diff --git a/gitnexus/src/core/ingestion/scope-resolution/graph-bridge/node-lookup.ts b/gitnexus/src/core/ingestion/scope-resolution/graph-bridge/node-lookup.ts
index 9ab1649a1..680b030dd 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/core/ingestion/scope-resolution/graph-bridge/node-lookup.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/core/ingestion/scope-resolution/graph-bridge/node-lookup.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  * format that downstream consumers (queries, edges, MCP) expect.
  */
 
-import type { NodeLabel, ParameterTypeClass } from 'gitnexus-shared';
+import type { GraphNode, NodeLabel, ParameterTypeClass } from 'gitnexus-shared';
 import type { KnowledgeGraph } from '../../../graph/types.js';
 import { isOverloadableCallable } from '../../utils/callable-labels.js';
 import { templateConstraintsIdTag } from '../../utils/template-arguments.js';
@@ -67,9 +67,34 @@ export function simpleKey(filePath: string, name: string): string {
   return `${filePath}::${name}`;
 }
 
+function compareText(left: string, right: string): number {
+  return left < right ? -1 : left > right ? 1 : 0;
+}
+
+function compareSourceOrder(left: GraphNode, right: GraphNode): number {
+  const fileOrder = compareText(left.properties.filePath, right.properties.filePath);
+  if (fileOrder !== 0) return fileOrder;
+
+  const leftLine = Number.isFinite(left.properties.startLine)
+    ? (left.properties.startLine ?? Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER)
+    : Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;
+  const rightLine = Number.isFinite(right.properties.startLine)
+    ? (right.properties.startLine ?? Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER)
+    : Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;
+  if (leftLine !== rightLine) return leftLine - rightLine;
+
+  return compareText(left.id, right.id);
+}
+
 export function buildGraphNodeLookup(graph: KnowledgeGraph): GraphNodeLookup {
   const lookup = new Map<string, string>();
-  for (const node of graph.iterNodes()) {
+  const linkableNodes = Array.from(graph.iterNodes()).filter((node) => {
+    const props = node.properties as { filePath?: string; name?: string };
+    return props.filePath !== undefined && props.name !== undefined && isLinkableLabel(node.label);
+  });
+  linkableNodes.sort(compareSourceOrder);
+
+  for (const node of linkableNodes) {
     const props = node.properties as {
       filePath?: string;
       name?: string;
@@ -77,7 +102,6 @@ export function buildGraphNodeLookup(graph: KnowledgeGraph): GraphNodeLookup {
       templateArguments?: readonly string[];
     };
     if (props.filePath === undefined || props.name === undefined) continue;
-    if (!isLinkableLabel(node.label)) continue;
 
     // Primary key: fully-qualified name + label, in a separate
     // keyspace from simple names. Class nodes carry `qualifiedName`
@@ -163,7 +187,7 @@ export function buildGraphNodeLookup(graph: KnowledgeGraph): GraphNodeLookup {
       }
     }
 
-    // Fallback key: simple name. First-wins within a file — used when
+    // Fallback key: simple name. Source-order first-wins within a file — used when
     // the caller doesn't know the qualifier (unqualified free-call
     // fallback, cross-file resolution where MethodRegistry already
     // disambiguated the owner).
diff --git a/gitnexus/test/unit/scope-resolution/node-lookup-determinism.test.ts b/gitnexus/test/unit/scope-resolution/node-lookup-determinism.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..06cc8442d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitnexus/test/unit/scope-resolution/node-lookup-determinism.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import type { NodeLabel } from 'gitnexus-shared';
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { createKnowledgeGraph } from '../../../src/core/graph/graph.js';
+import {
+  buildGraphNodeLookup,
+  qualifiedKey,
+  simpleKey,
+} from '../../../src/core/ingestion/scope-resolution/graph-bridge/node-lookup.js';
+
+const FILE = 'src/service.ts';
+
+interface Candidate {
+  id: string;
+  startLine: number;
+}
+
+function buildLookup(candidates: readonly Candidate[]) {
+  const graph = createKnowledgeGraph();
+  for (const candidate of candidates) {
+    graph.addNode({
+      id: candidate.id,
+      label: 'Method' as NodeLabel,
+      properties: {
+        name: 'save',
+        qualifiedName: 'Service.save',
+        filePath: FILE,
+        startLine: candidate.startLine,
+      },
+    });
+  }
+  return buildGraphNodeLookup(graph);
+}
+
+describe('buildGraphNodeLookup determinism', () => {
+  it('selects the earliest source definition regardless of graph insertion order', () => {
+    const early = { id: `Method:${FILE}:Service.save#1`, startLine: 10 };
+    const late = { id: `Method:${FILE}:Service.save#2`, startLine: 20 };
+
+    const lateFirst = buildLookup([late, early]);
+    const earlyFirst = buildLookup([early, late]);
+
+    for (const key of [simpleKey(FILE, 'save'), qualifiedKey(FILE, 'Method', 'Service.save')]) {
+      expect(lateFirst.get(key)).toBe(early.id);
+      expect(earlyFirst.get(key)).toBe(early.id);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('uses the stable node id when source positions are identical', () => {
+    const first = { id: `Method:${FILE}:Service.save#1`, startLine: 10 };
+    const second = { id: `Method:${FILE}:Service.save#2`, startLine: 10 };
+
+    const firstLookup = buildLookup([second, first]);
+    const secondLookup = buildLookup([first, second]);
+
+    expect(firstLookup.get(simpleKey(FILE, 'save'))).toBe(first.id);
+    expect(secondLookup.get(simpleKey(FILE, 'save'))).toBe(first.id);
+  });
+});