diff --git a/.changeset/quick-sqlite-paths.md b/.changeset/quick-sqlite-paths.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7cf207
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/quick-sqlite-paths.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"sideshow": patch
+---
+
+Speed up SQLite-backed workspaces by indexing session posts, recent posts, comment lookups, and session assets.
diff --git a/server/sqlStore.ts b/server/sqlStore.ts
index 9cf8b88..2238131 100644
--- a/server/sqlStore.ts
+++ b/server/sqlStore.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,28 @@ export class SqlStore implements Store {
     this.migrateToSurfaces();
     this.migrateToPosts();
     this.migrateSurfaceIds();
+    this.createIndexes();
+  }
+
+  // Add indexes after the column/table migrations above: older workspaces may
+  // still call comments' post columns snippetId/surfaceId when the base schema
+  // is first opened. IF NOT EXISTS makes this an in-place, idempotent migration
+  // for deployed Durable Objects as well as local SQLite databases.
+  private createIndexes() {
+    this.sql.exec(`
+      CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS sideshow_posts_session_created_at_idx
+        ON posts (sessionId, createdAt);
+      CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS sideshow_posts_updated_at_idx
+        ON posts (updatedAt DESC);
+      CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS sideshow_comments_session_seq_idx
+        ON comments (sessionId, seq);
+      CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS sideshow_comments_post_seq_idx
+        ON comments (postId, seq);
+      CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS sideshow_comments_id_idx
+        ON comments (id);
+      CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS sideshow_assets_session_idx
+        ON assets (sessionId);
+    `);
   }
 
   // Pre-0.5.0 workspaces stored a `snippets` table and `comments.snippetId`. Lift
diff --git a/test/sqlStore.test.ts b/test/sqlStore.test.ts
index 25ed552..3c5a6d5 100644
--- a/test/sqlStore.test.ts
+++ b/test/sqlStore.test.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,90 @@ import { runStoreContract } from "./storeContract.ts";
 // real Node SQLite path rather than a bespoke shim.
 runStoreContract("SqlStore", () => new SqlStore(createSqliteStorage()));
 
+const hotPathIndexes = {
+  sideshow_assets_session_idx: ["sessionId"],
+  sideshow_comments_id_idx: ["id"],
+  sideshow_comments_post_seq_idx: ["postId", "seq"],
+  sideshow_comments_session_seq_idx: ["sessionId", "seq"],
+  sideshow_posts_session_created_at_idx: ["sessionId", "createdAt"],
+  sideshow_posts_updated_at_idx: ["updatedAt"],
+} as const;
+
+test("SqlStore adds hot-path indexes to existing workspaces idempotently", () => {
+  const storage = createSqliteStorage();
+  new SqlStore(storage);
+
+  // Model a database created by an older release, before these indexes existed.
+  for (const name of Object.keys(hotPathIndexes)) storage.exec(`DROP INDEX ${name}`);
+
+  new SqlStore(storage);
+  new SqlStore(storage);
+
+  const indexes = storage
+    .exec(
+      "SELECT name, tbl_name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type = 'index' AND name LIKE 'sideshow_%' ORDER BY name",
+    )
+    .toArray();
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    indexes.map((row) => row.name),
+    Object.keys(hotPathIndexes),
+  );
+  for (const [name, columns] of Object.entries(hotPathIndexes)) {
+    const actual = storage
+      .exec(`SELECT name FROM pragma_index_info('${name}') ORDER BY seqno`)
+      .toArray()
+      .map((row) => row.name);
+    assert.deepEqual(actual, columns, `${name} column order`);
+  }
+});
+
+test("SqlStore hot queries use their covering or ordering indexes", () => {
+  const storage = createSqliteStorage();
+  new SqlStore(storage);
+
+  const assertUsesIndex = (query: string, index: string, ...bindings: (string | number)[]) => {
+    const plan = storage
+      .exec(`EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN ${query}`, ...bindings)
+      .toArray()
+      .map((row) => row.detail)
+      .join("\n");
+    assert.match(plan, new RegExp(`\\b${index}\\b`), `${query}\n${plan}`);
+  };
+
+  assertUsesIndex(
+    "SELECT * FROM posts WHERE sessionId = ? ORDER BY createdAt ASC",
+    "sideshow_posts_session_created_at_idx",
+    "session",
+  );
+  assertUsesIndex(
+    "SELECT sessionId, COUNT(*) AS count FROM posts GROUP BY sessionId",
+    "sideshow_posts_session_created_at_idx",
+  );
+  assertUsesIndex(
+    "SELECT * FROM posts ORDER BY updatedAt DESC LIMIT ?",
+    "sideshow_posts_updated_at_idx",
+    20,
+  );
+  assertUsesIndex(
+    "SELECT * FROM comments WHERE sessionId = ? AND seq > ? ORDER BY seq ASC",
+    "sideshow_comments_session_seq_idx",
+    "session",
+    10,
+  );
+  assertUsesIndex(
+    "SELECT * FROM comments WHERE postId = ? AND seq > ? ORDER BY seq ASC",
+    "sideshow_comments_post_seq_idx",
+    "post",
+    10,
+  );
+  assertUsesIndex("SELECT * FROM comments WHERE id = ?", "sideshow_comments_id_idx", "comment");
+  assertUsesIndex(
+    "SELECT * FROM assets WHERE sessionId = ?",
+    "sideshow_assets_session_idx",
+    "session",
+  );
+});
+
 test("SqlStore counts posts with one aggregate query and never selects body columns", async () => {
   const storage = createSqliteStorage();
   const queries: string[] = [];