diff --git a/src/sort.c b/src/sort.c
index c1cdc58..78801ee 100644
--- a/src/sort.c
+++ b/src/sort.c
@@ -87,15 +87,16 @@ static ssize_t
 find_destination(struct ring *r, uint64_t clock)
 {
 	ssize_t nback = 0;
-	ssize_t i = 0;
 
 	UNUSED(nback);
 
 	ssize_t start = r->tail - 1 >= 0 ? r->tail - 1 : r->size - 1;
 	ssize_t end = r->head - 1 >= 0 ? r->head - 1 : r->size - 1;
+	uint64_t last_clock = 0;
 
-	for (i = start; i != end; i = i - 1 < 0 ? r->size - 1 : i - 1) {
-		if (r->ev[i]->header.clock < clock) {
+	for (ssize_t i = start; i != end; i = i - 1 < 0 ? r->size - 1 : i - 1) {
+		last_clock = r->ev[i]->header.clock;
+		if (last_clock < clock) {
 			dbg("found suitable position %ld events backwards\n",
 					nback);
 			return i;
@@ -103,8 +104,19 @@ find_destination(struct ring *r, uint64_t clock)
 		nback++;
 	}
 
+	/* If there is no event with a lower clock and we haven't fill the ring
+	 * yet, then we are at the beginning and no other event has be emitted
+	 * before the sort window. So simply return the first marker. */
+	if (nback < (ssize_t) max_look_back) {
+		if (r->head != 0)
+			die("ring head expected to be 0\n");
+		if (r->tail >= r->size - 1)
+			die("ring tail=%d expected to be less than %d\n", r->tail, r->size - 1);
+		return r->head;
+	}
+
 	err("cannot find a event previous to clock %lu\n", clock);
-	err("nback = %ld, last clock=%lu\n", nback, r->ev[i]->header.clock);
+	err("nback=%ld, last_clock=%lu\n", nback, last_clock);
 
 	return -1;
 }