diff --git a/crates/collab-net/src/inbox.rs b/crates/collab-net/src/inbox.rs
index fb505a0a..1ec00e67 100644
--- a/crates/collab-net/src/inbox.rs
+++ b/crates/collab-net/src/inbox.rs
@@ -11,11 +11,18 @@ use figcraft_engine::live::{Event, Presence};
 pub type Waker = Arc<dyn Fn() + Send + Sync>;
 
 /// Most discrete events kept between two drains (joins, leaves, status); the oldest go first.
+/// Document sync events don't count and are never dropped: the sync client treats a missing
+/// batch as a fatal sequence gap, so losing one would end the session.
 const MAX_EVENTS: usize = 10_000;
 
 #[derive(Default)]
 struct State {
-    events: VecDeque<Event>,
+    /// Arrival number of the next event, so [`Inbox::drain`] can merge the two queues in order.
+    next: u64,
+    /// [`Event::Sync`] events, never dropped.
+    syncs: VecDeque<(u64, Event)>,
+    /// Every other event, capped at [`MAX_EVENTS`].
+    others: VecDeque<(u64, Event)>,
     presence: BTreeMap<u32, Presence>,
 }
 
@@ -43,11 +50,17 @@ impl Inbox {
             if let Event::PeerLeft(id) = &e {
                 s.presence.remove(id);
             }
-            if s.events.len() >= MAX_EVENTS {
-                log::warn!("live session: {MAX_EVENTS} events not taken; dropping the oldest");
-                s.events.pop_front();
+            let n = s.next;
+            s.next += 1;
+            if matches!(e, Event::Sync(_)) {
+                s.syncs.push_back((n, e));
+                return;
             }
-            s.events.push_back(e);
+            if s.others.len() >= MAX_EVENTS {
+                log::warn!("live session: {MAX_EVENTS} events not taken; dropping the oldest");
+                s.others.pop_front();
+            }
+            s.others.push_back((n, e));
         });
     }
 
@@ -62,8 +75,70 @@ impl Inbox {
     /// peer.
     pub fn drain(&self) -> Vec<figcraft_engine::live::Event> {
         let mut s = self.state.lock().unwrap_or_else(PoisonError::into_inner);
-        let mut out: Vec<Event> = s.events.drain(..).collect();
+        let mut syncs = std::mem::take(&mut s.syncs).into_iter().peekable();
+        let mut others = std::mem::take(&mut s.others).into_iter().peekable();
+        let mut out = Vec::with_capacity(syncs.len() + others.len() + s.presence.len());
+        loop {
+            let sync_first = match (syncs.peek(), others.peek()) {
+                (Some((a, _)), Some((b, _))) => a < b,
+                (Some(_), None) => true,
+                (None, Some(_)) => false,
+                (None, None) => break,
+            };
+            let next = if sync_first { syncs.next() } else { others.next() };
+            out.extend(next.map(|(_, e)| e));
+        }
         out.extend(std::mem::take(&mut s.presence).into_iter().map(|(id, p)| Event::Presence(id, p)));
         out
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use figcraft_collab::message::ServerMsg;
+
+    fn reject(batch_id: u64) -> Event {
+        Event::Sync(ServerMsg::Reject { batch_id, reason: String::new(), fixes: Vec::new() })
+    }
+
+    fn sync_ids(events: &[Event]) -> Vec<u64> {
+        events
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|e| match e {
+                Event::Sync(ServerMsg::Reject { batch_id, .. }) => Some(*batch_id),
+                _ => None,
+            })
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_full_inbox_never_drops_sync_events() {
+        let inbox = Inbox::new(Arc::new(|| {}));
+        inbox.push(reject(1));
+        for _ in 0..MAX_EVENTS {
+            inbox.push(Event::PeerLeft(7));
+        }
+        inbox.push(reject(2));
+        for _ in 0..MAX_EVENTS {
+            inbox.push(Event::PeerLeft(7));
+        }
+        let out = inbox.drain();
+        assert_eq!(sync_ids(&out), vec![1, 2]);
+        assert!(out.len() <= MAX_EVENTS + 2, "{} events kept", out.len());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn sync_events_past_the_cap_are_all_kept_in_order() {
+        let inbox = Inbox::new(Arc::new(|| {}));
+        let n = MAX_EVENTS as u64 + 5;
+        for id in 0..n {
+            inbox.push(reject(id));
+        }
+        inbox.push(Event::PeerLeft(7));
+        let out = inbox.drain();
+        let ids = sync_ids(&out);
+        assert_eq!(ids.len() as u64, n, "Sync events dropped");
+        assert!(ids.iter().copied().eq(0..n), "Sync events out of order");
+    }
+}