diff --git a/apps/web/e2e/accessibility.spec.ts b/apps/web/e2e/accessibility.spec.ts
index 639dcdf..324dac0 100644
--- a/apps/web/e2e/accessibility.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/web/e2e/accessibility.spec.ts
@@ -423,6 +423,10 @@ test('reorders tasks and subtasks by drag only and persists local order', async
   const secondSubtask = reorderedTask.locator('.subtask-row').filter({
     hasText: 'Second subtask',
   })
+  await expect(reorderedTask.locator('.subtask-title')).toHaveText([
+    'Second subtask',
+    'First subtask',
+  ])
   await dragHandleOnto(
     page,
     secondSubtask.locator('.subtask-drag-handle'),
@@ -430,8 +434,8 @@ test('reorders tasks and subtasks by drag only and persists local order', async
   )
 
   await expect(reorderedTask.locator('.subtask-title')).toHaveText([
-    'Second subtask',
     'First subtask',
+    'Second subtask',
   ])
   await expect(reorderedTask.locator('.subtask-row .task-num')).toHaveText([
     '1.1.1',
@@ -444,8 +448,8 @@ test('reorders tasks and subtasks by drag only and persists local order', async
     await persistedTask.getByRole('button', { name: 'Expand task' }).click()
   }
   await expect(persistedTask.locator('.subtask-title')).toHaveText([
-    'Second subtask',
     'First subtask',
+    'Second subtask',
   ])
   await expect(persistedTask.locator('.subtask-row .task-num')).toHaveText([
     '1.1.1',
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/MarkdownDescription.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/MarkdownDescription.tsx
index 4c1d766..f71e7e7 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/MarkdownDescription.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/MarkdownDescription.tsx
@@ -19,29 +19,32 @@ function safeMarkdownUrl(url: string): string | undefined {
 
 export function MarkdownDescription({ value }: MarkdownDescriptionProps) {
   return (
-    <div className="desc markdown-description">
-      <ReactMarkdown
-        remarkPlugins={[remarkGfm, remarkBreaks]}
-        urlTransform={safeMarkdownUrl}
-        components={{
-          a: ({ href, children, ...props }) => {
-            if (!href) return <>{children}</>
+    <section className="task-description-block">
+      <h4 className="section-label task-description-label">Description:</h4>
+      <div className="desc markdown-description">
+        <ReactMarkdown
+          remarkPlugins={[remarkGfm, remarkBreaks]}
+          urlTransform={safeMarkdownUrl}
+          components={{
+            a: ({ href, children, ...props }) => {
+              if (!href) return <>{children}</>
 
-            const external = /^https?:/i.test(href)
-            return (
-              <a
-                href={href}
-                {...props}
-                {...(external ? { target: '_blank', rel: 'noopener noreferrer' } : {})}
-              >
-                {children}
-              </a>
-            )
-          },
-        }}
-      >
-        {value}
-      </ReactMarkdown>
-    </div>
+              const external = /^https?:/i.test(href)
+              return (
+                <a
+                  href={href}
+                  {...props}
+                  {...(external ? { target: '_blank', rel: 'noopener noreferrer' } : {})}
+                >
+                  {children}
+                </a>
+              )
+            },
+          }}
+        >
+          {value}
+        </ReactMarkdown>
+      </div>
+    </section>
   )
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/TaskDetailMeta.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/TaskDetailMeta.tsx
index a48f280..e19c712 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/TaskDetailMeta.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/TaskDetailMeta.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 'use client'
 
+import { Icon } from '@/components/ui/Icon'
+import { useTaskTagDisplayPreferences } from '@/hooks/useTaskTagDisplayPreferences'
+import { resolveTagDisplay } from '@/lib/tag-registry'
 import type { Task, TagDefinition } from '@/types/roadmap'
 import { TagChip } from './TagChip'
 
@@ -18,6 +21,14 @@ export function TaskDetailMeta({
   visibleTags,
   registry = [],
 }: TaskDetailMetaProps) {
+  const {
+    userTags,
+    favoriteTagId,
+    showAutomaticStatus,
+    selectFavoriteTag,
+    toggleAutomaticStatus,
+  } = useTaskTagDisplayPreferences(task.id, visibleTags)
+
   return (
     <dl className="task-meta-stack">
       {!isNested && (
@@ -44,12 +55,44 @@ export function TaskDetailMeta({
       </div>
       <div className="task-meta-group is-tags">
         <dt className="task-meta-label">Tags</dt>
-        <dd className="task-meta-value tags">
-          {visibleTags.length > 0
-            ? visibleTags.map((tagId) => (
-                <TagChip key={tagId} tagId={tagId} registry={registry} />
-              ))
-            : <span className="task-meta-empty">No tags</span>}
+        <dd className="task-meta-value tags task-tag-preferences">
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            className={`automatic-tag-toggle${showAutomaticStatus ? ' selected' : ''}`}
+            aria-pressed={showAutomaticStatus}
+            onClick={toggleAutomaticStatus}
+            title={showAutomaticStatus
+              ? 'Hide the automatic status tag from this task header'
+              : 'Show the automatic status tag in this task header'}
+          >
+            <Icon name={showAutomaticStatus ? 'eye' : 'eye-off'} size={12} />
+            Auto status
+          </button>
+          {userTags.map((tagId) => {
+            const selected = tagId === favoriteTagId
+            const label = resolveTagDisplay(tagId, registry).label
+            return (
+              <button
+                key={tagId}
+                type="button"
+                className={`favorite-tag-option${selected ? ' selected' : ''}`}
+                aria-pressed={selected}
+                aria-label={selected
+                  ? `${label} is the featured task tag`
+                  : `Feature ${label} beside the task title`}
+                title={selected
+                  ? 'Featured beside the task title'
+                  : 'Show this tag beside the task title'}
+                onClick={() => selectFavoriteTag(tagId)}
+              >
+                <TagChip tagId={tagId} registry={registry} />
+                {selected && <Icon name="spark" size={11} />}
+              </button>
+            )
+          })}
+          {userTags.length === 0 && (
+            <span className="task-meta-empty">No custom tags</span>
+          )}
         </dd>
       </div>
     </dl>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/__tests__/MarkdownDescription.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/__tests__/MarkdownDescription.test.tsx
index 2d4b241..e4f65b8 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/__tests__/MarkdownDescription.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/__tests__/MarkdownDescription.test.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ afterEach(() => {
 })
 
 describe('MarkdownDescription', () => {
+  it('labels the expanded task description', () => {
+    render('Task details')
+
+    expect(container.querySelector('.task-description-label')?.textContent).toBe('Description:')
+    expect(container.querySelector('.markdown-description')?.textContent).toBe('Task details')
+  })
+
   it('renders the roadmap fixture headings, lists, and bold labels', () => {
     render(`### Objective
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/task-row/TaskRowHeader.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/task-row/TaskRowHeader.tsx
index abb7581..f1afeeb 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/task-row/TaskRowHeader.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/roadmap/task-row/TaskRowHeader.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import { Icon } from '@/components/ui/Icon'
 import { TagChip } from '@/components/roadmap/TagChip'
+import { useTaskTagDisplayPreferences } from '@/hooks/useTaskTagDisplayPreferences'
 import {
   TASK_STATUS_LABELS,
   type DerivedTaskStatus,
@@ -47,6 +48,16 @@ export function TaskRowHeader({
   onCheck,
   onToggle,
 }: TaskRowHeaderProps) {
+  const {
+    userTags,
+    favoriteTagId,
+    showAutomaticStatus,
+  } = useTaskTagDisplayPreferences(task.id, visibleTags)
+  const remainingTagCount = Math.max(
+    0,
+    userTags.length - (favoriteTagId ? 1 : 0),
+  )
+
   return (
     <div className="task-row">
       <div
@@ -78,19 +89,23 @@ export function TaskRowHeader({
         }}
       />
       <span className="title">{task.title}</span>
-      <span className={`task-status-badge is-${status}`} title={statusTitle}>
-        {TASK_STATUS_LABELS[status]}
-      </span>
-      {visibleTags.slice(0, 2).map((tagId) => (
+      {showAutomaticStatus && (
+        <span
+          className={`task-status-badge is-${status} is-automatic-tag`}
+          title={`Automatic status: ${statusTitle}`}
+        >
+          {TASK_STATUS_LABELS[status]}
+        </span>
+      )}
+      {favoriteTagId && (
         <TagChip
-          key={tagId}
-          tagId={tagId}
+          tagId={favoriteTagId}
           registry={registry}
-          className="task-row-tag"
+          className="task-row-tag is-favorite"
         />
-      ))}
-      {visibleTags.length > 2 && (
-        <span className="meta-pill">+{visibleTags.length - 2}</span>
+      )}
+      {remainingTagCount > 0 && (
+        <span className="meta-pill">+{remainingTagCount}</span>
       )}
       {lockedByOther && (
         <span className="meta-pill meta-pill-lock">
diff --git a/apps/web/src/hooks/__tests__/useTaskTagDisplayPreferences.test.ts b/apps/web/src/hooks/__tests__/useTaskTagDisplayPreferences.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c1db91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/hooks/__tests__/useTaskTagDisplayPreferences.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  getUserDisplayTags,
+  isAutomaticTaskTag,
+} from '../useTaskTagDisplayPreferences'
+
+describe('task tag display preferences', () => {
+  it('recognizes status namespace tags as automatic', () => {
+    expect(isAutomaticTaskTag('status:done')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isAutomaticTaskTag(' STATUS:in-progress ')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isAutomaticTaskTag('priority:P0')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps custom tags in their authored order', () => {
+    expect(getUserDisplayTags([
+      'status:done',
+      'priority:P0',
+      'area:coordination',
+      'status:planned',
+    ])).toEqual([
+      'priority:P0',
+      'area:coordination',
+    ])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/web/src/hooks/useTaskTagDisplayPreferences.ts b/apps/web/src/hooks/useTaskTagDisplayPreferences.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d6738c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/hooks/useTaskTagDisplayPreferences.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+'use client'
+
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
+import { storage } from '@/lib/storage'
+
+interface TaskTagDisplayPreferences {
+  favoriteTagId: string | null
+  showAutomaticStatus: boolean
+}
+
+interface TaskTagPreferenceEventDetail {
+  storageKey: string
+  preferences: TaskTagDisplayPreferences
+}
+
+const STORAGE_PREFIX = 'roadforge.task-tag-display.v1'
+const PREFERENCE_EVENT = 'roadforge:task-tag-display-change'
+const DEFAULT_PREFERENCES: TaskTagDisplayPreferences = {
+  favoriteTagId: null,
+  showAutomaticStatus: true,
+}
+
+export function isAutomaticTaskTag(tagId: string): boolean {
+  return /^status:/i.test(tagId.trim())
+}
+
+export function getUserDisplayTags(tagIds: string[]): string[] {
+  return tagIds.filter((tagId) => !isAutomaticTaskTag(tagId))
+}
+
+function readPreferences(storageKey: string): TaskTagDisplayPreferences {
+  if (typeof window === 'undefined') return DEFAULT_PREFERENCES
+
+  try {
+    const stored = window.localStorage.getItem(storageKey)
+    if (!stored) return DEFAULT_PREFERENCES
+
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(stored) as Partial<TaskTagDisplayPreferences>
+    return {
+      favoriteTagId: typeof parsed.favoriteTagId === 'string'
+        ? parsed.favoriteTagId
+        : null,
+      showAutomaticStatus: parsed.showAutomaticStatus !== false,
+    }
+  } catch {
+    return DEFAULT_PREFERENCES
+  }
+}
+
+function writePreferences(
+  storageKey: string,
+  preferences: TaskTagDisplayPreferences,
+): void {
+  if (typeof window === 'undefined') return
+  try {
+    window.localStorage.setItem(storageKey, JSON.stringify(preferences))
+  } catch {
+    // The preference remains active for this session when browser storage is blocked.
+  }
+}
+
+export function useTaskTagDisplayPreferences(taskId: string, tagIds: string[]) {
+  const activeRoadmapId = storage.getActiveRoadmapId()
+  const userTags = useMemo(() => getUserDisplayTags(tagIds), [tagIds])
+  const storageKey = `${STORAGE_PREFIX}:${activeRoadmapId ?? 'local'}:${taskId}`
+  const [preferences, setPreferences] = useState<TaskTagDisplayPreferences>(
+    DEFAULT_PREFERENCES,
+  )
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setPreferences(readPreferences(storageKey))
+
+    const handleStorage = (event: StorageEvent) => {
+      if (event.key === storageKey) {
+        setPreferences(readPreferences(storageKey))
+      }
+    }
+    const handlePreferenceChange = (event: Event) => {
+      const detail = (event as CustomEvent<TaskTagPreferenceEventDetail>).detail
+      if (detail?.storageKey === storageKey) {
+        setPreferences(detail.preferences)
+      }
+    }
+
+    window.addEventListener('storage', handleStorage)
+    window.addEventListener(PREFERENCE_EVENT, handlePreferenceChange)
+    return () => {
+      window.removeEventListener('storage', handleStorage)
+      window.removeEventListener(PREFERENCE_EVENT, handlePreferenceChange)
+    }
+  }, [storageKey])
+
+  const updatePreferences = useCallback((
+    updater: (current: TaskTagDisplayPreferences) => TaskTagDisplayPreferences,
+  ) => {
+    setPreferences((current) => {
+      const next = updater(current)
+      writePreferences(storageKey, next)
+      if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
+        window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent<TaskTagPreferenceEventDetail>(PREFERENCE_EVENT, {
+          detail: { storageKey, preferences: next },
+        }))
+      }
+      return next
+    })
+  }, [storageKey])
+
+  const selectFavoriteTag = useCallback((tagId: string) => {
+    if (!userTags.includes(tagId)) return
+    updatePreferences((current) => ({ ...current, favoriteTagId: tagId }))
+  }, [updatePreferences, userTags])
+
+  const toggleAutomaticStatus = useCallback(() => {
+    updatePreferences((current) => ({
+      ...current,
+      showAutomaticStatus: !current.showAutomaticStatus,
+    }))
+  }, [updatePreferences])
+
+  const favoriteTagId = preferences.favoriteTagId
+    && userTags.includes(preferences.favoriteTagId)
+    ? preferences.favoriteTagId
+    : userTags[0] ?? null
+
+  return {
+    userTags,
+    favoriteTagId,
+    showAutomaticStatus: preferences.showAutomaticStatus,
+    selectFavoriteTag,
+    toggleAutomaticStatus,
+  }
+}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-actions.css b/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-actions.css
index 8ff3384..f712b29 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-actions.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-actions.css
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@
   max-width: min(100%, 720px);
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
-  justify-content: flex-start;
+  justify-content: flex-end;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
 }
 .task-action-area.has-form {
   width: min(100%, 720px);
+  justify-self: start;
 }
 
 .task-detail .actions {
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@
   gap: 6px;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
   align-items: center;
-  justify-content: flex-start;
+  justify-content: flex-end;
 }
 .task-detail .actions .btn {
   height: 30px;
@@ -40,6 +41,10 @@
   gap: 6px;
 }
 .task-detail .actions .task-details-action {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 2px;
+  right: 22px;
+  z-index: 1;
   color: var(--ink-2);
   border-color: var(--border-faint);
   background: var(--bg-2);
@@ -105,11 +110,16 @@
 
 /* ─── Responsive ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
+/* ── 760px — keep the edit action aligned with compact detail padding ─── */
+@media (max-width: 760px) {
+  .task-detail .actions .task-details-action { right: 16px; }
+}
+
 /* ── 600px — mobile: full-width task actions ───────────────────────────── */
 @media (max-width: 600px) {
   .task-action-area,
   .task-detail .actions { width: 100%; }
-  .task-detail .actions .btn {
+  .task-detail .actions .btn:not(.task-details-action) {
     flex: 1 1 140px;
     justify-content: center;
   }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-description.css b/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-description.css
index 1daa01f..40ba6c2 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-description.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-description.css
@@ -1,4 +1,18 @@
 /* ─── Task description display ─────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.task-description-block {
+  min-width: 0;
+}
+.task-description-label {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  min-height: 30px;
+  margin: 0 0 4px;
+  padding-right: 118px;
+  color: var(--ink-1);
+  font-size: 14px;
+  letter-spacing: 0;
+  text-transform: none;
+}
 .task-detail .desc {
   font-size: 14.5px;
   color: var(--ink-2);
diff --git a/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-detail.css b/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-detail.css
index 3ecf7c7..f6d5924 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-detail.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-detail.css
@@ -1,11 +1,29 @@
 /* ─── Task detail panel ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 .task-detail {
   padding: 2px 22px 18px 56px;
-  display: flex; flex-direction: column;
-  gap: 10px;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-flow: row wrap;
+  gap: 10px 16px;
   animation: detailIn 240ms cubic-bezier(.2,.8,.2,1);
   position: relative;
 }
+.task-detail > * {
+  flex: 0 0 100%;
+  min-width: 0;
+}
+.task-detail > .task-links {
+  flex: 1 1 320px;
+  align-self: flex-start;
+}
+.task-detail > .task-action-area:not(.has-form) {
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+  align-self: flex-start;
+  margin-top: 4px;
+  margin-left: auto;
+}
+.task-detail > .task-action-area.has-form {
+  flex-basis: 100%;
+}
 
 /* ─── Task detail sections ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 .task-detail-section { margin-top: 4px; }
@@ -120,6 +138,11 @@
 /* ── 600px — mobile: compact task detail density ────────────────────────── */
 @media (max-width: 600px) {
   .task-detail { gap: 8px; }
+  .task-detail > .task-links,
+  .task-detail > .task-action-area:not(.has-form) {
+    flex-basis: 100%;
+    margin-left: 0;
+  }
   .task-link-form { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
   .task-link-form-actions { justify-content: flex-end; }
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-metadata.css b/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-metadata.css
index 9bea71f..09c4419 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-metadata.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/styles/workspace/task-metadata.css
@@ -71,6 +71,58 @@
   text-overflow: ellipsis;
   white-space: nowrap;
 }
+.task-row-tag.is-favorite {
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px color-mix(in srgb, var(--tag-color, var(--ink-4)), transparent 72%);
+}
+.task-tag-preferences {
+  gap: 6px;
+}
+.automatic-tag-toggle,
+.favorite-tag-option {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 4px;
+  min-height: 22px;
+  border-radius: 5px;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+.automatic-tag-toggle {
+  padding: 2px 7px;
+  border: 1px dashed var(--border);
+  background: var(--bg-inset);
+  color: var(--ink-4);
+  font-size: 11px;
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+.automatic-tag-toggle.selected {
+  border-style: solid;
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--sage), transparent 55%);
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--sage), transparent 88%);
+  color: var(--sage);
+}
+.favorite-tag-option {
+  padding: 1px;
+  border: 1px solid transparent;
+  background: transparent;
+  color: var(--ink-4);
+}
+.favorite-tag-option.selected {
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--ember), transparent 55%);
+  background: var(--lava-glow);
+  color: var(--ember);
+}
+.favorite-tag-option .tag-chip {
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+.automatic-tag-toggle:focus-visible,
+.favorite-tag-option:focus-visible {
+  outline: 2px solid var(--ember);
+  outline-offset: 2px;
+}
+.automatic-tag-toggle:hover,
+.favorite-tag-option:hover {
+  border-color: var(--border);
+}
 .estimate-chip {
   display: inline-flex;
   align-items: center;