripts/odysseus-mail
+++ b/scripts/odysseus-mail
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ import logging
 import os
 import re
 import sys
-from datetime import datetime
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
 # Anchor the path so the script works when invoked from anywhere.
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def cmd_list(args) -> None:
             emit([], args)
             return
         all_uids = data[0].split()
-        # Newest first, limit
+        # Keep a bounded arrival batch; order its decoded rows by Date below.
         uids = list(reversed(all_uids))[: args.limit]
         out = []
         for uid in uids:
@@ -165,10 +165,15 @@ def cmd_list(args) -> None:
                 sender_name, sender_addr = parseaddr(sender)
                 date_raw = msg.get("Date", "")
                 try:
-                    iso = parsedate_to_datetime(date_raw).isoformat() if date_raw else ""
+                    parsed_date = parsedate_to_datetime(date_raw) if date_raw else None
+                    iso = parsed_date.isoformat() if parsed_date else ""
+                    if parsed_date is not None and parsed_date.tzinfo is None:
+                        parsed_date = parsed_date.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+                    date_epoch = parsed_date.timestamp() if parsed_date else float("-inf")
                 except Exception:
                     iso = ""
-                out.append({
+                    date_epoch = float("-inf")
+                out.append((date_epoch, {
                     "uid": uid.decode(),
                     "date": iso,
                     "from_addr": sender_addr,
@@ -176,10 +181,11 @@ def cmd_list(args) -> None:
                     "subject": subject,
                     "is_read": "\\Seen" in flags,
                     "is_answered": "\\Answered" in flags,
-                })
+                }))
             except Exception as e:
                 sys.stderr.write(f"warn: skipping uid {uid!r}: {e}\n")
-        emit(out, args)
+        out.sort(key=lambda item: item[0], reverse=True)
+        emit([row for _, row in out], args)
 
 
 # ─── read ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_mail_cli_date_order.py b/tests/cli/test_mail_cli_date_order.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff07ce21b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/test_mail_cli_date_order.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+"""The bounded arrival batch is displayed by Date, rather than arrival ID."""
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+import pytest
+from tests.cli.test_mail_cli_read_empty_fetch import _load_mail_cli
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('dates,expected', [
+    (['Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000', 'Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000'], ['1', '2']),
+    (['Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000', 'Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0200'], ['1', '2']),
+    (['Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:00', 'Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000'], ['1', '2']),
+    (['Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000', None, 'not a date'], ['1', '3', '2']),
+    (['Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000', 'Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0200'], ['2', '1']),
+    (['Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000', 'Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000'], ['2', '1']),
+    (['Wed, 31 Dec 1969 12:00:00 +0000', None], ['1', '2']),
+])
+def test_list_sorts_parsed_dates_without_changing_row_schema(monkeypatch, dates, expected):
+    cli = _load_mail_cli(monkeypatch)
+    fetched = []
+
+    class Connection:
+        def select(self, folder, readonly=True):
+            assert readonly is True
+            return 'OK', [str(len(dates)).encode()]
+
+        def search(self, *_):
+            return 'OK', [' '.join(str(i+1) for i in range(len(dates))).encode()]
+
+        def fetch(self, uid, _):
+            fetched.append(uid.decode())
+            date = dates[int(uid)-1]
+            raw = 'From: Sender <sender@example.com>\r\nSubject: Item '+uid.decode()+'\r\n'
+            if date is not None:
+                raw += 'Date: '+date+'\r\n'
+            return 'OK', [(b'1 (FLAGS (\\Seen) RFC822.HEADER)', (raw+'\r\n').encode())]
+
+    @contextmanager
+    def imap(_):
+        yield Connection()
+
+    rows = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, '_imap', imap)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, 'emit', lambda value, args: rows.extend(value))
+    cli.cmd_list(SimpleNamespace(account='fixture', folder='INBOX', limit=20))
+    assert [row['uid'] for row in rows] == expected
+    assert fetched == [str(i) for i in range(len(dates), 0, -1)]
+    assert all(set(row) == {'uid', 'date', 'from_addr', 'from_name', 'subject', 'is_read', 'is_answered'} for row in rows)
+    assert all(row['is_read'] and not row['is_answered'] for row in rows)
+
+
+def test_list_still_limits_the_arrival_batch(monkeypatch):
+    cli = _load_mail_cli(monkeypatch)
+    fetched = []
+    class Connection:
+        def select(self, *_args, **_kwargs):return 'OK', []
+        def search(self, *_):return 'OK', [b'1 2 3']
+        def fetch(self, uid, _):
+            fetched.append(uid)
+            return 'OK', [(b'3 (FLAGS () RFC822.HEADER)', b'From: x@example.com\r\nSubject: bounded\r\n\r\n')]
+    @contextmanager
+    def imap(_):yield Connection()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, '_imap', imap)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, 'emit', lambda *_:None)
+    cli.cmd_list(SimpleNamespace(account='fixture', folder='INBOX', limit=1))
+    assert fetched == [b'3']