diff --git a/src/session_search.py b/src/session_search.py
index 23088ca5c..98ddbc757 100644
--- a/src/session_search.py
+++ b/src/session_search.py
@@ -214,6 +214,24 @@ def _search_like(
     return _rows_to_results(db, shaped, query, context_messages)
 
 
+def _fetch_messages_by_id(db, message_ids):
+    """Fetch (message, session_name) for many message ids in a single query.
+
+    The FTS search returns a list of hit ids; fetching each row on its own was an
+    N+1 query (one SELECT per hit). Batch them with one IN(...) query and return
+    a lookup so the caller can reassemble results in hit (relevance) order.
+    """
+    if not message_ids:
+        return {}
+    rows = (
+        db.query(DBChatMessage, DBSession.name)
+        .join(DBSession, DBChatMessage.session_id == DBSession.id)
+        .filter(DBChatMessage.id.in_(message_ids))
+        .all()
+    )
+    return {msg.id: (msg, session_name) for msg, session_name in rows}
+
+
 def _search_fts(
     db,
     query: str,
@@ -267,19 +285,13 @@ def _search_fts(
     if not hits:
         return None
 
+    by_id = _fetch_messages_by_id(db, [hit[0] for hit in hits])
     rows = []
     for hit in hits:
-        message_id = hit[0]
-        snippet = hit[1] or ""
-        row = (
-            db.query(DBChatMessage, DBSession.name)
-            .join(DBSession, DBChatMessage.session_id == DBSession.id)
-            .filter(DBChatMessage.id == message_id)
-            .first()
-        )
-        if row:
-            msg, session_name = row
-            rows.append((msg, session_name, snippet))
+        found = by_id.get(hit[0])
+        if found:
+            msg, session_name = found
+            rows.append((msg, session_name, hit[1] or ""))
     return _rows_to_results(db, rows, query, context_messages)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_session_search_batch_fetch.py b/tests/test_session_search_batch_fetch.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..144e393d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_session_search_batch_fetch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+"""FTS session search must fetch hit rows in one query, not one per hit.
+
+_search_fts looked up each FTS hit's full row with its own
+db.query(...).filter(id == message_id).first(), an N+1 query. The lookup is now
+a single batched IN(...) query via _fetch_messages_by_id.
+"""
+from src.session_search import _fetch_messages_by_id
+
+
+class _Msg:
+    def __init__(self, mid):
+        self.id = mid
+
+
+class _Query:
+    def __init__(self, rows, calls):
+        self._rows = rows
+        self._calls = calls
+
+    def join(self, *a, **k):
+        return self
+
+    def filter(self, *a, **k):
+        return self
+
+    def all(self):
+        self._calls["all"] += 1
+        return self._rows
+
+
+class _DB:
+    def __init__(self, rows):
+        self._rows = rows
+        self.calls = {"query": 0, "all": 0}
+
+    def query(self, *a, **k):
+        self.calls["query"] += 1
+        return _Query(self._rows, self.calls)
+
+
+def test_batches_into_single_query():
+    rows = [(_Msg("m1"), "Session One"), (_Msg("m2"), "Session Two")]
+    db = _DB(rows)
+    out = _fetch_messages_by_id(db, ["m1", "m2"])
+    # One query for all hits, not one per hit.
+    assert db.calls["query"] == 1
+    assert db.calls["all"] == 1
+    assert out["m1"][1] == "Session One"
+    assert out["m2"][0].id == "m2"
+
+
+def test_empty_ids_does_no_query():
+    db = _DB([])
+    assert _fetch_messages_by_id(db, []) == {}
+    assert db.calls["query"] == 0