diff --git a/containers/libreportal/frontend/js/components/task/task-event-bus.js b/containers/libreportal/frontend/js/components/task/task-event-bus.js
index 3b75415..27c8fed 100755
--- a/containers/libreportal/frontend/js/components/task/task-event-bus.js
+++ b/containers/libreportal/frontend/js/components/task/task-event-bus.js
@@ -119,13 +119,28 @@ class TaskEventBus {
       timestamp: Date.now()
     };
 
+    const isTerminal = task.status === 'completed' || task.status === 'failed' || task.status === 'cancelled';
+    const wasTerminal = prevStatus === 'completed' || prevStatus === 'failed' || prevStatus === 'cancelled';
+
+    // Bootstrap silently. When this is the first time we've ever seen a task
+    // AND it's already in a terminal state, we have NO evidence it
+    // transitioned just now — it might have completed seconds or hours ago.
+    // The backend re-broadcasts the file's contents on any inode change (e.g.
+    // the periodic ownership/permission sweep stats every task file), so
+    // firing taskCompleted here would surface a "ghost" completion
+    // notification for a task the user already saw finish 28 minutes ago.
+    // Just record it in our map and move on.
+    if (isNew && isTerminal) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (isNew) {
       window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('taskCreated', { detail }));
     }
 
-    const isTerminal = task.status === 'completed' || task.status === 'failed' || task.status === 'cancelled';
-    const wasTerminal = prevStatus === 'completed' || prevStatus === 'failed' || prevStatus === 'cancelled';
-
+    // Genuine transition to terminal: we had a prior non-terminal record and
+    // the current upsert flips that to terminal. This is what users expect
+    // to be notified about.
     if (isTerminal && !wasTerminal) {
       window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('taskCompleted', { detail }));
     } else if (!isNew) {