diff --git a/compiler/rustc_type_ir/src/search_graph/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_type_ir/src/search_graph/mod.rs
index 7c58cd7303ebc..e0c6c777c09af 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_type_ir/src/search_graph/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_type_ir/src/search_graph/mod.rs
@@ -247,6 +247,8 @@ impl CandidateHeadUsages {
     pub fn merge_usages(&mut self, other: CandidateHeadUsages) {
         if let Some(other_usages) = other.usages {
             if let Some(ref mut self_usages) = self.usages {
+                // Each head is merged independently, so the final usage counts are the same
+                // regardless of hash iteration order.
                 #[allow(rustc::potential_query_instability)]
                 for (head_index, head) in other_usages.into_iter() {
                     let HeadUsages { inductive, unknown, coinductive, forced_ambiguity } = head;
@@ -501,6 +503,8 @@ impl<X: Cx> NestedGoals<X> {
     /// to all nested goals of that nested goal are also inductive. Otherwise the paths are
     /// the same as for the child.
     fn extend_from_child(&mut self, step_kind: PathKind, nested_goals: &NestedGoals<X>) {
+        // Each nested goal is updated independently, and `insert` only unions paths for that
+        // goal, so traversal order cannot affect the result.
         #[allow(rustc::potential_query_instability)]
         for (input, paths_to_nested) in nested_goals.iter() {
             let paths_to_nested = paths_to_nested.extend_with(step_kind);
@@ -508,6 +512,8 @@ impl<X: Cx> NestedGoals<X> {
         }
     }
 
+    // This helper intentionally exposes unstable hash iteration so each caller must opt in
+    // locally and justify why its traversal is order-insensitive.
     #[cfg_attr(feature = "nightly", rustc_lint_query_instability)]
     #[allow(rustc::potential_query_instability)]
     fn iter(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = (X::Input, PathsToNested)> + '_ {
@@ -710,6 +716,8 @@ impl<D: Delegate<Cx = X>, X: Cx> SearchGraph<D> {
     pub fn ignore_candidate_head_usages(&mut self, usages: CandidateHeadUsages) {
         if let Some(usages) = usages.usages {
             let (entry_index, entry) = self.stack.last_mut_with_index().unwrap();
+            // Ignoring usages only mutates the state for the current `head_index`, so the
+            // resulting per-head state is unchanged by iteration order.
             #[allow(rustc::potential_query_instability)]
             for (head_index, usages) in usages.into_iter() {
                 if head_index == entry_index {
@@ -901,6 +909,8 @@ impl<D: Delegate<Cx = X>, X: Cx> SearchGraph<D> {
     /// don't depend on its value.
     fn clear_dependent_provisional_results_for_rerun(&mut self) {
         let rerun_index = self.stack.next_index();
+        // Each cached entry is filtered independently based on whether it depends on
+        // `rerun_index`, so bucket traversal order does not matter.
         #[allow(rustc::potential_query_instability)]
         self.provisional_cache.retain(|_, entries| {
             entries.retain(|entry| {
@@ -958,6 +968,8 @@ impl<D: Delegate<Cx = X>, X: Cx> SearchGraph<D, X> {
         rebase_reason: RebaseReason,
     ) {
         let popped_head_index = self.stack.next_index();
+        // Rebasing decisions depend only on each provisional entry and the current stack state,
+        // so traversing the cache in hash order cannot change the final cache contents.
         #[allow(rustc::potential_query_instability)]
         self.provisional_cache.retain(|&input, entries| {
             entries.retain_mut(|entry| {
@@ -1139,6 +1151,8 @@ impl<D: Delegate<Cx = X>, X: Cx> SearchGraph<D, X> {
 
         // The global cache entry is also invalid if there's a provisional cache entry
         // would apply for any of its nested goals.
+        // Any matching provisional entry rejects the candidate,
+        // so iteration order only affects when we return `false`, not the final answer.
         #[allow(rustc::potential_query_instability)]
         for (input, path_from_global_entry) in nested_goals.iter() {
             let Some(entries) = self.provisional_cache.get(&input) else {