diff --git a/ui/src/pages/Records.jsx b/ui/src/pages/Records.jsx
index a5eb472..09d0940 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/Records.jsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/Records.jsx
@@ -119,7 +119,14 @@ export default function Records({ source }) {
     setPanelOpen(false)
     setOverrideCols([])
     setExtraCols([])
-    load(0, null, 'asc', [])
+    // Default to newest first on the source's first date field, if it has one
+    api.getSource(source)
+      .then(src => (src?.config?.fields || []).find(f => f.type === 'date')?.name || null)
+      .catch(() => null)
+      .then(dateCol => {
+        if (dateCol) setSort({ col: dateCol, dir: 'desc' })
+        load(0, dateCol, 'desc', [])
+      })
     api.getOverrideKeys(source).then(setOverrideCols).catch(() => {})
     api.getGlobalValues().then(setGlobalValues).catch(() => {})
     setSelected(new Set())