diff --git a/src/LLMProviders/chainRunner/AutonomousAgentChainRunner.ts b/src/LLMProviders/chainRunner/AutonomousAgentChainRunner.ts
index a195dd8f..9086fc19 100644
--- a/src/LLMProviders/chainRunner/AutonomousAgentChainRunner.ts
+++ b/src/LLMProviders/chainRunner/AutonomousAgentChainRunner.ts
@@ -869,9 +869,12 @@ export class AutonomousAgentChainRunner extends CopilotPlusChainRunner {
           }
         }
 
-        // Add tool result step (shown in rolling display - this is the "what was found")
+        // Add tool result step only when it provides new info (failure or source counts).
+        // Skip redundant success steps like "Listed vault tasks" after "Listing vault tasks".
         const resultSummary = summarizeToolResult(tc.name, result, sourceInfo, toolCall.args);
-        this.addReasoningStep(resultSummary, tc.name);
+        if (!result.success || sourceInfo) {
+          this.addReasoningStep(resultSummary, tc.name);
+        }
 
         // Add ToolMessage to conversation
         const toolMessage = createToolResultMessage(
diff --git a/src/tools/ObsidianCliTools.ts b/src/tools/ObsidianCliTools.ts
index 15861e32..4a37b18b 100644
--- a/src/tools/ObsidianCliTools.ts
+++ b/src/tools/ObsidianCliTools.ts
@@ -141,7 +141,9 @@ export const obsidianPropertiesTool = createLangChainTool({
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 const tasksSchema = z.object({
-  command: z.literal("tasks").describe("List tasks across the vault with optional filters."),
+  command: z
+    .literal("tasks")
+    .describe('Must be exactly "tasks". Lists tasks across the vault with optional filters.'),
   file: z.string().optional().describe("Filter tasks by file name."),
   path: z.string().optional().describe("Filter tasks by vault-relative file path."),
   todo: z.boolean().optional().describe("Show only incomplete (todo) tasks."),
diff --git a/src/tools/builtinTools.ts b/src/tools/builtinTools.ts
index 5600a0ed..30d717fe 100644
--- a/src/tools/builtinTools.ts
+++ b/src/tools/builtinTools.ts
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ export function registerCliTools(): void {
 - daily:path — get the vault-relative file path (useful for follow-up readNote calls).
 - daily:append and daily:prepend also auto-create the daily note if it doesn't exist, but do NOT apply the template.
 - Use \\n for newlines and \\t for tabs in content strings.
+- For past or future daily notes (e.g. "yesterday's daily note"): NEVER ask the user for the date — use the time tools. Workflow: (1) call getCurrentTime to resolve the date, (2) call daily:path to discover the date format and folder, (3) call obsidianTemplates with command=templates to list available template names, then call template:read with the name that matches (e.g. "Daily Note Template"), (4) use writeToFile to create the note at the resolved path with the template content, replacing variables like {{date}} with the target date. If templates returns an error or no daily template is found, ask the user for their template path and use readNote to read it.
 - For arbitrary file writes beyond daily notes, use writeToFile or replaceInFile instead.
 - If the user names a specific vault, pass it using the vault parameter.`,
     },
@@ -396,13 +397,15 @@ export function registerCliTools(): void {
       category: "cli",
       requiresVault: true,
       customPromptInstructions: `For obsidianTasks:
+- ALWAYS use this tool when the user asks about tasks, todos, or checkboxes. Do NOT use localSearch for task queries.
 - Use to list and filter tasks across the vault.
 - todo=true: show only incomplete tasks. done=true: show only completed tasks.
 - status="x": filter by specific status character (e.g., "/" for in-progress, "x" for done, " " for open).
 - daily=true: show tasks from today's daily note only.
 - verbose=true: group tasks by file with line numbers.
 - total=true: return only the task count.
-- file= resolves like a wikilink (name only). path= uses exact vault-relative path.`,
+- file= resolves like a wikilink (name only). path= uses exact vault-relative path.
+- For time-based task queries (e.g. "tasks from last month"): use verbose=true to get tasks grouped by file, then filter results by file dates or daily note filenames to match the time range.`,
     },
   });