diff --git a/src/task_scheduler.py b/src/task_scheduler.py
index c94c19de3..df515ebea 100644
--- a/src/task_scheduler.py
+++ b/src/task_scheduler.py
@@ -687,6 +687,12 @@ class TaskScheduler:
         db = SessionLocal()
         try:
             now = _utcnow()
+            foreground_active = False
+            try:
+                from src.interactive_gate import has_foreground_activity
+                foreground_active = has_foreground_activity()
+            except Exception:
+                foreground_active = False
             async with self._executing_lock:
                 # Snapshot under the lock so we don't race with mid-iteration adds.
                 executing_snapshot = set(self._executing)
@@ -700,8 +706,13 @@ class TaskScheduler:
                 for task in due:
                     if task.id in self._executing:
                         continue
+                    if foreground_active:
+                        task.next_run = now + timedelta(minutes=15)
+                        continue
                     self._executing.add(task.id)
                     to_dispatch.append(task.id)
+                if foreground_active and due:
+                    db.commit()
             for task_id in to_dispatch:
                 asyncio.create_task(self._execute_task(task_id))
         finally:
@@ -754,6 +765,7 @@ class TaskScheduler:
             # If cancellation happens while queued behind the semaphore,
             # _execute_task_locked never runs and cannot update the Activity row.
             self._mark_run_aborted(task_id, run_id)
+            self._defer_immediately_due_task(task_id, delay=timedelta(minutes=15))
             raise
         finally:
             handle = self._task_handles.get(task_id)
@@ -763,6 +775,28 @@ class TaskScheduler:
                 async with self._executing_lock:
                     self._executing.discard(task_id)
 
+    def _defer_immediately_due_task(self, task_id: str, *, delay: timedelta):
+        """A queued task can be cancelled before _execute_task_locked gets a DB
+        handle. If its next_run stays in the past, the scheduler dispatches it
+        again on the next tick and spams aborted Activity rows."""
+        try:
+            from core.database import SessionLocal, ScheduledTask
+            db = SessionLocal()
+            try:
+                task = db.query(ScheduledTask).filter(ScheduledTask.id == task_id).first()
+                if (
+                    task
+                    and task.status == "active"
+                    and task.next_run is not None
+                    and task.next_run <= _utcnow()
+                ):
+                    task.next_run = _utcnow() + delay
+                    db.commit()
+            finally:
+                db.close()
+        except Exception:
+            logger.debug("Failed to defer cancelled queued task %s", task_id, exc_info=True)
+
     async def _execute_task_locked(
         self,
         task_id: str,
diff --git a/static/app.js b/static/app.js
index be7d3f863..5888f517c 100644
--- a/static/app.js
+++ b/static/app.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import memoryModule from './js/memory.js';
 import voiceRecorderModule from './js/voiceRecorder.js';
 import censorModule from './js/censor.js';
 import galleryModule from './js/gallery.js';
-import tasksModule from './js/tasks.js';
+import tasksModule from './js/tasks.js?v=20260630tasksactivity';
 import calendarModule from './js/calendar.js';
 import notesModule from './js/notes.js';
 import adminModule from './js/admin.js';
diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index 4515a4fad..d19fffa5f 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -219,8 +219,8 @@
       }, { once: true });
     })();
   </script>
-  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=20260630researchthumb">
-  <link rel="modulepreload" href="/static/app.js?v=20260630researchthumb">
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=20260630tasksactivity">
+  <link rel="modulepreload" href="/static/app.js?v=20260630tasksactivity">
   <link rel="modulepreload" href="/static/js/chat.js">
   <link rel="modulepreload" href="/static/js/ui.js">
   <link rel="modulepreload" href="/static/js/sessions.js">
@@ -2512,7 +2512,7 @@
 <script type="module" src="/static/js/settings.js"></script>
 <script type="module" src="/static/js/admin.js"></script>
 <script type="module" src="/static/js/assistant.js"></script>
-<script type="module" src="/static/app.js?v=20260630researchthumb"></script>  <!-- app.js must be LAST -->
+<script type="module" src="/static/app.js?v=20260630tasksactivity"></script>  <!-- app.js must be LAST -->
 <script type="module" src="/static/js/init.js"></script>
 <script type="module" src="/static/js/a11y.js"></script>
 <script nonce="{{CSP_NONCE}}">if('serviceWorker' in navigator){navigator.serviceWorker.register('/static/sw.js').catch(()=>{});}</script>
diff --git a/static/js/tasks.js b/static/js/tasks.js
index bde11d9e2..4172a429b 100644
--- a/static/js/tasks.js
+++ b/static/js/tasks.js
@@ -1948,7 +1948,7 @@ async function _renderActivityView() {
   const body = modal?.querySelector('.modal-body');
   if (!body) return;
   body.innerHTML = `
-    <div class="admin-card" style="flex:1;display:flex;flex-direction:column;overflow:hidden;">
+    <div class="admin-card tasks-activity-card" style="flex:1;display:flex;flex-direction:column;overflow:hidden;min-height:0;">
       <div style="display:flex;align-items:baseline;gap:8px;margin-bottom:2px;">
         <h2 style="margin:0;padding:0;line-height:1;">Activity</h2>
         <button class="memory-toolbar-btn" id="tasks-activity-refresh" title="Refresh" style="margin-left:auto;"><svg width="13" height="13" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" style="vertical-align:-2px;"><path d="M1 4v6h6"/><path d="M23 20v-6h-6"/><path d="M20.49 9A9 9 0 0 0 5.64 5.64L1 10m22 4l-4.64 4.36A9 9 0 0 1 3.51 15"/></svg></button>
@@ -1958,7 +1958,7 @@ async function _renderActivityView() {
         <input type="text" id="tasks-activity-search" placeholder="Filter activity…" class="memory-search-input" style="flex:1;" />
       </div>
       <div class="tasks-activity-filters" id="tasks-activity-chips" style="display:flex;gap:5px;margin-bottom:8px;flex-wrap:wrap;"></div>
-      <div id="tasks-activity-list" class="memory-list" style="flex:1;overflow:auto;font-size:13px;"></div>
+      <div id="tasks-activity-list" class="memory-list tasks-activity-list" style="flex:1;overflow:auto;font-size:13px;min-height:0;"></div>
     </div>
   `;
 
@@ -2123,6 +2123,7 @@ let _activityHasMore = false;
 function _stackActivityEntries(entries) {
   const out = [];
   const byKey = new Map();
+  const maxStack = 8;
   const hourBucket = (ts) => {
     const d = ts ? new Date(ts) : null;
     if (!d || Number.isNaN(d.getTime())) return '';
@@ -2150,7 +2151,12 @@ function _stackActivityEntries(entries) {
       /^Email\b/i.test(entry.taskName || '') ? hourBucket(entry.ts) : '',
     ].join('\u0001');
     const existing = byKey.get(key);
-    if (existing && entry.status !== 'running' && entry.status !== 'queued') {
+    if (
+      existing
+      && entry.status !== 'running'
+      && entry.status !== 'queued'
+      && (existing.repeatCount || 1) < maxStack
+    ) {
       existing.repeatCount = (existing.repeatCount || 1) + 1;
       continue;
     }
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index b3f10bb4f..faf725597 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -11063,7 +11063,7 @@ textarea.memory-add-input {
   text-transform: uppercase;
   letter-spacing: 0.3px;
   padding: 1px 6px;
-  border-radius: 3px;
+  border-radius: 999px;
   flex-shrink: 0;
   cursor: pointer;
   border: 1px solid transparent;
@@ -23305,6 +23305,14 @@ body:not(.welcome-ready) #welcome-screen {
   top: 8px;
 }
 .tasks-modal-content { max-width: 600px; width: min(600px, 92vw); background: var(--bg); font-size: 12px; }
+.tasks-activity-card,
+.tasks-activity-list {
+  min-height: 0;
+}
+.tasks-activity-list {
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;
+}
 
 /* Tasks tabs reuse the .memory-tab look. The Brain window's tab bar is
    full-bleed (its underline spans the whole modal width). The Tasks bar is a
diff --git a/static/sw.js b/static/sw.js
index 54ee41816..071e6a3bc 100644
--- a/static/sw.js
+++ b/static/sw.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 //   - Other static assets (images/fonts/libs): cache-first with bg refresh.
 //   - API / non-GET: never cached.
 // Bump CACHE_NAME whenever the precache list or SW logic changes.
-const CACHE_NAME = 'odysseus-v328';
+const CACHE_NAME = 'odysseus-v329';
 
 // Core shell precached on install so repeat opens are instant without any
 // network wait. Keep this list in sync with the <script type="module"> tags