3 files changed, 32 insertions, 13 deletions

diff --git a/web/app.js b/web/app.js
index 9cd3100..c192d20 100644
--- a/web/app.js
+++ b/web/app.js
@@ -3377,16 +3377,17 @@ export function columnForTaskState(state) {
 //   interrupted — newest-first (most recent failure is most urgent)
 //   done       — newest-first (most recently completed is most relevant)
 //   running    — newest-first (new-but-inconsequential default)
-const TASK_COLUMN_SORT = {
-  queue:       (a, b) => new Date(a.created_at || 0) - new Date(b.created_at || 0),
-  running:     (a, b) => new Date(b.created_at || 0) - new Date(a.created_at || 0),
-  ready:       (a, b) => new Date(a.created_at || 0) - new Date(b.created_at || 0),
-  interrupted: (a, b) => new Date(b.created_at || 0) - new Date(a.created_at || 0),
-  done:        (a, b) => new Date(b.created_at || 0) - new Date(a.created_at || 0),
+// Tasks with a missing created_at sort LAST in any direction (per sortTasksByDate).
+const TASK_COLUMN_DESCEND = {
+  queue:       false,
+  running:     true,
+  ready:       false,
+  interrupted: true,
+  done:        true,
 };
 
 // groupTasksByColumn returns { [columnKey]: task[] }, each sub-array sorted
-// per the per-column sort direction above.
+// per the per-column sort direction above via the shared sortTasksByDate helper.
 export function groupTasksByColumn(tasks) {
   const groups = {};
   for (const col of TASK_COLUMNS) groups[col.key] = [];
@@ -3396,8 +3397,7 @@ export function groupTasksByColumn(tasks) {
     groups[key].push(t);
   }
   for (const col of TASK_COLUMNS) {
-    const cmp = TASK_COLUMN_SORT[col.key];
-    if (cmp) groups[col.key].sort(cmp);
+    groups[col.key] = sortTasksByDate(groups[col.key], TASK_COLUMN_DESCEND[col.key] ?? false);
   }
   return groups;
 }
diff --git a/web/test/tab-persistence.test.mjs b/web/test/tab-persistence.test.mjs
index 972723c..9311453 100644
--- a/web/test/tab-persistence.test.mjs
+++ b/web/test/tab-persistence.test.mjs
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ import { getActiveMainTab, setActiveMainTab } from '../app.js';
 describe('getActiveMainTab', () => {
   beforeEach(() => store.clear());
 
-  it('returns "stories" when localStorage has no stored value', () => {
-    assert.equal(getActiveMainTab(), 'stories');
+  it('returns "queue" when localStorage has no stored value', () => {
+    assert.equal(getActiveMainTab(), 'queue');
   });
 
   it('returns the tab name stored by setActiveMainTab', () => {
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ describe('getActiveMainTab', () => {
     assert.equal(getActiveMainTab(), 'settings');
   });
 
-  it('returns "stories" after localStorage value is removed', () => {
+  it('returns "queue" after localStorage value is removed', () => {
     setActiveMainTab('stats');
     localStorage.removeItem('activeMainTab');
-    assert.equal(getActiveMainTab(), 'stories');
+    assert.equal(getActiveMainTab(), 'queue');
   });
 
   it('reflects the most recent setActiveMainTab call', () => {
diff --git a/web/test/tasks-board.test.mjs b/web/test/tasks-board.test.mjs
index 85bb04a..560e8c8 100644
--- a/web/test/tasks-board.test.mjs
+++ b/web/test/tasks-board.test.mjs
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ describe('columnForTaskState', () => {
     ]) {
       assert.ok(allStates.includes(s), `${s} missing from any column`);
     }
+    assert.equal(new Set(allStates).size, allStates.length, 'a state must map to exactly one column');
   });
 });
 
@@ -120,6 +121,24 @@ describe('groupTasksByColumn', () => {
     assert.deepEqual(groups.running.map(t => t.id), ['newer', 'older']);
   });
 
+  it('sorts a task with no created_at LAST in an ascending column (queue)', () => {
+    const tasks = [
+      { id: 'no-date', state: 'PENDING' },
+      { id: 'has-date', state: 'QUEUED', created_at: '2024-01-01T00:00:00Z' },
+    ];
+    const groups = groupTasksByColumn(tasks);
+    assert.deepEqual(groups.queue.map(t => t.id), ['has-date', 'no-date']);
+  });
+
+  it('sorts a task with no created_at LAST in a descending column (interrupted)', () => {
+    const tasks = [
+      { id: 'no-date', state: 'FAILED' },
+      { id: 'has-date', state: 'CANCELLED', created_at: '2024-01-01T00:00:00Z' },
+    ];
+    const groups = groupTasksByColumn(tasks);
+    assert.deepEqual(groups.interrupted.map(t => t.id), ['has-date', 'no-date']);
+  });
+
   it('handles null/undefined gracefully', () => {
     const groups = groupTasksByColumn(null);
     for (const col of TASK_COLUMNS) {