diff --git a/opal-task/internal/api/handlers/tasks.go b/opal-task/internal/api/handlers/tasks.go
index b2830f3..1e26c58 100644
--- a/opal-task/internal/api/handlers/tasks.go
+++ b/opal-task/internal/api/handlers/tasks.go
@@ -130,35 +130,35 @@ func CreateTask(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	mod.AddTags = req.Tags
 
 	if req.Project != nil {
-		mod.SetAttributes["project"] = req.Project
+		mod.Set("project", req.Project)
 	}
 
 	if req.Priority != nil {
-		mod.SetAttributes["priority"] = req.Priority
+		mod.Set("priority", req.Priority)
 	}
 
 	if req.Due != nil {
 		dueStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", *req.Due)
-		mod.SetAttributes["due"] = &dueStr
+		mod.Set("due", &dueStr)
 	}
 
 	if req.Scheduled != nil {
 		scheduledStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", *req.Scheduled)
-		mod.SetAttributes["scheduled"] = &scheduledStr
+		mod.Set("scheduled", &scheduledStr)
 	}
 
 	if req.Wait != nil {
 		waitStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", *req.Wait)
-		mod.SetAttributes["wait"] = &waitStr
+		mod.Set("wait", &waitStr)
 	}
 
 	if req.Until != nil {
 		untilStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", *req.Until)
-		mod.SetAttributes["until"] = &untilStr
+		mod.Set("until", &untilStr)
 	}
 
 	if req.Recurrence != nil {
-		mod.SetAttributes["recurrence"] = req.Recurrence
+		mod.Set("recur", req.Recurrence)
 	}
 
 	// Create task
@@ -232,39 +232,39 @@ func UpdateTask(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	mod := engine.NewModifier()
 
 	if req.Description != nil {
-		mod.SetAttributes["description"] = req.Description
+		mod.Set("description", req.Description)
 	}
 
 	if req.Status != nil {
-		mod.SetAttributes["status"] = req.Status
+		mod.Set("status", req.Status)
 	}
 
 	if req.Priority != nil {
-		mod.SetAttributes["priority"] = req.Priority
+		mod.Set("priority", req.Priority)
 	}
 
 	if req.Project != nil {
-		mod.SetAttributes["project"] = req.Project
+		mod.Set("project", req.Project)
 	}
 
 	if req.Due != nil {
 		dueStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", *req.Due)
-		mod.SetAttributes["due"] = &dueStr
+		mod.Set("due", &dueStr)
 	}
 
 	if req.Scheduled != nil {
 		scheduledStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", *req.Scheduled)
-		mod.SetAttributes["scheduled"] = &scheduledStr
+		mod.Set("scheduled", &scheduledStr)
 	}
 
 	if req.Wait != nil {
 		waitStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", *req.Wait)
-		mod.SetAttributes["wait"] = &waitStr
+		mod.Set("wait", &waitStr)
 	}
 
 	if req.Until != nil {
 		untilStr := fmt.Sprintf("%d", *req.Until)
-		mod.SetAttributes["until"] = &untilStr
+		mod.Set("until", &untilStr)
 	}
 
 	if req.Start != nil {
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ func UpdateTask(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	if req.Recurrence != nil {
-		mod.SetAttributes["recurrence"] = req.Recurrence
+		mod.Set("recur", req.Recurrence)
 	}
 
 	// Apply modifier
diff --git a/opal-task/internal/engine/keys.go b/opal-task/internal/engine/keys.go
index e890eb9..fa1bc03 100644
--- a/opal-task/internal/engine/keys.go
+++ b/opal-task/internal/engine/keys.go
@@ -4,14 +4,15 @@ package engine
 // Used by parseAddArgs (cmd/add.go), ParseFilter, and ParseModifier
 // to distinguish modifiers from description text.
 var ValidAttributeKeys = map[string]bool{
-	"due":       true,
-	"priority":  true,
-	"project":   true,
-	"recur":     true,
-	"status":    true,
-	"wait":      true,
-	"scheduled": true,
-	"until":     true,
+	"description": true,
+	"due":         true,
+	"priority":    true,
+	"project":     true,
+	"recur":       true,
+	"status":      true,
+	"wait":        true,
+	"scheduled":   true,
+	"until":       true,
 }
 
 // DateKeys is the subset of ValidAttributeKeys that hold date values.
diff --git a/opal-task/internal/engine/modifier.go b/opal-task/internal/engine/modifier.go
index c8aab17..b20b71f 100644
--- a/opal-task/internal/engine/modifier.go
+++ b/opal-task/internal/engine/modifier.go
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ func NewModifier() *Modifier {
 	}
 }
 
+// Set adds an attribute to the modifier, maintaining the SetAttributes and
+// AttributeOrder invariant. Pass nil to clear the attribute.
+func (m *Modifier) Set(key string, value *string) {
+	m.SetAttributes[key] = value
+	m.AttributeOrder = append(m.AttributeOrder, key)
+}
+
 // ParseModifier parses command-line args into Modifier.
 // Only recognized attribute keys (ValidAttributeKeys) are accepted;
 // unrecognized key:value tokens produce an error.
@@ -86,6 +93,14 @@ func (m *Modifier) Apply(task *Task) error {
 	resolvedDates["created"] = task.Created
 	resolvedDates["modified"] = task.Modified
 
+	// Safety net: if SetAttributes were populated without AttributeOrder,
+	// reconstruct order from map keys so updates aren't silently dropped.
+	if len(m.AttributeOrder) == 0 && len(m.SetAttributes) > 0 {
+		for key := range m.SetAttributes {
+			m.AttributeOrder = append(m.AttributeOrder, key)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Apply attributes in the order they were specified (important for relative references)
 	dateKeys := DateKeys
 
@@ -134,6 +149,14 @@ func (m *Modifier) ApplyToNew(task *Task) error {
 		resolvedDates["created"] = task.Created
 	}
 
+	// Safety net: if SetAttributes were populated without AttributeOrder,
+	// reconstruct order from map keys so updates aren't silently dropped.
+	if len(m.AttributeOrder) == 0 && len(m.SetAttributes) > 0 {
+		for key := range m.SetAttributes {
+			m.AttributeOrder = append(m.AttributeOrder, key)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Apply attributes in the order they were specified (important for relative references)
 	dateKeys := DateKeys
 
@@ -156,9 +179,17 @@ func (m *Modifier) ApplyToNew(task *Task) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// applyNonDateAttribute applies a non-date attribute (priority, project, recur) to a task.
+// applyNonDateAttribute applies a non-date attribute to a task.
 func applyNonDateAttribute(key string, valuePtr *string, task *Task) error {
 	switch key {
+	case "description":
+		if valuePtr != nil {
+			task.Description = *valuePtr
+		}
+	case "status":
+		if valuePtr != nil && len(*valuePtr) > 0 {
+			task.Status = Status((*valuePtr)[0])
+		}
 	case "priority":
 		if valuePtr == nil {
 			task.Priority = PriorityDefault