diff --git a/apps/server/src/engine/model.ts b/apps/server/src/engine/model.ts
index d7c43330a..5451bed23 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/engine/model.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/engine/model.ts
@@ -106,17 +106,7 @@ export async function executeModelTask(
       "read_workspace",
       "Read the authorized workspace sources",
       z.object({ section: z.enum(["mail", "calendar", "files", "all"]) }),
-      async ({ section }) => {
-        const w = await service.workspace.snapshot(owner);
-        return {
-          mail: section === "mail" || section === "all" ? w.mail : undefined,
-          events: section === "calendar" || section === "all" ? w.events : undefined,
-          files:
-            section === "files" || section === "all"
-              ? w.files.map(({ url, ...file }) => file)
-              : undefined,
-        };
-      },
+      async ({ section }) => service.workspace.sectionSnapshot(owner, section),
     ),
     tool(
       "read_mail_thread",
diff --git a/apps/server/src/workspace.ts b/apps/server/src/workspace.ts
index 6d5aafd22..560912052 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/workspace.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/workspace.ts
@@ -258,27 +258,42 @@ export class WorkspaceService {
     await this.db.put(owner, "settings", { id: "google", enabled: true });
     await this.db.put(owner, "settings", { id: "seeded", value: true });
   }
-  async snapshot(owner: string, query?: string): Promise<Workspace> {
-    let mail: Mail[], events: CalendarEvent[];
+  private async sourceSections(
+    owner: string,
+    wantMail: boolean,
+    wantEvents: boolean,
+    query?: string,
+  ): Promise<{ mail: Mail[]; events: CalendarEvent[]; connected: boolean }> {
+    let mail: Mail[] = [];
+    let events: CalendarEvent[] = [];
     const connected = await this.connected(owner);
     if (this.config.mode === "live" && connected) {
       const connection = await this.connection(owner);
       if (!connection) throw new AppError("Google is disconnected", 409);
       const google = this.google(owner, connection.id);
-      [mail, events] = await Promise.all([google.listMail(query), google.listEvents()]);
-      mail = await this.cacheMail(owner, mail, connection.id);
+      const [mailResult, eventResult] = await Promise.all([
+        wantMail ? google.listMail(query) : Promise.resolve([] as Mail[]),
+        wantEvents ? google.listEvents() : Promise.resolve([] as CalendarEvent[]),
+      ]);
+      mail = mailResult;
+      events = eventResult;
+      if (wantMail) mail = await this.cacheMail(owner, mail, connection.id);
       for (const event of events) await this.db.put(owner, "events", event);
     } else if (this.config.mode === "sample" && connected) {
-      mail = await this.db.list<Mail>(owner, "mail");
-      events = await this.db.list<CalendarEvent>(owner, "events");
-      if (query)
-        mail = mail.filter((m) =>
-          `${m.sender} ${m.subject} ${m.body}`.toLowerCase().includes(query.toLowerCase()),
-        );
-    } else {
-      mail = [];
-      events = [];
+      if (wantMail) {
+        mail = await this.db.list<Mail>(owner, "mail");
+        if (query)
+          mail = mail.filter((m) =>
+            `${m.sender} ${m.subject} ${m.body}`.toLowerCase().includes(query.toLowerCase()),
+          );
+      }
+      if (wantEvents) events = await this.db.list<CalendarEvent>(owner, "events");
     }
+    return { mail, events, connected };
+  }
+
+  async snapshot(owner: string, query?: string): Promise<Workspace> {
+    const { mail, events, connected } = await this.sourceSections(owner, true, true, query);
     const tokens = this.config.mode === "live" ? await this.googleAuth.tokens(owner) : null;
     return {
       mode: this.config.mode,
@@ -327,6 +342,27 @@ export class WorkspaceService {
       },
     };
   }
+
+  async sectionSnapshot(
+    owner: string,
+    section: "mail" | "calendar" | "files" | "all",
+  ): Promise<{ mail?: Mail[]; events?: CalendarEvent[]; files?: Omit<Artifact, "url">[] }> {
+    const wantMail = section === "mail" || section === "all";
+    const wantEvents = section === "calendar" || section === "all";
+    const wantFiles = section === "files" || section === "all";
+    const { mail, events } =
+      wantMail || wantEvents
+        ? await this.sourceSections(owner, wantMail, wantEvents)
+        : { mail: [], events: [] };
+    const files = wantFiles
+      ? (await this.files.list(owner)).map(({ url: _url, ...file }) => file)
+      : undefined;
+    return {
+      mail: wantMail ? mail.sort((a, b) => b.date.localeCompare(a.date)) : undefined,
+      events: wantEvents ? events.sort((a, b) => a.start.localeCompare(b.start)) : undefined,
+      files,
+    };
+  }
   async prepare(owner: string, input: ProposalInput, connectionId?: string) {
     if (input.kind === "email.send") {
       for (const id of input.data.attachmentIds) await this.files.get(owner, id);
diff --git a/tests/persistence.test.ts b/tests/persistence.test.ts
index e371655cb..88f10d5b2 100644
--- a/tests/persistence.test.ts
+++ b/tests/persistence.test.ts
@@ -31,3 +31,54 @@ test("idle Postgres client errors are logged instead of crashing the process", a
     await pool.end();
   }
 });
+test("workspace section reads match the selected snapshot sections", async () => {
+  const { WorkspaceService } = await import("../apps/server/src/workspace.ts");
+  const { Files } = await import("../apps/server/src/files.ts");
+  const store = await createStore();
+  try {
+    const config = { mode: "sample" } as unknown as import("../apps/server/src/config.ts").Config;
+    const workspace = new WorkspaceService(
+      store,
+      config,
+      new Files(store, config, { sign: () => "sig" } as never),
+      {} as never,
+    );
+    await store.put("owner", "settings", { id: "google", enabled: true });
+    await store.put("owner", "mail", {
+      id: "m1",
+      sender: "a@example.com",
+      subject: "Subject",
+      body: "Body",
+      date: "2026-01-02T00:00:00Z",
+      label: "INBOX",
+      threadId: "t1",
+      attachments: [],
+    });
+    await store.put("owner", "events", {
+      id: "e1",
+      title: "Event",
+      start: "2026-01-02T00:00:00Z",
+      end: "2026-01-02T01:00:00Z",
+    });
+    const full = await workspace.snapshot("owner");
+
+    const mail = await workspace.sectionSnapshot("owner", "mail");
+    assert.deepEqual(mail.mail, full.mail);
+    assert.equal(mail.events, undefined);
+    assert.equal(mail.files, undefined);
+
+    const calendar = await workspace.sectionSnapshot("owner", "calendar");
+    assert.deepEqual(calendar.events, full.events);
+    assert.equal(calendar.mail, undefined);
+
+    const files = await workspace.sectionSnapshot("owner", "files");
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      files.files,
+      full.files.map(({ url: _url, ...file }) => file),
+    );
+    assert.equal(files.mail, undefined);
+    assert.equal(files.events, undefined);
+  } finally {
+    await store.close();
+  }
+});