diff --git a/src/cli/commands/docs.ts b/src/cli/commands/docs.ts
index 1604b08..8cdeccb 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/docs.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/docs.ts
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ function registerEditCommands(docs: Command): void {
     .description("Delete a document with its chunks, links and ratings")
     .option("-y, --yes", "Do not ask for confirmation")
     .action(async (documentId: string, flags: { yes?: boolean }) => {
-      const view = await call(getDocumentOperation, { documentId, maxLength: 0 });
+      const view = await call(getDocumentOperation, { documentId });
       const title = view.document.title;
       const question = `Delete "${title}" (${documentId})? This cannot be undone.`;
       if (!(await confirmOrCancel(question, flags.yes))) return;
diff --git a/src/core/documents.ts b/src/core/documents.ts
index 7b07440..2581814 100644
--- a/src/core/documents.ts
+++ b/src/core/documents.ts
@@ -166,7 +166,11 @@ function documentFilterSql(filters: DocumentFilters | undefined): {
   return { where: where + tagFilter.clause, params: [...params, ...tagFilter.params] };
 }
 
-/** List documents with optional filters, most recently updated first. */
+/**
+ * List documents with optional filters, most recently updated first. updated_at has
+ * one-second resolution, so documents updated in the same second are ordered by rowid,
+ * newest insert first.
+ */
 export function listDocuments(db: Database.Database, options?: ListDocumentsOptions): Document[] {
   const { where, params } = documentFilterSql(options);
   const columns = DOC_COLUMNS.split(", ")
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ export function listDocuments(db: Database.Database, options?: ListDocumentsOpti
     .join(", ");
   const rows = db
     .prepare(
-      `SELECT ${columns} FROM documents d ${where} ORDER BY d.updated_at DESC LIMIT ? OFFSET ?`,
+      `SELECT ${columns} FROM documents d ${where} ORDER BY d.updated_at DESC, d.rowid DESC LIMIT ? OFFSET ?`,
     )
     .all(...params, options?.limit ?? 50, options?.offset ?? 0) as DocumentRow[];
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli-commands.test.ts b/tests/unit/cli-commands.test.ts
index 2c7d6cf..c211e18 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli-commands.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/cli-commands.test.ts
@@ -48,12 +48,18 @@ vi.mock("../../src/core/operations/index.js", async (importOriginal) => {
 const { runOperation } = await import("../../src/core/operations/index.js");
 const { main, program } = await import("../../src/cli/index.js");
 
-/** Run `libscope --json <args>` and return [operation name, input] of each operation call. */
+/**
+ * Run `libscope --json <args>` and return [operation name, input] of each operation call.
+ * Each input must pass the operation's own schema, which the runOperation spy skips.
+ */
 async function invoke(args: string[]): Promise<Array<[string, unknown]>> {
   vi.mocked(runOperation).mockClear();
   await main(["node", "libscope", "--json", ...args]);
   expect(process.exitCode ?? 0).toBe(0);
-  return vi.mocked(runOperation).mock.calls.map(([op, , input]) => [op.name, input]);
+  return vi.mocked(runOperation).mock.calls.map(([op, , input]) => {
+    expect(op.input.safeParse(input ?? {}).error, `${op.name} input`).toBeUndefined();
+    return [op.name, input];
+  });
 }
 
 let home: string;
@@ -332,7 +338,7 @@ describe("CLI command -> operation contract", () => {
   it("docs delete looks the document up, then deletes it", async () => {
     const calls = await invoke(["docs", "delete", "d1", "-y"]);
     expect(calls).toEqual([
-      ["get-document", { documentId: "d1", maxLength: 0 }],
+      ["get-document", { documentId: "d1" }],
       ["delete-document", { documentId: "d1" }],
     ]);
   });
diff --git a/tests/unit/documents.test.ts b/tests/unit/documents.test.ts
index 08f0166..db4fdd4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/documents.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/documents.test.ts
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ describe("documents", () => {
       const docs = listDocuments(db, { library: "nonexistent" });
       expect(docs.length).toBe(0);
     });
+
+    it("lists documents updated in the same second newest insert first", () => {
+      db.prepare("UPDATE documents SET updated_at = '2026-01-01 00:00:00'").run();
+      expect(listDocuments(db).map((d) => d.id)).toEqual(["doc-3", "doc-2", "doc-1"]);
+    });
   });
 
   describe("updateDocument", () => {