diff --git a/pkg/devcontainer/graph/graph.go b/pkg/devcontainer/graph/graph.go
index a48ccd5c1..f19a2618e 100644
--- a/pkg/devcontainer/graph/graph.go
+++ b/pkg/devcontainer/graph/graph.go
@@ -284,21 +284,22 @@ func (g *Graph[T]) HasCircularDependency() bool {
 
 func (g *Graph[T]) sortNodeIDs() ([]string, error) {
 	workingInDegree := copyInDegreeMap(g.inDegree)
-	zeroInDegreeQueue := initializeQueue(workingInDegree)
 	sortedResult := make([]string, 0, len(g.nodes))
 
-	for len(zeroInDegreeQueue) > 0 {
-		currentNode := dequeue(&zeroInDegreeQueue)
-		sortedResult = append(sortedResult, currentNode)
-		processNeighbors(g.edges, currentNode, workingInDegree, &zeroInDegreeQueue)
+	for {
+		round := collectZeroInDegree(workingInDegree)
+		if len(round) == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+		sort.Strings(round)
+		sortedResult = append(sortedResult, round...)
+		advanceRound(round, g.edges, workingInDegree)
 	}
 
 	if len(sortedResult) != len(g.nodes) {
-		remainingNodes := []string{}
-		for nodeID, degree := range workingInDegree {
-			if degree > 0 {
-				remainingNodes = append(remainingNodes, nodeID)
-			}
+		remainingNodes := make([]string, 0, len(workingInDegree))
+		for nodeID := range workingInDegree {
+			remainingNodes = append(remainingNodes, nodeID)
 		}
 		sort.Strings(remainingNodes)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("circular dependency detected among nodes: %v", remainingNodes)
@@ -307,6 +308,25 @@ func (g *Graph[T]) sortNodeIDs() ([]string, error) {
 	return sortedResult, nil
 }
 
+func collectZeroInDegree(inDegree map[string]int) []string {
+	round := make([]string, 0)
+	for nodeID, degree := range inDegree {
+		if degree == 0 {
+			round = append(round, nodeID)
+		}
+	}
+	return round
+}
+
+func advanceRound(round []string, edges map[string][]string, inDegree map[string]int) {
+	for _, nodeID := range round {
+		delete(inDegree, nodeID)
+		for _, neighbor := range edges[nodeID] {
+			inDegree[neighbor]--
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (g *Graph[T]) collectChildren(id string, nodesToRemove *[]string) {
 	stack := []string{id}
 	visited := make(map[string]bool)
diff --git a/pkg/devcontainer/graph/graph_test.go b/pkg/devcontainer/graph/graph_test.go
index 16b91a72e..55c0f108a 100644
--- a/pkg/devcontainer/graph/graph_test.go
+++ b/pkg/devcontainer/graph/graph_test.go
@@ -523,6 +523,39 @@ func (suite *GraphTestSuite) TestLargeGraph() {
 	suite.Len(result, nodeCount)
 }
 
+func (suite *GraphTestSuite) TestSortNodeIDsRoundBased() {
+	// A→B edge means B depends on A.
+	// Round 1: A and C both have in-degree 0 → sorted alpha → [A, C]
+	// Round 2: B (now in-degree 0 after A processed) → [B]
+	// Final: [A, C, B]
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddNode("A", "dataA"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddNode("B", "dataB"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddNode("C", "dataC"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddEdge("A", "B"))
+
+	result, err := suite.graph.SortNodeIDs()
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.Equal([]string{"A", "C", "B"}, result)
+}
+
+func (suite *GraphTestSuite) TestSortNodeIDsRoundBasedMultiLevel() {
+	// A→B→D, C→D (independent chains with shared sink)
+	// Round 1: A, C (in-degree 0) → [A, C]
+	// Round 2: B (depends on A only) → [B]
+	// Round 3: D (depends on B and C, but C was processed in round 1) → [D]
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddNode("A", "dataA"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddNode("B", "dataB"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddNode("C", "dataC"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddNode("D", "dataD"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddEdge("A", "B"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddEdge("B", "D"))
+	suite.Require().NoError(suite.graph.AddEdge("C", "D"))
+
+	result, err := suite.graph.SortNodeIDs()
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	suite.Equal([]string{"A", "C", "B", "D"}, result)
+}
+
 func (suite *GraphTestSuite) TestTopologicalSortAdvanced() {
 	testCases := []struct {
 		name    string