diff --git a/integ-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/calcite/remote/CalcitePPLJoinIT.java b/integ-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/calcite/remote/CalcitePPLJoinIT.java
index 9aa9b02268..cdefe15155 100644
--- a/integ-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/calcite/remote/CalcitePPLJoinIT.java
+++ b/integ-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/calcite/remote/CalcitePPLJoinIT.java
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@
 
 package org.opensearch.sql.calcite.remote;
 
+import static org.opensearch.sql.legacy.TestUtils.isIndexExist;
 import static org.opensearch.sql.legacy.TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_HOBBIES;
 import static org.opensearch.sql.legacy.TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION;
 import static org.opensearch.sql.legacy.TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY;
 import static org.opensearch.sql.util.MatcherUtils.assertJsonEquals;
+import static org.opensearch.sql.util.MatcherUtils.assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder;
 import static org.opensearch.sql.util.MatcherUtils.rows;
 import static org.opensearch.sql.util.MatcherUtils.schema;
 import static org.opensearch.sql.util.MatcherUtils.verifyDataRows;
@@ -32,29 +34,46 @@ public void init() throws Exception {
     enableCalcite();
     supportAllJoinTypes();
 
+    // Seed iff state_country is (re)created on this pass — kept in lockstep with loadIndex's own
+    // `if (!isIndexExist)` create-and-load guard. init() runs before every test method (@Before),
+    // and loadIndex skips the create+load when the index already exists, so the extra _doc/5..8
+    // PUTs below must run on exactly the same condition. A standalone "seed once" latch would
+    // desync from the index: whenever the framework wipes/recreates state_country between methods
+    // (loadIndex re-creates the 4 fixture rows), a latch already flipped true would skip re-seeding
+    // and leave the index at 4 rows, breaking the joins that expect 8. Gating on isIndexExist keeps
+    // seed and load together. On the analytics-engine route the parquet/composite store is
+    // append-only and does not overwrite by _id, so re-running these PUTs every method would
+    // accumulate duplicate rows and inflate join counts — this guard prevents that too.
+    boolean seedStateCountry = !isIndexExist(client(), TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY);
     loadIndex(Index.STATE_COUNTRY);
     loadIndex(Index.OCCUPATION);
     loadIndex(Index.HOBBIES);
-    Request request1 =
-        new Request("PUT", "/" + TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY + "/_doc/5?refresh=true");
-    request1.setJsonEntity(
-        "{\"name\":\"Jim\",\"age\":27,\"state\":\"B.C\",\"country\":\"Canada\",\"year\":2023,\"month\":4}");
-    client().performRequest(request1);
-    Request request2 =
-        new Request("PUT", "/" + TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY + "/_doc/6?refresh=true");
-    request2.setJsonEntity(
-        "{\"name\":\"Peter\",\"age\":57,\"state\":\"B.C\",\"country\":\"Canada\",\"year\":2023,\"month\":4}");
-    client().performRequest(request2);
-    Request request3 =
-        new Request("PUT", "/" + TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY + "/_doc/7?refresh=true");
-    request3.setJsonEntity(
-        "{\"name\":\"Rick\",\"age\":70,\"state\":\"B.C\",\"country\":\"Canada\",\"year\":2023,\"month\":4}");
-    client().performRequest(request3);
-    Request request4 =
-        new Request("PUT", "/" + TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY + "/_doc/8?refresh=true");
-    request4.setJsonEntity(
-        "{\"name\":\"David\",\"age\":40,\"state\":\"Washington\",\"country\":\"USA\",\"year\":2023,\"month\":4}");
-    client().performRequest(request4);
+    if (seedStateCountry) {
+      Request request1 =
+          new Request(
+              "PUT", "/" + TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY + "/_doc/5?refresh=true");
+      request1.setJsonEntity(
+          "{\"name\":\"Jim\",\"age\":27,\"state\":\"B.C\",\"country\":\"Canada\",\"year\":2023,\"month\":4}");
+      client().performRequest(request1);
+      Request request2 =
+          new Request(
+              "PUT", "/" + TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY + "/_doc/6?refresh=true");
+      request2.setJsonEntity(
+          "{\"name\":\"Peter\",\"age\":57,\"state\":\"B.C\",\"country\":\"Canada\",\"year\":2023,\"month\":4}");
+      client().performRequest(request2);
+      Request request3 =
+          new Request(
+              "PUT", "/" + TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY + "/_doc/7?refresh=true");
+      request3.setJsonEntity(
+          "{\"name\":\"Rick\",\"age\":70,\"state\":\"B.C\",\"country\":\"Canada\",\"year\":2023,\"month\":4}");
+      client().performRequest(request3);
+      Request request4 =
+          new Request(
+              "PUT", "/" + TestsConstants.TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY + "/_doc/8?refresh=true");
+      request4.setJsonEntity(
+          "{\"name\":\"David\",\"age\":40,\"state\":\"Washington\",\"country\":\"USA\",\"year\":2023,\"month\":4}");
+      client().performRequest(request4);
+    }
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -239,7 +258,11 @@ public void testComplexRightJoin() throws IOException {
         schema("occupation", "string"),
         schema("b.country", "string"),
         schema("salary", "int"));
-    verifyDataRowsInOrder(
+    // The four right-only rows all have a null a.age, so `sort a.age` leaves their relative order
+    // unspecified — DataFusion (analytics-engine route) breaks the tie differently than the
+    // v2/Calcite path. Assert membership rather than position; the four null-age rows and the two
+    // matched rows are all present.
+    verifyDataRows(
         actual,
         rows(null, null, null, null, "Engineer", "England", 100000),
         rows(null, null, null, null, "Artist", "USA", 70000),
@@ -255,7 +278,8 @@ public void testComplexSemiJoin() throws IOException {
         executeQuery(
             String.format(
                 "source = %s | where country = 'Canada' OR country = 'England' | left semi join"
-                    + " left=a, right=b ON a.name = b.name %s | sort a.age",
+                    + " left=a, right=b ON a.name = b.name %s | sort a.age | fields name, country,"
+                    + " state, month, year, age",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
     verifySchema(
         actual,
@@ -277,7 +301,8 @@ public void testComplexAntiJoin() throws IOException {
         executeQuery(
             String.format(
                 "source = %s | where country = 'Canada' OR country = 'England' | left anti join"
-                    + " left=a, right=b ON a.name = b.name %s | sort a.age",
+                    + " left=a, right=b ON a.name = b.name %s | sort a.age | fields name, country,"
+                    + " state, month, year, age",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
     verifySchema(
         actual,
@@ -529,7 +554,7 @@ public void testCheckAccessTheReferenceByAliases() throws IOException {
             String.format(
                 "source = %s as t1 | JOIN ON t1.name = t2.name %s as t2 | fields t1.name, t2.name",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res1.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res2.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
 
     JSONObject res3 =
@@ -550,9 +575,9 @@ public void testCheckAccessTheReferenceByAliases() throws IOException {
                 "source = %s as tt | JOIN left = t1 ON t1.name = t2.name %s as t2 | fields"
                     + " t1.name",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res3.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res4.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res4.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res5.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
   }
 
@@ -570,7 +595,7 @@ public void testCheckAccessTheReferenceBySubqueryAliases() throws IOException {
                 "source = %s | JOIN left = t1 ON t1.name = t2.name [ source = %s as t2 ] | fields"
                     + " t1.name, t2.name",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res1.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res2.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
 
     JSONObject res3 =
@@ -591,9 +616,9 @@ public void testCheckAccessTheReferenceBySubqueryAliases() throws IOException {
                 "source = %s | JOIN left = t1 right = t2 ON t1.name = t2.name [ source = %s ]"
                     + " as tt | fields tt.name",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res3.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res4.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res4.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res5.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
   }
 
@@ -617,9 +642,9 @@ public void testCheckAccessTheReferenceByOverrideAliases() throws IOException {
                 "source = %s as tt | JOIN left = t1 ON t1.name = t2.name %s as t2 | fields"
                     + " t1.name",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res1.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res2.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res1.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res3.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
   }
 
@@ -643,9 +668,9 @@ public void testCheckAccessTheReferenceByOverrideSubqueryAliases() throws IOExce
                 "source = %s | JOIN left = t1 right = t2 ON t1.name = t2.name [ source = %s ] as tt"
                     + " | fields tt.name",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res1.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res2.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res1.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res3.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
   }
 
@@ -669,9 +694,9 @@ public void testCheckAccessTheReferenceByOverrideSubqueryAliases2() throws IOExc
                 "source = %s | JOIN left = t1 right = t2 ON t1.name = t2.name [ source = %s ] as tt"
                     + " | fields t2.name",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_OCCUPATION));
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res1.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res2.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
-    assertJsonEquals(
+    assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(
         res1.getJSONArray("datarows").toString(), res3.getJSONArray("datarows").toString());
   }
 
@@ -698,7 +723,10 @@ public void testInnerJoinWithRelationSubquery() throws IOException {
         schema("avg(salary)", "double"),
         schema("age_span", "int"),
         schema("b.country", "string"));
-    verifyDataRowsInOrder(actual, rows(70000.0, 30, "USA"), rows(100000, 70, "England"));
+    // The final `stats ... by` output has no ORDER BY, so row order is unspecified — the
+    // analytics-engine route (RowProducingSink appends batches in arrival order) emits the two
+    // groups in a different order than the v2/Calcite path. Assert membership, not position.
+    verifyDataRows(actual, rows(70000.0, 30, "USA"), rows(100000, 70, "England"));
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -1161,7 +1189,8 @@ public void testComplexSortPushDownForSMJWithMaxOptionAndFieldList() throws IOEx
         executeQuery(
             String.format(
                 "source=%s | eval name2=substring(name, 2, 1) | join max=1 name2,age [ source=%s |"
-                    + " eval name2=substring(state, 2, 1) ]",
+                    + " eval name2=substring(state, 2, 1) ] | fields name, country, state, month,"
+                    + " year, age, name2",
                 TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY, TEST_INDEX_STATE_COUNTRY));
     verifySchema(
         actual,
diff --git a/integ-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/util/MatcherUtils.java b/integ-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/util/MatcherUtils.java
index 61ebc9a16e..dc9ebc30de 100644
--- a/integ-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/util/MatcherUtils.java
+++ b/integ-test/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/util/MatcherUtils.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.function.Function;
@@ -432,6 +433,29 @@ public static void assertJsonEquals(String expected, String actual) {
         JsonParser.parseString(eliminatePid(actual)));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Compare two {@code datarows} JSON arrays as multisets — same rows, order ignored. Use when the
+   * test only asserts that two queries return the <em>same set of rows</em> (e.g. checking that two
+   * equivalent alias syntaxes produce the same result), not that they emit them in the same order.
+   * The analytics-engine (DataFusion) route does not guarantee the same row order as the v2/Calcite
+   * route, so a plain {@link #assertJsonEquals} on the serialized datarows is order-sensitive and
+   * flaky on that route; comparing as multisets asserts the intended equivalence without depending
+   * on output order.
+   */
+  public static void assertJsonRowsEqualIgnoreOrder(String expectedRows, String actualRows) {
+    List<String> expected = new ArrayList<>();
+    new JSONArray(eliminatePid(expectedRows))
+        .iterator()
+        .forEachRemaining(o -> expected.add(o.toString()));
+    List<String> actual = new ArrayList<>();
+    new JSONArray(eliminatePid(actualRows))
+        .iterator()
+        .forEachRemaining(o -> actual.add(o.toString()));
+    expected.sort(Comparator.naturalOrder());
+    actual.sort(Comparator.naturalOrder());
+    assertEquals(expected, actual);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Compare two JSON string are equals with ignoring the RelNode id in the Calcite plan.
    * Deprecated, use {@link #assertYamlEqualsIgnoreId(String, String)}