diff --git a/src/agent/mod.rs b/src/agent/mod.rs
index 52a4764..a361c3d 100644
--- a/src/agent/mod.rs
+++ b/src/agent/mod.rs
@@ -497,42 +497,33 @@ impl Agent {
     }
 
     async fn load_startup_journal(&self) {
+        use crate::agent::tools::memory::journal_tail;
+
         let oldest_msg_ts = {
             let ctx = self.context.lock().await;
             ctx.conversation_log.as_ref().and_then(|log| log.oldest_timestamp())
         };
 
-        let store = match crate::store::Store::load() {
-            Ok(s) => s,
+        // Get recent journal entries (newest first)
+        let journal_entries = match journal_tail(None, Some(100), Some(0), None).await {
+            Ok(e) => e,
             Err(_) => return,
         };
 
-        let mut journal_nodes: Vec<_> = store.nodes.values()
-            .filter(|n| n.node_type == crate::store::NodeType::EpisodicSession)
+        // Filter to entries before the conversation started
+        let cutoff_ts = oldest_msg_ts.map(|t| t.timestamp());
+        let filtered: Vec<_> = journal_entries.into_iter()
+            .filter(|e| cutoff_ts.map(|ts| e.created_at < ts).unwrap_or(true))
             .collect();
-        journal_nodes.sort_by_key(|n| n.created_at);
-
-        let cutoff_idx = if let Some(cutoff) = oldest_msg_ts {
-            let cutoff_ts = cutoff.timestamp();
-            let mut idx = journal_nodes.len();
-            for (i, node) in journal_nodes.iter().enumerate() {
-                if node.created_at >= cutoff_ts {
-                    idx = i + 1;
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-            idx
-        } else {
-            journal_nodes.len()
-        };
 
         let journal_budget = context::context_window() * 15 / 100;
         let mut entries = Vec::new();
         let mut total_tokens = 0;
 
-        for node in journal_nodes[..cutoff_idx].iter().rev() {
-            let ts = chrono::DateTime::from_timestamp(node.created_at, 0);
-            let ast = AstNode::memory(&node.key, &node.content)
+        // Take entries within budget (they're newest-first, so reverse for display)
+        for entry in filtered.iter() {
+            let ts = chrono::DateTime::from_timestamp(entry.created_at, 0);
+            let ast = AstNode::memory(&entry.key, &entry.content)
                 .with_timestamp(ts.unwrap_or_else(chrono::Utc::now));
             let tok = ast.tokens();
             if total_tokens + tok > journal_budget && !entries.is_empty() {
diff --git a/src/agent/tools/memory.rs b/src/agent/tools/memory.rs
index c95d19b..81f24bc 100644
--- a/src/agent/tools/memory.rs
+++ b/src/agent/tools/memory.rs
@@ -332,7 +332,9 @@ memory_tool!(memory_links, ref -> Vec<LinkInfo>, key: [str]);
 
 // ── Journal tools ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-memory_tool!(journal_tail, ref, count: [Option<u64>], level: [Option<u64>], format: [Option<&str>], after: [Option<&str>]);
+pub use crate::hippocampus::JournalEntry;
+
+memory_tool!(journal_tail, ref -> Vec<JournalEntry>, count: [Option<u64>], level: [Option<u64>], after: [Option<&str>]);
 memory_tool!(journal_new, mut, name: [str], title: [str], body: [str], level: [Option<i64>]);
 memory_tool!(journal_update, mut, body: [str], level: [Option<i64>]);
 
diff --git a/src/cli/journal.rs b/src/cli/journal.rs
index c1ec6fe..2152f9d 100644
--- a/src/cli/journal.rs
+++ b/src/cli/journal.rs
@@ -68,10 +68,17 @@ pub fn cmd_tail(n: usize, full: bool, provenance: Option<&str>, dedup: bool) ->
 }
 
 pub async fn cmd_journal_tail(n: usize, full: bool, level: u8) -> Result<(), String> {
-    let format = if full { Some("full") } else { Some("compact") };
-    let result = memory::journal_tail(None, Some(n as u64), Some(level as u64), format, None).await
+    let entries = memory::journal_tail(None, Some(n as u64), Some(level as u64), None).await
         .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-    print!("{}", result);
+    for entry in entries {
+        if full {
+            println!("--- {} ---", entry.key);
+            println!("{}\n", entry.content);
+        } else {
+            let first_line = entry.content.lines().next().unwrap_or("(empty)");
+            println!("{}: {}", entry.key, first_line);
+        }
+    }
     Ok(())
 }
 
diff --git a/src/hippocampus/mod.rs b/src/hippocampus/mod.rs
index 6e003ca..987217e 100644
--- a/src/hippocampus/mod.rs
+++ b/src/hippocampus/mod.rs
@@ -257,31 +257,46 @@ pub fn memory_query(store: &Store, _provenance: &str, query_str: &str, format: O
 
 // ── Journal tools ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-pub fn journal_tail(store: &Store, _provenance: &str, count: Option<u64>, level: Option<u64>, format: Option<&str>, after: Option<&str>) -> Result<String> {
-    let count = count.unwrap_or(1);
-    let level = level.unwrap_or(0);
-    let format = format.unwrap_or("full");
+/// A journal entry with key, content, and timestamp.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+pub struct JournalEntry {
+    pub key: String,
+    pub content: String,
+    pub created_at: i64,
+}
 
-    let type_name = match level {
-        0 => "episodic",
-        1 => "daily",
-        2 => "weekly",
-        3 => "monthly",
-        _ => return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("invalid level: {} (0=journal, 1=daily, 2=weekly, 3=monthly)", level)),
+/// Get journal entries, sorted by timestamp (newest first).
+/// level: 0=session, 1=daily, 2=weekly, 3=monthly
+/// after: only entries after this date (YYYY-MM-DD)
+pub fn journal_tail(store: &Store, _provenance: &str, count: Option<u64>, level: Option<u64>, after: Option<&str>) -> Result<Vec<JournalEntry>> {
+    let count = count.unwrap_or(10) as usize;
+    let level = level.unwrap_or(0);
+    let node_type = match level {
+        0 => crate::store::NodeType::EpisodicSession,
+        1 => crate::store::NodeType::EpisodicDaily,
+        2 => crate::store::NodeType::EpisodicWeekly,
+        3 => crate::store::NodeType::EpisodicMonthly,
+        _ => return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("invalid level: {}", level)),
     };
 
-    let mut q = std::format!("all | type:{} | sort:timestamp", type_name);
-    if let Some(date) = after {
-        // Convert date to age in seconds
-        if let Ok(nd) = chrono::NaiveDate::parse_from_str(date, "%Y-%m-%d") {
-            let ts = nd.and_hms_opt(0, 0, 0).unwrap().and_utc().timestamp();
-            let age = chrono::Utc::now().timestamp() - ts;
-            q.push_str(&std::format!(" | age:<{}", age));
-        }
-    }
-    q.push_str(&std::format!(" | limit:{}", count));
+    let after_ts = after.and_then(|date| {
+        chrono::NaiveDate::parse_from_str(date, "%Y-%m-%d").ok()
+            .and_then(|nd| nd.and_hms_opt(0, 0, 0))
+            .map(|dt| dt.and_utc().timestamp())
+    });
 
-    memory_query(store, _provenance, &q, Some(format))
+    let mut entries: Vec<_> = store.nodes.values()
+        .filter(|n| n.node_type == node_type)
+        .filter(|n| after_ts.map(|ts| n.created_at >= ts).unwrap_or(true))
+        .map(|n| JournalEntry {
+            key: n.key.clone(),
+            content: n.content.clone(),
+            created_at: n.created_at,
+        })
+        .collect();
+    entries.sort_by_key(|e| std::cmp::Reverse(e.created_at));
+    entries.truncate(count);
+    Ok(entries)
 }
 
 fn level_to_node_type(level: i64) -> crate::store::NodeType {