diff --git a/src/fabledassistant/services/embeddings.py b/src/fabledassistant/services/embeddings.py
index 55947ee..7033ecc 100644
--- a/src/fabledassistant/services/embeddings.py
+++ b/src/fabledassistant/services/embeddings.py
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ async def semantic_search_notes(
     limit: int = 8,
     threshold: float = _SIMILARITY_THRESHOLD,
     project_id: int | None = None,
+    is_task: bool | None = None,
 ) -> list[tuple[float, Note]]:
     """Return up to *limit* (score, note) pairs most relevant to *query*.
 
@@ -102,6 +103,10 @@ async def semantic_search_notes(
             )
             if project_id is not None:
                 stmt = stmt.where(Note.project_id == project_id)
+            if is_task is True:
+                stmt = stmt.where(Note.status.isnot(None))
+            elif is_task is False:
+                stmt = stmt.where(Note.status.is_(None))
             if exclude_ids:
                 stmt = stmt.where(NoteEmbedding.note_id.notin_(exclude_ids))
             rows = list((await session.execute(stmt)).all())
diff --git a/src/fabledassistant/services/tools.py b/src/fabledassistant/services/tools.py
index 14cfced..54050d8 100644
--- a/src/fabledassistant/services/tools.py
+++ b/src/fabledassistant/services/tools.py
@@ -813,26 +813,24 @@ async def execute_tool(user_id: int, tool_name: str, arguments: dict) -> dict:
                         return {"success": False, "error": f"Milestone '{milestone_name}' not found in project '{proj.title}'. Use list_milestones to see available milestones."}
                     pre_fields["milestone_id"] = ms.id
 
-            existing = await get_note_by_title(user_id, task_title)
-            if existing is not None:
-                item_type = "task" if existing.status is not None else "note"
-                return {"success": False, "error": f"A {item_type} titled '{task_title}' already exists (id: {existing.id}). Use update_note to modify it instead of creating a duplicate."}
+            existing_tasks, _ = await list_notes(user_id=user_id, q=task_title, is_task=True, limit=1)
+            exact = next((t for t in existing_tasks if t.title.lower() == task_title.lower()), None)
+            if exact is not None:
+                return {"success": False, "error": f"A task titled '{task_title}' already exists (id: {exact.id}). Use update_note to modify it instead of creating a duplicate."}
 
             clean_q = _PUNCT_RE.sub(" ", task_title).strip()
-            candidates, _ = await list_notes(user_id=user_id, q=clean_q, limit=20)
+            candidates, _ = await list_notes(user_id=user_id, q=clean_q, is_task=True, limit=20)
             near, ratio = _fuzzy_title_match(task_title, candidates)
             if near is not None:
-                item_type = "task" if near.status is not None else "note"
-                return {"success": False, "requires_confirmation": True, "similar_note": {"id": near.id, "title": near.title}, "error": f"A {item_type} with a very similar title '{near.title}' already exists (similarity: {ratio:.0%}). Ask the user to confirm before creating a separate entry."}
+                return {"success": False, "requires_confirmation": True, "similar_note": {"id": near.id, "title": near.title}, "error": f"A task with a very similar title '{near.title}' already exists (similarity: {ratio:.0%}). Ask the user to confirm before creating a separate entry."}
 
             if not arguments.get("confirmed") and len(task_body.strip()) >= 200:
                 from fabledassistant.services.embeddings import semantic_search_notes as _ssn
                 sem_query = f"{task_title}\n{task_body}".strip()
-                sem_hits = await _ssn(user_id, sem_query, limit=3, threshold=0.90)
+                sem_hits = await _ssn(user_id, sem_query, limit=3, threshold=0.90, is_task=True)
                 if sem_hits:
                     best_score, best_note = sem_hits[0]
-                    item_type = "task" if best_note.status is not None else "note"
-                    return {"success": False, "requires_confirmation": True, "similar_note": {"id": best_note.id, "title": best_note.title}, "error": f"A {item_type} with very similar content exists: '{best_note.title}' (semantic similarity: {best_score:.0%}). Ask the user to confirm before creating a separate entry."}
+                    return {"success": False, "requires_confirmation": True, "similar_note": {"id": best_note.id, "title": best_note.title}, "error": f"A task with very similar content exists: '{best_note.title}' (semantic similarity: {best_score:.0%}). Ask the user to confirm before creating a separate entry."}
 
             note = await create_note(
                 user_id=user_id,
@@ -891,26 +889,24 @@ async def execute_tool(user_id: int, tool_name: str, arguments: dict) -> dict:
                     return {"success": False, "error": f"Project '{project_name}' not found. Use list_projects to see available projects or create_project to create one."}
                 project_id = proj.id
 
-            existing = await get_note_by_title(user_id, note_title)
-            if existing is not None:
-                item_type = "task" if existing.status is not None else "note"
-                return {"success": False, "error": f"A {item_type} titled '{note_title}' already exists (id: {existing.id}). Use update_note to modify it instead of creating a duplicate."}
+            existing_notes, _ = await list_notes(user_id=user_id, q=note_title, is_task=False, limit=1)
+            exact = next((n for n in existing_notes if n.title.lower() == note_title.lower()), None)
+            if exact is not None:
+                return {"success": False, "error": f"A note titled '{note_title}' already exists (id: {exact.id}). Use update_note to modify it instead of creating a duplicate."}
 
             clean_q = _PUNCT_RE.sub(" ", note_title).strip()
-            candidates, _ = await list_notes(user_id=user_id, q=clean_q, limit=20)
+            candidates, _ = await list_notes(user_id=user_id, q=clean_q, is_task=False, limit=20)
             near, ratio = _fuzzy_title_match(note_title, candidates)
             if near is not None:
-                item_type = "task" if near.status is not None else "note"
-                return {"success": False, "requires_confirmation": True, "similar_note": {"id": near.id, "title": near.title}, "error": f"A {item_type} with a very similar title '{near.title}' already exists (similarity: {ratio:.0%}). Ask the user to confirm before creating a separate entry."}
+                return {"success": False, "requires_confirmation": True, "similar_note": {"id": near.id, "title": near.title}, "error": f"A note with a very similar title '{near.title}' already exists (similarity: {ratio:.0%}). Ask the user to confirm before creating a separate entry."}
 
             if not arguments.get("confirmed") and len(note_body.strip()) >= 200:
                 from fabledassistant.services.embeddings import semantic_search_notes as _ssn
                 sem_query = f"{note_title}\n{note_body}".strip()
-                sem_hits = await _ssn(user_id, sem_query, limit=3, threshold=0.90)
+                sem_hits = await _ssn(user_id, sem_query, limit=3, threshold=0.90, is_task=False)
                 if sem_hits:
                     best_score, best_note = sem_hits[0]
-                    item_type = "task" if best_note.status is not None else "note"
-                    return {"success": False, "requires_confirmation": True, "similar_note": {"id": best_note.id, "title": best_note.title}, "error": f"A {item_type} with very similar content exists: '{best_note.title}' (semantic similarity: {best_score:.0%}). Ask the user to confirm before creating a separate entry."}
+                    return {"success": False, "requires_confirmation": True, "similar_note": {"id": best_note.id, "title": best_note.title}, "error": f"A note with very similar content exists: '{best_note.title}' (semantic similarity: {best_score:.0%}). Ask the user to confirm before creating a separate entry."}
 
             note = await create_note(
                 user_id=user_id,