diff --git a/lib/client/api.go b/lib/client/api.go
index 3e44e66fff1ba..cf39748f830a5 100644
--- a/lib/client/api.go
+++ b/lib/client/api.go
@@ -1609,11 +1609,19 @@ func (tc *TeleportClient) GetTargetNode(ctx context.Context, clt authclient.Clie
 			return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 		}
 
-		if len(resources) == 0 {
+		switch len(resources) {
+		case 0:
 			return nil, trace.NotFound("no matching SSH hosts found for search terms or query expression")
-		}
-
-		if len(resources) > 1 {
+		case 1:
+			node, ok := resources[0].ResourceWithLabels.(*types.ServerV2)
+			if !ok {
+				return nil, trace.BadParameter("expected node resource, got %T", resources[0].ResourceWithLabels)
+			}
+			return &TargetNode{
+				Hostname: node.GetHostname(),
+				Addr:     node.GetName() + ":0",
+			}, nil
+		default:
 			// If routing does not allow choosing the most recent host, then abort with
 			// an ambiguous host error.
 			cnc, err := clt.GetClusterNetworkingConfig(ctx)
@@ -1626,22 +1634,21 @@ func (tc *TeleportClient) GetTargetNode(ctx context.Context, clt authclient.Clie
 				return a.Expiry().Compare(b.Expiry())
 			})
 
-		}
+			// Sorting above is oldest expiry to newest expiry, so proceed
+			// with the last item server in the slice.
+			server, ok := resources[len(resources)-1].ResourceWithLabels.(types.Server)
+			if !ok {
+				return nil, trace.BadParameter("received unexpected resource type %T", resources[0].ResourceWithLabels)
+			}
 
-		// Sorting above is oldest expiry to newest expiry, so proceed
-		// with the last item server in the slice.
-		server, ok := resources[len(resources)-1].ResourceWithLabels.(types.Server)
-		if !ok {
-			return nil, trace.BadParameter("received unexpected resource type %T", resources[0].ResourceWithLabels)
+			// Dialing is happening by UUID but a port is still required by
+			// the Proxy dial request. Zero is an indicator to the Proxy that
+			// it may chose the appropriate port based on the target server.
+			return &TargetNode{
+				Hostname: server.GetHostname(),
+				Addr:     server.GetName() + ":0",
+			}, nil
 		}
-
-		// Dialing is happening by UUID but a port is still required by
-		// the Proxy dial request. Zero is an indicator to the Proxy that
-		// it may chose the appropriate port based on the target server.
-		return &TargetNode{
-			Hostname: server.GetHostname(),
-			Addr:     server.GetName() + ":0",
-		}, nil
 	case err == nil:
 		if resp.GetServer() == nil {
 			return nil, trace.NotFound("no matching SSH hosts found")
diff --git a/lib/tbot/service_ssh_multiplexer.go b/lib/tbot/service_ssh_multiplexer.go
index e979905d32039..de07a21eea848 100644
--- a/lib/tbot/service_ssh_multiplexer.go
+++ b/lib/tbot/service_ssh_multiplexer.go
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ func (s *SSHMultiplexerService) handleConn(
 		host = cleanTargetHost(host, proxyHost, clusterName)
 		target = net.JoinHostPort(host, port)
 	} else {
-		node, err := resolveTargetHostWithClient(ctx, authClient, expanded.Search, expanded.Query)
+		node, err := resolveTargetHostWithClient(ctx, authClient.APIClient, expanded.Search, expanded.Query)
 		if err != nil {
 			return trace.Wrap(err, "resolving target host")
 		}
diff --git a/lib/tbot/ssh_proxy.go b/lib/tbot/ssh_proxy.go
index 6769fd83103ae..639c272882b4e 100644
--- a/lib/tbot/ssh_proxy.go
+++ b/lib/tbot/ssh_proxy.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"net"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/gravitational/trace"
@@ -220,38 +221,61 @@ func resolveTargetHost(ctx context.Context, cfg client.Config, search, query str
 // resolveTargetHostWithClient resolves the target host using the provided
 // client and search and query parameters.
 func resolveTargetHostWithClient(
-	ctx context.Context, clt client.ListUnifiedResourcesClient, search, query string,
+	ctx context.Context, clt *client.Client, search, query string,
 ) (types.Server, error) {
-	resources, _, err := client.GetUnifiedResourcePage(ctx, clt, &proto.ListUnifiedResourcesRequest{
-		// We only want a single node, but, we set limit=2 so we can throw a
-		// helpful error when multiple match. In the happy path, where a single
-		// node matches, this does not degrade performance because even if
-		// limit=1 the UnifiedResource cache will still iterate to the end to
-		// determine if there is a NextKey to return.
-		Limit:               2,
-		Kinds:               []string{types.KindNode},
+	resp, err := clt.ResolveSSHTarget(ctx, &proto.ResolveSSHTargetRequest{
 		SearchKeywords:      libclient.ParseSearchKeywords(search, ','),
 		PredicateExpression: query,
-		SortBy:              types.SortBy{Field: types.ResourceKind},
 	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
-	}
-	if len(resources) == 0 {
-		return nil, trace.NotFound("no matching SSH hosts found for search terms or query expression")
-	}
-	if len(resources) > 1 {
-		names := make([]string, len(resources))
-		for i, res := range resources {
-			names[i] = res.GetName()
+	switch {
+	//TODO(tross): DELETE IN v20.0.0
+	case trace.IsNotImplemented(err):
+		resources, err := client.GetAllUnifiedResources(ctx, clt, &proto.ListUnifiedResourcesRequest{
+			Kinds:               []string{types.KindNode},
+			SearchKeywords:      libclient.ParseSearchKeywords(search, ','),
+			PredicateExpression: query,
+			SortBy:              types.SortBy{Field: types.ResourceMetadataName},
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 		}
-		return nil, trace.BadParameter("found multiple matching SSH hosts %v", names)
-	}
-	node := resources[0].ResourceWithLabels.(*types.ServerV2)
-	if node == nil {
-		return nil, trace.BadParameter("expected node resource, got %T", resources[0].ResourceWithLabels)
+
+		switch len(resources) {
+		case 0:
+			return nil, trace.NotFound("no matching SSH hosts found for search terms or query expression")
+		case 1:
+			node, ok := resources[0].ResourceWithLabels.(*types.ServerV2)
+			if !ok {
+				return nil, trace.BadParameter("expected node resource, got %T", resources[0].ResourceWithLabels)
+			}
+			return node, nil
+		default:
+			// If routing does not allow choosing the most recent host, then abort with
+			// an ambiguous host error.
+			cnc, err := clt.GetClusterNetworkingConfig(ctx)
+			if err != nil || cnc.GetRoutingStrategy() != types.RoutingStrategy_MOST_RECENT {
+				return nil, trace.BadParameter("found multiple matching SSH hosts %v", resources[:2])
+			}
+
+			// Sort the resource by expiry so we can identify the most "recent".
+			slices.SortFunc(resources, func(a, b *types.EnrichedResource) int {
+				return a.Expiry().Compare(b.Expiry())
+			})
+
+			// Sorting above is oldest expiry to newest expiry, so proceed
+			// with the last item server in the slice.
+			server, ok := resources[len(resources)-1].ResourceWithLabels.(types.Server)
+			if !ok {
+				return nil, trace.BadParameter("received unexpected resource type %T", resources[0].ResourceWithLabels)
+			}
+
+			return server, nil
+		}
+	case err == nil:
+		return resp.GetServer(), nil
+	default:
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
-	return node, nil
 }
 
 func parseIdentity(destPath, proxy, cluster string, insecure, fips bool) (*identity.Facade, agent.ExtendedAgent, error) {