diff --git a/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/trainer/mod.rs b/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/trainer/mod.rs
index 5a9316599..1476e216d 100644
--- a/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/trainer/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/trainer/mod.rs
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ mod tests;
 /// Saved training state for trajectory backtracking.
 pub(crate) struct TrajectoryCheckpoint {
     pub epoch: usize,
+    pub val_sharpe: f32,                   // val_Sharpe at save time — used for ranking
     pub improvement_rate: f32,             // d(val_Sharpe)/d(epoch) at save time
     pub params_gpu: CudaSlice<f32>,        // DtoD copy of params_buf — GPU resident
     pub target_params_gpu: CudaSlice<f32>, // DtoD copy of target_params_buf — GPU resident
diff --git a/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/trainer/training_loop.rs b/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/trainer/training_loop.rs
index 3b69e8db8..0de3ab865 100644
--- a/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/trainer/training_loop.rs
+++ b/crates/ml/src/trainers/dqn/trainer/training_loop.rs
@@ -2358,6 +2358,7 @@ impl DQNTrainer {
 
             let checkpoint = super::TrajectoryCheckpoint {
                 epoch,
+                val_sharpe,
                 improvement_rate,
                 params_gpu,
                 target_params_gpu,
@@ -2367,10 +2368,13 @@ impl DQNTrainer {
                 per_branch_q_gap_ema: fused.per_branch_q_gap_ema(),
             };
 
-            // Insert sorted by improvement rate, keep top-3
+            // Sort by val_Sharpe (highest first), keep top-3.
+            // Rewind should go to the BEST state, not the fastest-improving.
+            // Epoch 0 (improvement=17.3, val_Sharpe=17) is useless as a rewind target.
+            // Epoch 20 (improvement=0.4, val_Sharpe=45) is the BEST rewind target.
             self.backtracking.checkpoints.push(checkpoint);
             self.backtracking.checkpoints.sort_by(|a, b|
-                b.improvement_rate.partial_cmp(&a.improvement_rate).unwrap_or(std::cmp::Ordering::Equal)
+                b.val_sharpe.partial_cmp(&a.val_sharpe).unwrap_or(std::cmp::Ordering::Equal)
             );
             if self.backtracking.checkpoints.len() > self.backtracking.max_checkpoints {
                 self.backtracking.checkpoints.pop();