diff --git a/app/services/spot_inspector.ts b/app/services/spot_inspector.ts
index c72569c..60d18bc 100644
--- a/app/services/spot_inspector.ts
+++ b/app/services/spot_inspector.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ const BATCH = 20
 const IDLE_MS = 60_000
 /** Unmatched spots are matched again this often (the header pass may have built their releases since). */
 const REMATCH_MS = 60 * 60 * 1000
-/** Unmatched spots matched again per hour: after a reset every spot is (16.5k at 500 an hour took 33 h). */
+/**
+ * Unmatched spots matched again per hour: after a reset every spot is (16.5k at 500 an hour took 33 h). Never tried
+ * first, then the newest: the oldest inspection first tried a 3-month backfill before today's spots, the ones whose
+ * releases the tail has (2 of 16.7k matched 3 h after reset 24).
+ */
 const REMATCH_BATCH = 5000
 /** Unmatched spots are matched again for this long after their inspection. */
 const REMATCH_DAYS = 30
@@ -297,7 +301,7 @@ export class SpotInspector {
     const { rows: spots } = await db.rawQuery(
       `SELECT message_id, inspected_at, release_id FROM spots
        WHERE status = 'inspected' AND matched = 0 AND inspected_at > now() - make_interval(days => ?)
-       ORDER BY coalesce(rematched_at, inspected_at) LIMIT ?`,
+       ORDER BY rematched_at NULLS FIRST, posted_at DESC NULLS LAST LIMIT ?`,
       [REMATCH_DAYS, REMATCH_BATCH]
     )
     const cutoff = Date.now() - coordinatorConfig.spots.standaloneAfterHours * 3600 * 1000