diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/thoughtsync/ui/BlockBody.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/thoughtsync/ui/BlockBody.kt
index c1b2ed7..f1935c9 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/thoughtsync/ui/BlockBody.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/thoughtsync/ui/BlockBody.kt
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
 import androidx.compose.ui.focus.FocusRequester
 import androidx.compose.ui.focus.focusRequester
+import androidx.compose.ui.focus.onFocusChanged
 import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.SolidColor
 import androidx.compose.ui.res.stringResource
 import androidx.compose.ui.text.TextStyle
@@ -99,24 +100,45 @@ fun BlockBody(
                     readOnly = readOnly,
                     requester = requester,
                     onChange = { replace(index, it) },
+                    onBlur = {
+                        // Compared by IDENTITY, not equality: `promotingTasks` hands
+                        // back the same list when there was nothing to promote, and a
+                        // blur that changed nothing must not touch the state at all.
+                        val promoted = blocks.promotingTasks(index)
+                        if (promoted !== blocks) onChange(promoted)
+                    },
                 )
             }
         }
     }
 }
 
-/** A run of prose: one ordinary multi-line field, exactly as the editor always had. */
+/**
+ * A run of prose: one ordinary multi-line field, exactly as the editor always had.
+ *
+ * Leaving it is when a `- [ ] ` typed by hand becomes a real checklist item — see
+ * [promotingTasks] for why blur is the only safe moment to do that.
+ *
+ * `onFocusChanged` also fires with `isFocused = false` on the first composition, before
+ * the field has ever held focus. Deliberately not guarded: [splitBlocks] ran when the
+ * editor opened, so a prose block nobody has typed in cannot contain a task line, and
+ * the promotion is a no-op that the caller's identity check drops on the floor.
+ */
 @Composable
 private fun ProseBlock(
     block: EditorBlock,
     readOnly: Boolean,
     requester: FocusRequester,
     onChange: (EditorBlock) -> Unit,
+    onBlur: () -> Unit,
 ) {
     BlockField(
         value = block.value,
         onValueChange = { onChange(block.copy(value = it)) },
-        modifier = Modifier.focusRequester(requester),
+        modifier =
+            Modifier
+                .focusRequester(requester)
+                .onFocusChanged { if (!it.isFocused) onBlur() },
         enabled = !readOnly,
         hint = R.string.editor_body_hint,
     )
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/thoughtsync/ui/EditorBlock.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/thoughtsync/ui/EditorBlock.kt
index 68207a1..1309dc7 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/thoughtsync/ui/EditorBlock.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/thoughtsync/ui/EditorBlock.kt
@@ -142,6 +142,38 @@ fun List<EditorBlock>.plusTask(): Pair<List<EditorBlock>, Long> {
     return (this + EditorBlock(id, TextFieldValue(""), false)) to id
 }
 
+/**
+ * Re-read ONE prose block for `- [ ] ` lines somebody typed by hand.
+ *
+ * [splitBlocks] runs once, when the editor opens. After that the blocks are the state
+ * and nothing reads the body again — every edit travels the other way, through
+ * [joinBlocks]. So a marker typed by hand stayed literal text on screen until the note
+ * was closed and reopened, even though it was already a real item in storage and the
+ * card was already drawing a checkbox for it. The editor was the only place that
+ * disagreed.
+ *
+ * **On blur, and only the block being left.** There is no good moment to convert while
+ * someone is typing: re-splitting on a keystroke moves the caret out of the word being
+ * written, and converting the instant `- [ ]` is complete does it before the item has
+ * any text. Blur is the one moment the person has demonstrably finished with the block,
+ * so a re-split costs no caret and cannot catch a half-typed line.
+ *
+ * Returns THIS LIST, not an equal copy, when there was nothing to promote — the caller
+ * leans on that to leave the state alone, and a blur that changed nothing must not
+ * re-key every field below it.
+ *
+ * Non-canonical markers (`- [X]`, an odd bullet) come back canonical, exactly as they
+ * would have on reopen. That is the only case where this changes the body rather than
+ * only the way it is drawn.
+ */
+internal fun List<EditorBlock>.promotingTasks(index: Int): List<EditorBlock> {
+    val block = getOrNull(index) ?: return this
+    if (block.isTask) return this
+    val split = splitBlocks(block.value.text, nextId())
+    if (split.size == 1 && !split.first().isTask) return this
+    return take(index) + split + drop(index + 1)
+}
+
 /**
  * Put the caret at the end of the last block, for an editor that has just opened.
  *
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/NoteEditor.vue b/frontend/src/components/NoteEditor.vue
index 6478ac4..25ba158 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/NoteEditor.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/NoteEditor.vue
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   type EditorBlock,
   joinBlocks,
   plusTask,
+  promoteTasks,
   splitBlocks,
   withoutIndex,
 } from "../notes/blocks";
@@ -285,6 +286,23 @@ function onProseInput(index: number, e: Event): void {
   grow(el);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Leaving a prose block is when a `- [ ] ` typed by hand becomes a real item.
+ *
+ * See notes/blocks.ts for why blur is the only safe moment. The identity check is the
+ * contract `promoteTasks` offers: an untouched array back means nothing to promote, and
+ * reassigning the ref anyway would re-key every field below this one for no reason.
+ *
+ * `growAll` after the DOM settles, because the textarea being left is now shorter by
+ * however many lines became checkboxes and would otherwise keep its old height.
+ */
+function onProseBlur(index: number): void {
+  const promoted = promoteTasks(blocks.value, index);
+  if (promoted === blocks.value) return;
+  blocks.value = promoted;
+  void nextTick().then(growAll);
+}
+
 /** Compose: Shift+Enter saves the note and starts a fresh one (rapid capture). */
 function onProseKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent): void {
   if (isCreate.value && e.key === "Enter" && e.shiftKey) {
@@ -600,6 +618,7 @@ function revPreview(rev: NoteRevision): string {
               class="w-full resize-none overflow-hidden bg-transparent text-sm leading-relaxed outline-none placeholder:text-neutral-400"
               @input="onProseInput(i, $event)"
               @keydown="onProseKeydown"
+              @blur="onProseBlur(i)"
             />
           </template>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/notes/blocks.ts b/frontend/src/notes/blocks.ts
index 9b8eb10..d6851c2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/notes/blocks.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/notes/blocks.ts
@@ -108,3 +108,35 @@ export function plusTask(blocks: EditorBlock[]): { blocks: EditorBlock[]; focus:
   const id = nextId(blocks);
   return { blocks: [...blocks, { id, text: "", checked: false }], focus: id };
 }
+
+/**
+ * Re-read ONE prose block for `- [ ] ` lines somebody typed by hand.
+ *
+ * `splitBlocks` runs once, when the editor opens. After that the blocks are the state
+ * and nothing reads the body again — every edit travels the other way, through
+ * `joinBlocks`. So a marker typed by hand stayed literal text on screen until the note
+ * was closed and reopened, even though it was already a real item in storage and the
+ * card was already drawing a checkbox for it. The editor was the only place that
+ * disagreed.
+ *
+ * ON BLUR, and only the block being left. There is no good moment to convert while
+ * someone is typing: re-splitting on a keystroke moves the caret out of the word being
+ * written, and converting the instant `- [ ]` is complete does it before the item has
+ * any text. Blur is the one moment the person has demonstrably finished with the block,
+ * so a re-split costs no caret and cannot catch a half-typed line.
+ *
+ * Returns THE SAME ARRAY, not an equal copy, when there was nothing to promote — the
+ * caller leans on that to leave the ref alone, and a blur that changed nothing must not
+ * re-key every field below it.
+ *
+ * Non-canonical markers (`- [X]`, an odd bullet) come back canonical, exactly as they
+ * would have on reopen. That is the only case where this changes the body rather than
+ * only the way it is drawn.
+ */
+export function promoteTasks(blocks: EditorBlock[], index: number): EditorBlock[] {
+  const block = blocks[index];
+  if (!block || block.checked !== null) return blocks;
+  const split = splitBlocks(block.text, nextId(blocks));
+  if (split.length === 1 && split[0].checked === null) return blocks;
+  return [...blocks.slice(0, index), ...split, ...blocks.slice(index + 1)];
+}