diff --git a/src/slack/search-messages.ts b/src/slack/search-messages.ts
index cc8d9ef..1c05af9 100644
--- a/src/slack/search-messages.ts
+++ b/src/slack/search-messages.ts
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ export async function searchMessagesInChannelsFallback(
 
   const results: SearchCompactMessage[] = [];
 
-  for (const channelId of channelIds) {
+  channelLoop: for (const channelId of channelIds) {
     let cursorLatest: string | undefined;
     for (;;) {
       const resp = await client.api("conversations.history", {
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ export async function searchMessagesInChannelsFallback(
         break;
       }
 
+      let reachedAfterBoundary = false;
       for (const m of messages) {
         const summary = messageSummaryFromApiMessage(channelId, m);
 
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ export async function searchMessagesInChannelsFallback(
             continue;
           }
           if (afterSec !== null && tsNum < afterSec) {
-            cursorLatest = undefined;
+            reachedAfterBoundary = true;
             break;
           }
         }
@@ -230,31 +231,20 @@ export async function searchMessagesInChannelsFallback(
         matchedSummaries.push(summary);
         results.push(toSearchCompactMessage(compact));
         if (results.length >= input.limit) {
-          const referencedUserIds = collectReferencedUserIds(matchedSummaries, {
-            includeReactions: false,
-          });
-          const usersById = await resolveUsersById({
-            client,
-            workspaceUrl: input.workspace_url ?? "",
-            userIds: referencedUserIds,
-            forceRefresh: Boolean(input.refreshUsers),
-          });
-          return {
-            messages: results,
-            referenced_users: toReferencedUsers(referencedUserIds, usersById),
-          };
+          break channelLoop;
         }
       }
 
-      if (!cursorLatest) {
+      if (reachedAfterBoundary || resp.has_more === false) {
         break;
       }
 
       const last = messages.at(-1);
-      cursorLatest = last ? getString(last.ts) : undefined;
-      if (!cursorLatest) {
+      const nextLatest = last ? getString(last.ts) : undefined;
+      if (!nextLatest || nextLatest === cursorLatest) {
         break;
       }
+      cursorLatest = nextLatest;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/test/search-command.test.ts b/test/search-command.test.ts
index f918ce9..3db4bf7 100644
--- a/test/search-command.test.ts
+++ b/test/search-command.test.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ function createClient(calls: ApiCall[]) {
 
       if (method === "conversations.history") {
         return {
+          has_more: false,
           messages: [
             {
               ts: "1.000001",
@@ -154,6 +155,78 @@ describe("search referenced users", () => {
     expect(result.referenced_users).not.toHaveProperty("U44444444");
   });
 
+  test("searchSlack scans older channel history pages", async () => {
+    const calls: ApiCall[] = [];
+    const client = {
+      api: async (method: string, params: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+        calls.push({ method, params });
+        if (method !== "conversations.history") {
+          throw new Error(`Unexpected API method: ${method}`);
+        }
+        if (params.latest === undefined) {
+          return {
+            has_more: true,
+            messages: [{ ts: "2.000002", text: "not a match", user: "U11111111" }],
+          };
+        }
+        if (params.latest === "2.000002") {
+          return {
+            has_more: false,
+            messages: [{ ts: "1.000001", text: "needle", user: "U22222222" }],
+          };
+        }
+        throw new Error(`Unexpected latest timestamp: ${String(params.latest)}`);
+      },
+    };
+
+    const result = await searchSlack({
+      client: client as never,
+      auth: { auth_type: "standard", token: "x" },
+      options: {
+        workspace_url: "https://workspace.slack.com",
+        query: "needle",
+        kind: "messages",
+        channels: ["C12345678"],
+        limit: 20,
+        max_content_chars: 4000,
+        content_type: "any",
+        download: false,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(result.messages).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(result.messages?.[0]?.content).toBe("needle");
+    expect(
+      calls
+        .filter((call) => call.method === "conversations.history")
+        .map((call) => call.params.latest),
+    ).toEqual([undefined, "2.000002"]);
+  });
+
+  test("searchSlack does not resolve users at the result limit without opt-in", async () => {
+    const calls: ApiCall[] = [];
+    const client = createClient(calls) as never;
+
+    const result = await searchSlack({
+      client,
+      auth: { auth_type: "standard", token: "x" },
+      options: {
+        workspace_url: "https://workspace.slack.com",
+        query: "hello",
+        kind: "messages",
+        channels: ["C12345678"],
+        limit: 1,
+        max_content_chars: 4000,
+        content_type: "any",
+        download: false,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(result.messages).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(result.referenced_users).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(calls.filter((call) => call.method === "users.info")).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
   test("search command forwards --refresh-users and bypasses cached user lookups", async () => {
     const calls: ApiCall[] = [];
     const ctx = createContext(calls);