diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2bcc0950d01b3..0c71255e6ac34 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -78,3 +78,5 @@ profile.json.gz
 
 # Claude Code personal settings
 .claude/settings.local.json
+
+.codex/config.toml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/datafusion/core/tests/sql/select.rs b/datafusion/core/tests/sql/select.rs
index 96b911e8db130..afdaaa9dd7ebb 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/tests/sql/select.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/tests/sql/select.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
 use super::*;
+use datafusion::assert_batches_eq;
 use datafusion_common::{ParamValues, ScalarValue, metadata::ScalarAndMetadata};
 use insta::assert_snapshot;
 
@@ -493,3 +494,39 @@ async fn test_recursive_cte_batch_schema_stable_with_order_by_limit() -> Result<
     }
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn ordered_offset_subquery_preserves_selected_row() -> Result<()> {
+    let ctx = SessionContext::new_with_config(
+        SessionConfig::new().set_usize("datafusion.optimizer.max_passes", 1),
+    );
+    let results = ctx
+        .sql(
+            "SELECT grp, COUNT(*) AS n
+             FROM (
+               SELECT grp, sort_key
+               FROM (
+                 VALUES ('physical_second', 2), ('sorted_first', 1)
+               ) AS t(grp, sort_key)
+               ORDER BY sort_key ASC NULLS LAST
+               OFFSET 1
+             ) q
+             GROUP BY grp
+             ORDER BY grp",
+        )
+        .await?
+        .collect()
+        .await?;
+
+    assert_batches_eq!(
+        [
+            "+-----------------+---+",
+            "| grp             | n |",
+            "+-----------------+---+",
+            "| physical_second | 1 |",
+            "+-----------------+---+",
+        ],
+        &results
+    );
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/datafusion/physical-optimizer/src/ensure_requirements/enforce_sorting/mod.rs b/datafusion/physical-optimizer/src/ensure_requirements/enforce_sorting/mod.rs
index 6efaf76457919..e5e52a9573722 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-optimizer/src/ensure_requirements/enforce_sorting/mod.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-optimizer/src/ensure_requirements/enforce_sorting/mod.rs
@@ -444,7 +444,11 @@ pub fn ensure_sorting(
                 );
                 child = update_sort_ctx_children_data(child, true)?;
             }
-        } else if physical_ordering.is_none() || !plan.maintains_input_order()[idx] {
+        } else if !is_limit(plan)
+            && (physical_ordering.is_none() || !plan.maintains_input_order()[idx])
+        {
+            // Limit is excluded because it consumes the input sequence, so
+            // removing a linked sort can change which rows it skips or returns.
             // We have a `SortExec` whose effect may be neutralized by another
             // order-imposing operator, remove this sort:
             child = update_child_to_remove_unnecessary_sort(idx, child, plan)?;