diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Services/DefaultTriggerScheduler.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Services/DefaultTriggerScheduler.cs
index 71ce81450..434447b35 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Services/DefaultTriggerScheduler.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Services/DefaultTriggerScheduler.cs
@@ -41,14 +41,10 @@ public class DefaultTriggerScheduler(IWorkflowScheduler workflowScheduler, ISyst
         foreach (var trigger in startAtTriggers)
         {
             var executeAt = trigger.GetPayload<StartAtPayload>().ExecuteAt;
-            
-            // If the trigger is in the past, log info and skip scheduling.
+
             if (executeAt < now)
-            {
-                logger.LogInformation("StartAt trigger is in the past. TriggerId: {TriggerId}. ExecuteAt: {ExecuteAt}. Skipping scheduling", trigger.Id, executeAt);
-                continue;
-            }
-            
+                logger.LogInformation("StartAt trigger is in the past. TriggerId: {TriggerId}. ExecuteAt: {ExecuteAt}. Scheduling catch-up", trigger.Id, executeAt);
+
             var input = new { ExecuteAt = executeAt }.ToDictionary();
             var request = new ScheduleNewWorkflowInstanceRequest
             {
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Services/PastDueScheduleStaggerer.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Services/PastDueScheduleStaggerer.cs
index a5d72d53b..6242c6165 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Services/PastDueScheduleStaggerer.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Services/PastDueScheduleStaggerer.cs
@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@ public class PastDueScheduleStaggerer(IOptions<SchedulingOptions> options)
         if (staggerInterval <= TimeSpan.Zero || staggerWindow <= TimeSpan.Zero)
             return minimumDelay;
 
-        var slotCount = Math.Max(1, staggerWindow.Ticks / staggerInterval.Ticks);
+        var availableWindow = staggerWindow - minimumDelay;
+
+        if (availableWindow <= TimeSpan.Zero)
+            return minimumDelay;
+
+        var slotCount = Math.Max(1, availableWindow.Ticks / staggerInterval.Ticks + 1);
         var sequence = Interlocked.Increment(ref _sequence) - 1;
         var slot = (sequence & long.MaxValue) % slotCount;
 
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Contracts/IBookmarkStore.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Contracts/IBookmarkStore.cs
index a6c07c173..013eabc72 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Contracts/IBookmarkStore.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Contracts/IBookmarkStore.cs
@@ -39,21 +39,9 @@ public interface IBookmarkStore
     /// Returns a page of bookmarks matching the specified filter.
     /// </summary>
     /// <remarks>
-    /// The default implementation materializes all matching bookmarks and pages them in memory. Stores backed by external persistence should override this method.
+    /// Startup backlog catch-up depends on store-backed paging. Implementations should page at the persistence layer instead of materializing all matches in memory.
     /// </remarks>
-    async ValueTask<Page<StoredBookmark>> FindManyAsync(BookmarkFilter filter, PageArgs pageArgs, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
-    {
-        var records = (await FindManyAsync(filter, cancellationToken)).OrderBy(x => x.Id).ToList();
-        IEnumerable<StoredBookmark> page = records;
-
-        if (pageArgs.Offset.HasValue)
-            page = page.Skip(pageArgs.Offset.Value);
-
-        if (pageArgs.Limit.HasValue)
-            page = page.Take(pageArgs.Limit.Value);
-
-        return Page.Of(page.ToList(), records.Count);
-    }
+    ValueTask<Page<StoredBookmark>> FindManyAsync(BookmarkFilter filter, PageArgs pageArgs, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Deletes a set of bookmarks matching the specified filter.
diff --git a/test/unit/Elsa.Scheduling.UnitTests/Services/DefaultTriggerSchedulerTests.cs b/test/unit/Elsa.Scheduling.UnitTests/Services/DefaultTriggerSchedulerTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b8376752c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/Elsa.Scheduling.UnitTests/Services/DefaultTriggerSchedulerTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+using Elsa.Common;
+using Elsa.Scheduling.Activities;
+using Elsa.Scheduling.Bookmarks;
+using Elsa.Scheduling.Services;
+using Elsa.Workflows.Helpers;
+using Elsa.Workflows.Runtime.Entities;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+using NSubstitute;
+
+namespace Elsa.Scheduling.UnitTests.Services;
+
+public class DefaultTriggerSchedulerTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task ScheduleAsync_SchedulesPastDueStartAtTriggerForCatchUp()
+    {
+        var workflowScheduler = Substitute.For<IWorkflowScheduler>();
+        var systemClock = Substitute.For<ISystemClock>();
+        var logger = Substitute.For<ILogger<DefaultTriggerScheduler>>();
+        var scheduler = new DefaultTriggerScheduler(workflowScheduler, systemClock, logger);
+        var now = new DateTimeOffset(2025, 11, 06, 22, 50, 00, TimeSpan.Zero);
+        var executeAt = now.AddMinutes(-5);
+        ScheduleNewWorkflowInstanceRequest? scheduledRequest = null;
+        var trigger = new StoredTrigger
+        {
+            Id = "trigger-1",
+            Name = ActivityTypeNameHelper.GenerateTypeName<StartAt>(),
+            WorkflowDefinitionVersionId = "workflow-version",
+            ActivityId = "activity-1",
+            Payload = new StartAtPayload(executeAt)
+        };
+        systemClock.UtcNow.Returns(now);
+        workflowScheduler.ScheduleAtAsync(trigger.Id, Arg.Do<ScheduleNewWorkflowInstanceRequest>(x => scheduledRequest = x), executeAt, Arg.Any<CancellationToken>()).Returns(ValueTask.CompletedTask);
+
+        await scheduler.ScheduleAsync([trigger], CancellationToken.None);
+
+        await workflowScheduler.Received(1).ScheduleAtAsync(trigger.Id, Arg.Any<ScheduleNewWorkflowInstanceRequest>(), executeAt, Arg.Any<CancellationToken>());
+        Assert.NotNull(scheduledRequest);
+        Assert.Equal(trigger.ActivityId, scheduledRequest.TriggerActivityId);
+        Assert.Equal(trigger.WorkflowDefinitionVersionId, scheduledRequest.WorkflowDefinitionHandle.DefinitionVersionId);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/unit/Elsa.Scheduling.UnitTests/Services/PastDueScheduleStaggererTests.cs b/test/unit/Elsa.Scheduling.UnitTests/Services/PastDueScheduleStaggererTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..263be2565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/Elsa.Scheduling.UnitTests/Services/PastDueScheduleStaggererTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+using Elsa.Scheduling.Options;
+using Elsa.Scheduling.Services;
+using OptionsFactory = Microsoft.Extensions.Options.Options;
+
+namespace Elsa.Scheduling.UnitTests.Services;
+
+public class PastDueScheduleStaggererTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void GetDelay_DoesNotExceedConfiguredWindow()
+    {
+        var staggerer = new PastDueScheduleStaggerer(OptionsFactory.Create(new SchedulingOptions
+        {
+            MinimumPastDueScheduleDelay = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1),
+            PastDueScheduleStaggerInterval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(900),
+            PastDueScheduleStaggerWindow = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)
+        }));
+
+        var delays = Enumerable.Range(0, 16).Select(_ => staggerer.GetDelay(TimeSpan.Zero)).ToList();
+
+        Assert.All(delays, delay => Assert.InRange(delay, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1), TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)));
+    }
+}