diff --git a/src/atocore/memory/service.py b/src/atocore/memory/service.py
index 3c9f607..2979f50 100644
--- a/src/atocore/memory/service.py
+++ b/src/atocore/memory/service.py
@@ -389,29 +389,37 @@ def get_memories_for_context(
         if not query_tokens:
             query_tokens = None
 
-    # Flat budget across types so paragraph-length project memories
-    # aren't starved by an even slice. Types are still walked in order
-    # (identity/preference first when they're the input), so earlier
-    # types still get first pick when the budget is tight.
+    # Collect ALL candidates across the requested types into one
+    # pool, then rank globally before the budget walk. Ranking per
+    # type and walking types in order would starve later types when
+    # the first type's candidates filled the budget — even if a
+    # later-type candidate matched the query perfectly. Type order
+    # is preserved as a stable tiebreaker inside
+    # ``_rank_memories_for_query`` via Python's stable sort.
+    pool: list[Memory] = []
+    seen_ids: set[str] = set()
     for mtype in memory_types:
-        # Raise the fetch limit above the budget slice so query-relevance
-        # ordering has a real pool to rerank. Without a query, the extras
-        # just fall off the end harmlessly.
-        candidates = get_memories(
+        for mem in get_memories(
             memory_type=mtype,
             project=project,
             min_confidence=0.5,
             limit=30,
-        )
-        if query_tokens is not None:
-            candidates = _rank_memories_for_query(candidates, query_tokens)
-        for mem in candidates:
-            entry = f"[{mem.memory_type}] {mem.content}"
-            entry_len = len(entry) + 1
-            if entry_len > available - used:
+        ):
+            if mem.id in seen_ids:
                 continue
-            selected_entries.append(entry)
-            used += entry_len
+            seen_ids.add(mem.id)
+            pool.append(mem)
+
+    if query_tokens is not None:
+        pool = _rank_memories_for_query(pool, query_tokens)
+
+    for mem in pool:
+        entry = f"[{mem.memory_type}] {mem.content}"
+        entry_len = len(entry) + 1
+        if entry_len > available - used:
+            continue
+        selected_entries.append(entry)
+        used += entry_len
 
     if not selected_entries:
         return "", 0