diff --git a/.specify/rtm.md b/.specify/rtm.md
index 7d6b23eb..08c560d3 100644
--- a/.specify/rtm.md
+++ b/.specify/rtm.md
@@ -208,4 +208,4 @@
 | REQ-012 | show-more/less labels are new Paraglide keys in de/en/es; unused #827 grouping/Thema keys removed | #850 | inline-event-clustering | `frontend/messages/{de,en,es}.json`, `frontend/src/lib/timeline/EventCluster.svelte` | `messages.spec.ts#zeitstrahl visual-fidelity keys are present in all locales` (now asserts `timeline_bucket_show_more`/`_less`; `timeline_grouping_date` removed) | Done |
 | REQ-013 | `GET /api/timeline` failure → existing localized error state via `getErrorMessage(code)` (unchanged #779) | #850 | inline-event-clustering | `frontend/src/routes/zeitstrahl/+page.svelte` (unchanged error path) | covered by #779 `zeitstrahl` error-state tests (regression — no change) | Done |
 | REQ-014 | HISTORICAL curated event with ≥1 linked letter keeps its full-width WorldBand — never clusters into a card (preserves #779 REQ-009); its letters stay loose | #850 | inline-event-clustering | `frontend/src/lib/timeline/eventClustering.ts` (`buildEventLookup` excludes HISTORICAL) | `eventClustering.spec.ts#excludes a HISTORICAL event so its letters stay loose, keeping its WorldBand (REQ-014)`; `TimelineView.svelte.spec.ts#keeps a HISTORICAL event a WorldBand with a same-year linked letter — never clusters (REQ-014)` | Done |
-| REQ-015 | a cross-year ✉ card is placed at its earliest linked letter's chronological position in the band — never appended after later-dated loose letters | #850 | inline-event-clustering | `frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte` | `YearBand.svelte.spec.ts#interleaves a cross-year card before a later-dated loose letter in the same band` | Planned |
+| REQ-015 | a cross-year ✉ card is placed at its earliest linked letter's chronological position in the band — never appended after later-dated loose letters | #850 | inline-event-clustering | `frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte` | `YearBand.svelte.spec.ts#interleaves a cross-year card before a later-dated loose letter in the same band (REQ-015)` | Done |
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte
index 2783d141..f1e62d0e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte
@@ -59,10 +59,19 @@ const dense = $derived(isDense(loose.length));
 // per letter (was O(L²) on a dense band), and resolves an event's card with `byEvent.get`.
 const byEvent = $derived(split.byEvent);
 
+// Event ids that have a same-year EVENT entry in THIS band: those clusters render as that
+// event's header (at the EVENT position); every other cluster is cross-year (REQ-004/015).
+const sameYearEventIds = $derived.by<Record<string, true>>(() => {
+	const ids: Record<string, true> = {};
+	for (const entry of year.entries) {
+		if (entry.kind === 'EVENT' && entry.eventId) ids[entry.eventId] = true;
+	}
+	return ids;
+});
+
 const rows = $derived.by<Row[]>(() => {
 	const out: Row[] = [];
-	const { clusters } = split;
-	const consumed: Record<string, true> = {};
+	const emitted: Record<string, true> = {};
 	let stripInserted = false;
 	let letterIndex = 0;
 
@@ -74,14 +83,15 @@ const rows = $derived.by<Row[]>(() => {
 			const cluster = entry.eventId ? byEvent.get(entry.eventId) : undefined;
 			if (cluster) {
 				out.push({ t: 'eventcard', event: entry, cluster });
-				consumed[cluster.eventId] = true;
+				emitted[cluster.eventId] = true;
 			} else {
 				out.push({ t: 'event', entry });
 			}
-		} else if (
-			entry.kind === 'LETTER' &&
-			!(entry.linkedEventId && byEvent.has(entry.linkedEventId))
-		) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		const cluster = entry.linkedEventId ? byEvent.get(entry.linkedEventId) : undefined;
+		if (!cluster) {
 			// A loose letter (not clustered): alternate while sparse, or fold the whole loose set
 			// into one density strip (inserted once, at the first loose letter) when dense.
 			if (!dense) {
@@ -91,17 +101,18 @@ const rows = $derived.by<Row[]>(() => {
 				out.push({ t: 'strip' });
 				stripInserted = true;
 			}
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		// A clustered letter. A same-year cluster is emitted at its EVENT entry, so skip it here.
+		// A cross-year cluster has no EVENT anchor in this band — emit its ✉ card HERE, at the
+		// position of its earliest linked letter, so the band stays in strict time order (REQ-015).
+		if (!sameYearEventIds[cluster.eventId] && !emitted[cluster.eventId]) {
+			out.push({ t: 'eventcard', cluster });
+			emitted[cluster.eventId] = true;
 		}
-		// a clustered letter is rendered by its event card (or the cross-year pass) — skip here.
 	}
 
-	// Cross-year clusters: a cluster whose event is NOT a same-year EVENT entry renders as a
-	// text-header card (no pill, no edit link) holding this year's linked letters (REQ-004).
-	for (const cluster of clusters) {
-		if (!consumed[cluster.eventId]) {
-			out.push({ t: 'eventcard', cluster });
-		}
-	}
 	return out;
 });
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte.spec.ts
index 2b280f3f..9bada13a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearBand.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -263,4 +263,28 @@ describe('YearBand — inline event clustering (#850)', () => {
 		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="event-edit"]')).toBeNull();
 		expect(document.querySelector('.justify-center .rounded-full.border-brand-mint')).toBeNull();
 	});
+
+	it('interleaves a cross-year card before a later-dated loose letter in the same band (REQ-015)', () => {
+		// Chronological band order (what the backend delivers): a February cross-year letter, then
+		// a November loose letter. The cross-year card must sit at its earliest letter's position —
+		// before the November loose letter — so the band still reads in strict time order.
+		const febLinked = makeEntry({
+			eventDate: '1917-02-10',
+			documentId: 'feb-linked',
+			title: 'Feldpostbrief',
+			linkedEventId: EV_ID
+		});
+		const novLoose = makeEntry({
+			eventDate: '1917-11-20',
+			documentId: 'nov-loose',
+			title: 'Brief im November'
+		});
+		render(YearBand, { year: makeYear(1917, [febLinked, novLoose]), eventLookup: lookup });
+		const card = document.querySelector('[data-testid="event-card"]') as HTMLElement;
+		const looseLink = document.querySelector('a[href="/documents/nov-loose"]') as HTMLElement;
+		expect(card).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(looseLink).not.toBeNull();
+		// the cross-year card precedes the later-dated loose letter in DOM order
+		expect(card.compareDocumentPosition(looseLink) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_FOLLOWING).toBeTruthy();
+	});
 });