diff --git a/lib/src/services/yust_database_service_dart.dart b/lib/src/services/yust_database_service_dart.dart
index c05c5c31..dfc735d9 100644
--- a/lib/src/services/yust_database_service_dart.dart
+++ b/lib/src/services/yust_database_service_dart.dart
@@ -324,7 +324,11 @@ class YustDatabaseService implements IYustDatabaseService {
         getQuery(
           docSetup,
           filters: filters,
-          orderBy: orderBy,
+          orderBy: getOrderBy(
+            filters: filters,
+            orderBy: orderBy,
+            startAfterDocument: startAfterDocument,
+          ),
           limit: limit,
           startAfterDocument: startAfterDocument,
         ),
@@ -1269,6 +1273,46 @@ class YustDatabaseService implements IYustDatabaseService {
     return _transformDoc(docSetup, document as Document);
   }
 
+  /// Returns the orderBy list to send to Firestore for a `getListFromDB`
+  /// call. When [startAfterDocument] is `null` the caller's [orderBy] is
+  /// returned unchanged — behavior for non-paginated queries is
+  /// preserved.
+  ///
+  /// When [startAfterDocument] is set the orderBy must be non-empty:
+  /// Firestore's REST `runQuery` builds the `startAt` cursor by mapping
+  /// the query's `orderBy` fields onto the document's field values, and
+  /// an empty cursor makes Firestore return zero results. Mirrors the
+  /// pattern used in the lazy-chunked path:
+  /// - Seed orderBy from inequality-filter fields when the caller didn't
+  ///   provide one (Firestore requires an inequality field to be the
+  ///   first orderBy anyway).
+  /// - Append `__name__` as the stable tiebreaker so the cursor always
+  ///   has a document reference to anchor on.
+  static List<YustOrderBy>? getOrderBy<T extends YustDoc>({
+    required List<YustFilter>? filters,
+    required List<YustOrderBy>? orderBy,
+    required T? startAfterDocument,
+  }) {
+    if (startAfterDocument == null) return orderBy;
+
+    final unequalFilters = (filters ?? [])
+        .whereNot(
+          (filter) =>
+              YustFilterComparator.equalityFilters.contains(filter.comparator),
+        )
+        .toSet()
+        .toList();
+
+    final resolved = <YustOrderBy>[
+      if ((orderBy == null || orderBy.isEmpty) && unequalFilters.isNotEmpty)
+        ...unequalFilters.map((e) => YustOrderBy(field: e.field)).toSet(),
+      ...?orderBy,
+    ];
+
+    if (resolved.any((o) => o.field == '__name__')) return resolved;
+    return [...resolved, YustOrderBy(field: '__name__')];
+  }
+
   String _getDatabasePath() => 'projects/${Yust.projectId}/databases/(default)';
 
   String _getParentPath(YustDocSetup docSetup) {
@@ -1607,7 +1651,8 @@ class YustDatabaseService implements IYustDatabaseService {
       // the `nullValue` branch below, not here.
       return map?.map(
             (key, childValue) => MapEntry(key, _dbValueToValue(childValue)),
-          ) ?? {};
+          ) ??
+          {};
     } else if (dbValue.booleanValue != null) {
       return dbValue.booleanValue;
     } else if (dbValue.integerValue != null) {
diff --git a/test/yust_database_service_dart_test.dart b/test/yust_database_service_dart_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..76dc0610
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/yust_database_service_dart_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+import 'package:test/test.dart';
+import 'package:yust/src/models/yust_doc.dart';
+import 'package:yust/src/models/yust_filter.dart';
+import 'package:yust/src/models/yust_order_by.dart';
+import 'package:yust/src/services/yust_database_service_dart.dart';
+
+class _FakeDoc extends YustDoc {
+  _FakeDoc({required String id}) {
+    this.id = id;
+  }
+
+  @override
+  Map<String, dynamic> toJson() => {'id': id};
+
+  YustDoc fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) => _FakeDoc(id: json['id']);
+}
+
+void main() {
+  final anchor = _FakeDoc(id: 'anchor');
+
+  group('YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy — without startAfterDocument', () {
+    test('returns caller orderBy unchanged (null stays null)', () {
+      expect(
+        YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy<YustDoc>(
+          filters: null,
+          orderBy: null,
+          startAfterDocument: null,
+        ),
+        isNull,
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('returns caller orderBy unchanged (explicit list preserved)', () {
+      final orderBy = [YustOrderBy(field: 'createdAt', descending: true)];
+      final result = YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy<YustDoc>(
+        filters: [
+          YustFilter(
+            field: 'modifiedAt',
+            comparator: YustFilterComparator.greaterThanEqual,
+            value: 'x',
+          ),
+        ],
+        orderBy: orderBy,
+        startAfterDocument: null,
+      );
+      expect(result, same(orderBy));
+    });
+  });
+
+  group('YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy — with startAfterDocument', () {
+    test('null orderBy + no inequality filter → [__name__]', () {
+      final result = YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy(
+        filters: null,
+        orderBy: null,
+        startAfterDocument: anchor,
+      );
+
+      expect(result, isNotNull);
+      expect(result!.map((o) => o.field), ['__name__']);
+    });
+
+    test('null orderBy + only equality filter → [__name__]', () {
+      final result = YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy(
+        filters: [
+          YustFilter(
+            field: 'status',
+            comparator: YustFilterComparator.equal,
+            value: 'open',
+          ),
+        ],
+        orderBy: null,
+        startAfterDocument: anchor,
+      );
+
+      expect(result!.map((o) => o.field), ['__name__']);
+    });
+
+    test('null orderBy + inequality filter → [<field>, __name__]', () {
+      final result = YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy(
+        filters: [
+          YustFilter(
+            field: 'modifiedAt',
+            comparator: YustFilterComparator.greaterThanEqual,
+            value: '2025-07-01T00:00:00Z',
+          ),
+        ],
+        orderBy: null,
+        startAfterDocument: anchor,
+      );
+
+      expect(result!.map((o) => o.field), ['modifiedAt', '__name__']);
+      expect(result.first.descending, isFalse);
+    });
+
+    test('null orderBy + range on same field (>= and <=) → '
+        'single field + __name__', () {
+      final result = YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy(
+        filters: [
+          YustFilter(
+            field: 'modifiedAt',
+            comparator: YustFilterComparator.greaterThanEqual,
+            value: 'a',
+          ),
+          YustFilter(
+            field: 'modifiedAt',
+            comparator: YustFilterComparator.lessThanEqual,
+            value: 'b',
+          ),
+        ],
+        orderBy: null,
+        startAfterDocument: anchor,
+      );
+
+      expect(result!.map((o) => o.field), ['modifiedAt', '__name__']);
+    });
+
+    test('explicit orderBy + no filter → orderBy + __name__ tiebreaker', () {
+      final result = YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy(
+        filters: null,
+        orderBy: [YustOrderBy(field: 'createdAt', descending: true)],
+        startAfterDocument: anchor,
+      );
+
+      expect(result!.map((o) => o.field), ['createdAt', '__name__']);
+      expect(result.first.descending, isTrue);
+    });
+
+    test('explicit orderBy already contains __name__ → not appended twice', () {
+      final result = YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy(
+        filters: null,
+        orderBy: [
+          YustOrderBy(field: 'createdAt'),
+          YustOrderBy(field: '__name__'),
+        ],
+        startAfterDocument: anchor,
+      );
+
+      expect(result!.map((o) => o.field), ['createdAt', '__name__']);
+    });
+
+    test('explicit orderBy present with inequality filter → keep caller '
+        'order, append __name__', () {
+      // Caller-supplied orderBy takes precedence; we do not add the
+      // inequality field because Firestore requires the caller to have
+      // already put it first (this is validated elsewhere).
+      final result = YustDatabaseService.getOrderBy(
+        filters: [
+          YustFilter(
+            field: 'modifiedAt',
+            comparator: YustFilterComparator.greaterThanEqual,
+            value: 'a',
+          ),
+        ],
+        orderBy: [YustOrderBy(field: 'modifiedAt')],
+        startAfterDocument: anchor,
+      );
+
+      expect(result!.map((o) => o.field), ['modifiedAt', '__name__']);
+    });
+  });
+}