diff --git a/apps/api/src/services/platform_operator_service.py b/apps/api/src/services/platform_operator_service.py
index 73897771b..7a553089a 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/services/platform_operator_service.py
+++ b/apps/api/src/services/platform_operator_service.py
@@ -1515,7 +1515,29 @@ async def list_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback(
         FROM awooop_outbound_message m
         WHERE {where_sql}
     """)
+    # Bound the page and the Agent99 subset before the lateral lookup. Without
+    # both materialized sets PostgreSQL can rescan the full run ledger per card.
     list_sql = text(f"""
+        WITH candidate_messages AS MATERIALIZED (
+            SELECT m.*
+            FROM awooop_outbound_message m
+            WHERE {where_sql}
+            ORDER BY COALESCE(m.sent_at, m.queued_at) DESC, m.message_id DESC
+            LIMIT :limit OFFSET :offset
+        ),
+        agent99_runs AS MATERIALIZED (
+            SELECT
+                ars.error_detail,
+                ars.state,
+                ars.trace_id,
+                ars.run_id,
+                ars.project_id,
+                ars.trigger_ref,
+                ars.created_at
+            FROM awooop_run_state ars
+            WHERE ars.project_id = :project_id
+              AND ars.agent_id = 'agent99_controlled_dispatch'
+        )
         SELECT
             m.message_id,
             m.project_id,
@@ -1540,7 +1562,7 @@ async def list_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback(
             r.agent_id,
             r.state AS run_state,
             r.created_at AS run_created_at
-        FROM awooop_outbound_message m
+        FROM candidate_messages m
         LEFT JOIN awooop_run_state r
             ON r.project_id = m.project_id
            AND r.run_id = m.run_id
@@ -1549,9 +1571,8 @@ async def list_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback(
                 ars.error_detail,
                 ars.state,
                 ars.trace_id
-            FROM awooop_run_state ars
+            FROM agent99_runs ars
             WHERE ars.project_id = m.project_id
-              AND ars.agent_id = 'agent99_controlled_dispatch'
               AND (
                     ars.run_id::text = COALESCE(
                         COALESCE(m.source_envelope::jsonb, '{{}}'::jsonb) #>>
@@ -1585,9 +1606,7 @@ async def list_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback(
             ) DESC, ars.created_at DESC
             LIMIT 1
         ) ar ON TRUE
-        WHERE {where_sql}
         ORDER BY COALESCE(m.sent_at, m.queued_at) DESC, m.message_id DESC
-        LIMIT :limit OFFSET :offset
     """)
 
     try:
@@ -1888,8 +1907,32 @@ async def _load_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback_direct(
                     """, *args),
                     timeout=_AI_ALERT_CARD_DIRECT_QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
                 )
+                # Mirror the pooled-session plan so the pressure fallback does
+                # not reintroduce a per-card full run-ledger scan.
                 list_rows = await asyncio.wait_for(
                     conn.fetch(f"""
+                    WITH candidate_messages AS MATERIALIZED (
+                        SELECT m.*
+                        FROM awooop_outbound_message m
+                        WHERE {where_sql}
+                        ORDER BY
+                            COALESCE(m.sent_at, m.queued_at) DESC,
+                            m.message_id DESC
+                        LIMIT ${limit_param} OFFSET ${offset_param}
+                    ),
+                    agent99_runs AS MATERIALIZED (
+                        SELECT
+                            ars.error_detail,
+                            ars.state,
+                            ars.trace_id,
+                            ars.run_id,
+                            ars.project_id,
+                            ars.trigger_ref,
+                            ars.created_at
+                        FROM awooop_run_state ars
+                        WHERE ars.project_id = $1
+                          AND ars.agent_id = 'agent99_controlled_dispatch'
+                    )
                     SELECT
                         m.message_id,
                         m.project_id,
@@ -1920,7 +1963,7 @@ async def _load_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback_direct(
                         r.agent_id,
                         r.state AS run_state,
                         r.created_at AS run_created_at
-                    FROM awooop_outbound_message m
+                    FROM candidate_messages m
                     LEFT JOIN awooop_run_state r
                         ON r.project_id = m.project_id
                        AND r.run_id = m.run_id
@@ -1929,9 +1972,8 @@ async def _load_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback_direct(
                             ars.error_detail,
                             ars.state,
                             ars.trace_id
-                        FROM awooop_run_state ars
+                        FROM agent99_runs ars
                         WHERE ars.project_id = m.project_id
-                          AND ars.agent_id = 'agent99_controlled_dispatch'
                           AND (
                                 ars.run_id::text = COALESCE(
                                     COALESCE(
@@ -1971,9 +2013,7 @@ async def _load_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback_direct(
                         ) DESC, ars.created_at DESC
                         LIMIT 1
                     ) ar ON TRUE
-                    WHERE {where_sql}
                     ORDER BY COALESCE(m.sent_at, m.queued_at) DESC, m.message_id DESC
-                    LIMIT ${limit_param} OFFSET ${offset_param}
                     """, *args, per_page, offset),
                     timeout=_AI_ALERT_CARD_DIRECT_QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
                 )
diff --git a/apps/api/tests/test_awooop_operator_timeline_labels.py b/apps/api/tests/test_awooop_operator_timeline_labels.py
index d9f51f64c..a01e7f66f 100644
--- a/apps/api/tests/test_awooop_operator_timeline_labels.py
+++ b/apps/api/tests/test_awooop_operator_timeline_labels.py
@@ -1690,6 +1690,12 @@ async def test_unfiltered_query_selects_declared_effective_and_dispatch_receipts
     assert "AS declared_learning_writeback_ready_total" in summary_query
     assert summary_query.count("<> 'backup_restore_escrow_signal'") >= 2
     assert "-> 'agent99_dispatch_receipt' AS agent99_dispatch_receipt" in list_query
+    assert "WITH candidate_messages AS MATERIALIZED" in list_query
+    assert "agent99_runs AS MATERIALIZED" in list_query
+    assert "FROM agent99_runs ars" in list_query
+    assert list_query.index("LIMIT :limit OFFSET :offset") < list_query.index(
+        "LEFT JOIN LATERAL"
+    )
     assert "LEFT JOIN LATERAL" in list_query
     assert "agent99_current_receipt" in list_query
     assert payload["summary"]["declared_runtime_write_gate_open_count"] == 97
@@ -1967,6 +1973,19 @@ def test_ai_alert_card_summary_timeout_budget_is_bounded_and_receipted() -> None
     assert "query_timeout_seconds=_AI_ALERT_CARD_QUERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS" in source
 
 
+def test_ai_alert_card_direct_readback_bounds_lateral_join_candidates() -> None:
+    source = inspect.getsource(
+        platform_operator_service._load_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback_direct
+    )
+
+    assert "WITH candidate_messages AS MATERIALIZED" in source
+    assert "agent99_runs AS MATERIALIZED" in source
+    assert "FROM agent99_runs ars" in source
+    assert source.index("LIMIT ${limit_param} OFFSET ${offset_param}") < source.index(
+        "LEFT JOIN LATERAL"
+    )
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_list_ai_alert_card_delivery_readback_failsofts_db_unavailable(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,