diff --git a/server/PATCHES.md b/server/PATCHES.md
index 4234f3177..297ea65f5 100644
--- a/server/PATCHES.md
+++ b/server/PATCHES.md
@@ -104,6 +104,13 @@ survival) is described in the project memory; this file is the human-readable ch
       outfit hiscore write; `/hiscores/outfit` shows a `/sprite/player` image for the top 10 and
       `/sprite/item` icons (no in-browser viewer bundle). Sprites come from `web/sprites/`
       (worker hosting webclient `src/viewer/ItemViewer.ts` `renderPlayerSprite`).
+- [ ] **Hiscore playtime tiebreak** — `hiscore.playtime`/`hiscore_large.playtime` (migration
+      `20260208000000_hiscore_playtime_and_outfit`); boards rank level desc, playtime asc.
+      `LoginServer.ts` `updateHiscores()` stamps playtime only when a row's **level** changes
+      (XP-only changes keep it), so it means "playtime when this level was reached" — restamping
+      on every logout pushed maxed players down for continuing to play. Quest points (type 100,
+      `updateQuestHiscore()`) follows the same rule.
+      Verify: `grep -n "existing.level === totalLevel ? existing.playtime" src/server/login/LoginServer.ts`
 - [ ] **Worker-thread crash hardening** — `src/server/InternalClient.ts` uses persistent
       `.on('close'/'error')` handlers instead of `.once()` (a second ws error after a
       successful open was an unhandled EventEmitter 'error' that killed the worker → every
diff --git a/server/engine/src/server/login/LoginServer.ts b/server/engine/src/server/login/LoginServer.ts
index 039e33316..25b4084ac 100644
--- a/server/engine/src/server/login/LoginServer.ts
+++ b/server/engine/src/server/login/LoginServer.ts
@@ -115,15 +115,18 @@ async function updateHiscores(account: HiscoreAccount | undefined, player: Playe
         totalLevel += player.baseLevels[i];
     }
 
-    const existing = await db.selectFrom('hiscore_large').select('type').select('value').select('playtime').where('account_id', '=', account.id).where('type', '=', 0).where('profile', '=', profile).executeTakeFirst();
-    if (existing && (existing.value !== totalXp || existing.playtime !== player.playtime)) {
+    // rs-sdk: playtime is the tiebreak (level desc, playtime asc), so it's only stamped when the
+    // level changes - it records when the player reached that level. Restamping it on every
+    // logout pushed maxed players down the board for continuing to play.
+    const existing = await db.selectFrom('hiscore_large').select('type').select('level').select('value').select('playtime').where('account_id', '=', account.id).where('type', '=', 0).where('profile', '=', profile).executeTakeFirst();
+    if (existing && (existing.value !== totalXp || existing.level !== totalLevel)) {
         await db
             .updateTable('hiscore_large')
             .set({
                 type: 0,
                 level: totalLevel,
                 value: totalXp,
-                playtime: player.playtime,
+                playtime: existing.level === totalLevel ? existing.playtime : player.playtime,
                 date: toDbDate(new Date())
             })
             .where('account_id', '=', account.id)
@@ -153,13 +156,13 @@ async function updateHiscores(account: HiscoreAccount | undefined, player: Playe
             const hiscoreType = stat + 1;
 
             // todo: can we upsert in kysely?
-            const existing = await db.selectFrom('hiscore').select('type').select('value').select('playtime').where('account_id', '=', account.id).where('type', '=', hiscoreType).where('profile', '=', profile).executeTakeFirst();
-            if (existing && (existing.value !== player.stats[stat] || existing.playtime !== player.playtime)) {
+            const existing = await db.selectFrom('hiscore').select('type').select('level').select('value').select('playtime').where('account_id', '=', account.id).where('type', '=', hiscoreType).where('profile', '=', profile).executeTakeFirst();
+            if (existing && (existing.value !== player.stats[stat] || existing.level !== player.baseLevels[stat])) {
                 update.push({
                     type: hiscoreType,
                     level: player.baseLevels[stat],
                     value: player.stats[stat],
-                    playtime: player.playtime,
+                    playtime: existing.level === player.baseLevels[stat] ? existing.playtime : player.playtime,
                     date: toDbDate(new Date())
                 });
             } else if (!existing) {