diff --git a/internal/message/handlers.go b/internal/message/handlers.go
index 2f785b8..37e0df9 100644
--- a/internal/message/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/message/handlers.go
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ func (h *Handler) List(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			FROM messages m
 			JOIN users u ON m.author_id = u.id
 			WHERE m.channel_id = $1 AND m.created_at < (SELECT created_at FROM messages WHERE id = $2)
-			ORDER BY m.created_at ASC
+			ORDER BY m.created_at DESC
 			LIMIT $3
 		`, channelID, before, limit)
 	} else {
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ func (h *Handler) List(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			FROM messages m
 			JOIN users u ON m.author_id = u.id
 			WHERE m.channel_id = $1
-			ORDER BY m.created_at ASC
+			ORDER BY m.created_at DESC
 			LIMIT $2
 		`, channelID, limit)
 	}
@@ -527,6 +527,11 @@ func (h *Handler) List(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	messages = h.attachEmbeds(r.Context(), messages)
 
+	// Reverse: query returns DESC (newest first), client expects ASC (oldest first).
+	for i, j := 0, len(messages)-1; i < j; i, j = i+1, j-1 {
+		messages[i], messages[j] = messages[j], messages[i]
+	}
+
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 	json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(messages)