diff --git a/tests/api/helpers.py b/tests/api/helpers.py
index e4c3eef..8a78df0 100644
--- a/tests/api/helpers.py
+++ b/tests/api/helpers.py
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
+import contextlib
 import typing
 import uuid
+from collections.abc import Iterator
 
+import sqlalchemy as sa
 from httpx import AsyncClient
+from sqlalchemy import event
+from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncConnection, AsyncSession
 
 
 async def register(client: AsyncClient, username: str) -> int:
@@ -33,3 +38,20 @@ async def send(client: AsyncClient, chat_id: int, text: str, key: uuid.UUID | No
         json={"idempotency_key": str(key or uuid.uuid4()), "text": text},
     )
     return response.json()
+
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def count_statements(session: AsyncSession) -> Iterator[list[str]]:
+    """Collect every SQL statement sent on the test connection behind ``session`` while the block runs."""
+    connection: typing.Final = session.bind
+    assert isinstance(connection, AsyncConnection)
+    statements: typing.Final[list[str]] = []
+
+    def record(_conn: sa.Connection, _cursor: object, statement: str, *_: object) -> None:
+        statements.append(statement)
+
+    event.listen(connection.sync_connection, "before_cursor_execute", record)
+    try:
+        yield statements
+    finally:
+        event.remove(connection.sync_connection, "before_cursor_execute", record)
diff --git a/tests/api/test_chat_listing_api.py b/tests/api/test_chat_listing_api.py
index 7db98c6..081b986 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_chat_listing_api.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_chat_listing_api.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import pytest
 from httpx import AsyncClient
+from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 
+from tests.api.helpers import count_statements as _count_statements
 from tests.api.helpers import create_direct_chat as _create_direct_chat
 from tests.api.helpers import login as _login
 from tests.api.helpers import register as _register
@@ -37,6 +39,31 @@ async def test_listing_populates_unread_count_and_last_message(client: AsyncClie
     assert item["last_message"]["text"] == "two"
 
 
+async def test_listing_runs_the_same_number_of_statements_for_one_chat_as_for_many(
+    client: AsyncClient, db_session: AsyncSession
+) -> None:
+    one_chat_id, _ = await _create_direct_chat(client)
+    await _send(client, one_chat_id, "hello")
+    partner_ids = [await _register(client, f"partner{index}") for index in range(5)]
+    await _register(client, "carol")
+    for partner_id in partner_ids:
+        chat = await client.post("/api/chats/", json={"chat_type": "direct", "member_ids": [partner_id]})
+        await _send(client, chat.json()["id"], "hello")
+
+    with _count_statements(db_session) as many_chats_statements:
+        many_chats_response = await client.get("/api/chats/")
+    await _login(client, "alice")
+    with _count_statements(db_session) as one_chat_statements:
+        one_chat_response = await client.get("/api/chats/")
+
+    many_chats_items = many_chats_response.json()["items"]
+    one_chat_items = one_chat_response.json()["items"]
+    assert len(many_chats_items) == 5
+    assert len(one_chat_items) == 1
+    assert all(item["last_message"] is not None for item in many_chats_items + one_chat_items)
+    assert len(many_chats_statements) == len(one_chat_statements), many_chats_statements
+
+
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("db_session")
 async def test_chat_with_no_messages_has_null_last_message_and_zero_unread(client: AsyncClient) -> None:
     await _create_direct_chat(client)
diff --git a/tests/api/test_statement_counter.py b/tests/api/test_statement_counter.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f14a40e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/api/test_statement_counter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
+
+from app.database.resources import create_database_engine
+from tests.api.helpers import count_statements as _count_statements
+
+
+async def test_count_statements_ignores_other_connections(db_session: AsyncSession) -> None:
+    engine = create_database_engine()
+    try:
+        with _count_statements(db_session) as statements:
+            async with engine.connect() as other_connection:
+                await other_connection.execute(sa.text("SELECT 1"))
+            await db_session.execute(sa.text("SELECT 2"))
+    finally:
+        await engine.dispose()
+
+    assert "SELECT 1" not in statements
+    assert "SELECT 2" in statements