diff --git a/convex/packages.public.test.ts b/convex/packages.public.test.ts
index 717cfe46..6afbb9c1 100644
--- a/convex/packages.public.test.ts
+++ b/convex/packages.public.test.ts
@@ -1825,7 +1825,10 @@ function makePluginExportIndexKey(row: Record<string, unknown>) {
   return [row.softDeletedAt, row.family, row.updatedAt, row._creationTime, row._id] as unknown[];
 }
 
-function makePluginExportCtx(digests: Array<Record<string, unknown>>) {
+function makePluginExportCtx(
+  digests: Array<Record<string, unknown>>,
+  options?: { recommendationScoresMissing?: () => boolean },
+) {
   const packagesById = new Map(
     digests.map((digest) => [
       String(digest.packageId),
@@ -1851,6 +1854,15 @@ function makePluginExportCtx(digests: Array<Record<string, unknown>>) {
     db: {
       get: vi.fn(async (id: string) => packagesById.get(id) ?? null),
       query: vi.fn((table: string) => {
+        if (table === "packages") {
+          return {
+            withIndex: vi.fn(() => ({
+              first: vi.fn(async () =>
+                options?.recommendationScoresMissing?.() ? { _id: "packages:missing-score" } : null,
+              ),
+            })),
+          };
+        }
         if (table !== "packageSearchDigest") throw new Error(`Unexpected table ${table}`);
         return {
           withIndex: vi.fn(
@@ -17008,6 +17020,36 @@ describe("restorePackageInternal", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it("keeps the cursor's effective sort when recommendation backfill completes between pages", async () => {
+    const previous = process.env.CLAWHUB_EXPERIMENTAL_CLAWS;
+    delete process.env.CLAWHUB_EXPERIMENTAL_CLAWS;
+    let recommendationScoresMissing = true;
+    const ctx = makePluginExportCtx(
+      [
+        makeDigest("newer-plugin", { updatedAt: 2, _creationTime: 2 }),
+        makeDigest("older-plugin", { updatedAt: 1, _creationTime: 1 }),
+      ],
+      { recommendationScoresMissing: () => recommendationScoresMissing },
+    );
+
+    try {
+      const first = await listPublicPageHandler(ctx, {
+        sort: "recommended",
+        paginationOpts: { cursor: null, numItems: 1 },
+      });
+      recommendationScoresMissing = false;
+      const second = await listPublicPageHandler(ctx, {
+        sort: "recommended",
+        paginationOpts: { cursor: first.continueCursor, numItems: 1 },
+      });
+      expect(first.page.map((entry) => entry.name)).toEqual(["newer-plugin"]);
+      expect(second.page.map((entry) => entry.name)).toEqual(["older-plugin"]);
+    } finally {
+      if (previous === undefined) delete process.env.CLAWHUB_EXPERIMENTAL_CLAWS;
+      else process.env.CLAWHUB_EXPERIMENTAL_CLAWS = previous;
+    }
+  });
+
   it("does not let disabled Claws starve unfiltered public search", async () => {
     const previous = process.env.CLAWHUB_EXPERIMENTAL_CLAWS;
     delete process.env.CLAWHUB_EXPERIMENTAL_CLAWS;
diff --git a/convex/packages.ts b/convex/packages.ts
index bcfd9328..f11ba313 100644
--- a/convex/packages.ts
+++ b/convex/packages.ts
@@ -3476,6 +3476,23 @@ function encodeStablePackageDiscoveryCursor(state: StablePackageDiscoveryCursorS
   })}`;
 }
 
+function readStablePackageDiscoveryCursorSort(
+  raw: string | null | undefined,
+): "updated" | "recommended" | null {
+  if (!raw?.startsWith(STABLE_PACKAGE_DISCOVERY_CURSOR_PREFIX)) return null;
+  try {
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(raw.slice(STABLE_PACKAGE_DISCOVERY_CURSOR_PREFIX.length)) as {
+      v?: unknown;
+      sort?: unknown;
+    };
+    return parsed.v === 1 && (parsed.sort === "updated" || parsed.sort === "recommended")
+      ? parsed.sort
+      : null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
 function decodeStablePackageDiscoveryCursor(
   raw: string | null | undefined,
   sort: StablePackageDiscoveryCursorState["sort"],
@@ -3930,17 +3947,21 @@ async function listStablePackageDiscoveryPage(
     Math.min(args.paginationOpts.numItems, MAX_PUBLIC_LIST_PAGE_SIZE),
   );
   const requestedSort = args.sort ?? "updated";
-  const sort =
-    requestedSort === "recommended" &&
-    (
+  const cursorSort =
+    requestedSort === "recommended"
+      ? readStablePackageDiscoveryCursorSort(args.paginationOpts.cursor)
+      : null;
+  let sort = cursorSort ?? requestedSort;
+  if (!cursorSort && requestedSort === "recommended") {
+    const recommendationScoresMissing = (
       await Promise.all(
         STABLE_PACKAGE_FAMILIES.map(
           async (family) => await hasMissingPackageRecommendedScore(ctx, family),
         ),
       )
-    ).some(Boolean)
-      ? "updated"
-      : requestedSort;
+    ).some(Boolean);
+    if (recommendationScoresMissing) sort = "updated";
+  }
   const cursor = decodeStablePackageDiscoveryCursor(args.paginationOpts.cursor, sort);
   const scanLimit = Math.min(MAX_PUBLIC_LIST_PAGE_SIZE, Math.max(targetCount * 5, 50));
   const loadFamily = async (family: StablePackageFamily) => {