3 files changed, 85 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/internal/handlers/atoms.go b/internal/handlers/atoms.go
index 16cd003..131a3d0 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/atoms.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/atoms.go
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ func BuildUnifiedAtomList(s *store.Store, claudomator api.ClaudomatorClient) ([]
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("Warning: failed to fetch native tasks: %v", err)
 	}
+	// This is the flat "what's open" list, so a recurring chore belongs in it
+	// once, not once per already-materialized future instance -- see
+	// CollapseRecurringSeries. The timeline and widget deliberately don't do
+	// this: there, each instance sits on its own day.
+	nativeTasks = models.CollapseRecurringSeries(nativeTasks)
 
 	atoms := make([]models.Atom, 0, len(gTasks)+len(nativeTasks))
 
diff --git a/internal/models/recurrence.go b/internal/models/recurrence.go
index f42183c..f407688 100644
--- a/internal/models/recurrence.go
+++ b/internal/models/recurrence.go
@@ -55,3 +55,43 @@ func nextWeeklyOccurrence(due time.Time, interval int, weekdays []int) time.Time
 	daysToNextWeekStart := 7 - dueWeekday
 	return due.AddDate(0, 0, daysToNextWeekStart+sorted[0]+7*(interval-1))
 }
+
+// CollapseRecurringSeries reduces each recurrence series to its single
+// earliest-due instance, preserving input order otherwise.
+//
+// The scheduler deliberately materializes a series' next instance once the
+// current one comes due, whether or not it was completed, so that ignoring one
+// occurrence doesn't stall the series (see
+// GetSeriesNeedingNextIteration). The side effect is that an unfinished
+// recurring chore and its already-generated successor both sit in the flat task
+// list at once -- "Bills" appearing twice, once overdue from Sep 1 and once for
+// Oct 1. Only the earliest open one is a thing you actually owe right now.
+//
+// This is for flat "what's open" views only. Date-anchored views (timeline,
+// widget) should keep every instance, since there each one legitimately belongs
+// to its own day.
+func CollapseRecurringSeries(tasks []Task) []Task {
+	earliest := make(map[string]*Task)
+	for i := range tasks {
+		t := &tasks[i]
+		if t.RecurrenceSeriesID == "" || t.DueDate == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		cur, ok := earliest[t.RecurrenceSeriesID]
+		if !ok || t.DueDate.Before(*cur.DueDate) {
+			earliest[t.RecurrenceSeriesID] = t
+		}
+	}
+
+	out := make([]Task, 0, len(tasks))
+	for i := range tasks {
+		t := tasks[i]
+		// An undated recurring row has no position in the series ordering, so it
+		// is never collapsed away -- only dated instances compete.
+		if keep, ok := earliest[t.RecurrenceSeriesID]; ok && t.DueDate != nil && keep.ID != t.ID {
+			continue
+		}
+		out = append(out, t)
+	}
+	return out
+}
diff --git a/internal/models/recurrence_test.go b/internal/models/recurrence_test.go
index 8d18996..affba56 100644
--- a/internal/models/recurrence_test.go
+++ b/internal/models/recurrence_test.go
@@ -49,3 +49,43 @@ func TestComputeNextOccurrence(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCollapseRecurringSeries_KeepsOnlyEarliestOpenInstance(t *testing.T) {
+	sep1 := time.Date(2026, 9, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	oct1 := time.Date(2026, 10, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+
+	tasks := []Task{
+		{ID: "bills-sep", Content: "Bills", DueDate: &sep1, RecurrenceSeriesID: "bills"},
+		{ID: "bills-oct", Content: "Bills", DueDate: &oct1, RecurrenceSeriesID: "bills"},
+		{ID: "one-off", Content: "Fix curtain holder"},
+	}
+
+	got := CollapseRecurringSeries(tasks)
+
+	var ids []string
+	for _, task := range got {
+		ids = append(ids, task.ID)
+	}
+	if len(got) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("got %d tasks (%v), want 2: one row per recurring series plus the one-off", len(got), ids)
+	}
+	if got[0].ID != "bills-sep" {
+		t.Errorf("kept %q for the Bills series, want bills-sep (the earliest open instance is the one you actually owe)", got[0].ID)
+	}
+	if got[1].ID != "one-off" {
+		t.Errorf("non-recurring task was dropped or reordered: got %q", got[1].ID)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCollapseRecurringSeries_UndatedAndDistinctSeriesUntouched(t *testing.T) {
+	due := time.Date(2026, 9, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	tasks := []Task{
+		{ID: "a", RecurrenceSeriesID: "series-a", DueDate: &due},
+		{ID: "b", RecurrenceSeriesID: "series-b", DueDate: &due},
+		{ID: "c", RecurrenceSeriesID: "series-c"}, // recurring but undated
+	}
+
+	if got := CollapseRecurringSeries(tasks); len(got) != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("len = %d, want 3 -- distinct series must not collapse into each other", len(got))
+	}
+}