diff --git a/src/model/taskPriority.ts b/src/model/taskPriority.ts
index be3adb5..320eb9d 100644
--- a/src/model/taskPriority.ts
+++ b/src/model/taskPriority.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ export type TaskPriority = (typeof TaskPriority)[keyof typeof TaskPriority];
 
 export type TaskPriorityMeta = {
 	label: string;
+	/**
+	 * Fallback value assigned when the parsed priority is invalid/missing.
+	 * Excluded from editing choices.
+	 */
+	fallback?: boolean;
 };
 
 /** Explicit order for filters / grouping (critical → low → unknown). */
@@ -26,7 +31,7 @@ export const TASK_PRIORITY_META: Record<TaskPriority, TaskPriorityMeta> = {
 	[TaskPriority.HIGH]: { label: "High" },
 	[TaskPriority.MEDIUM]: { label: "Medium" },
 	[TaskPriority.LOW]: { label: "Low" },
-	[TaskPriority.UNKNOWN]: { label: "Unknown" },
+	[TaskPriority.UNKNOWN]: { label: "Unknown", fallback: true },
 };
 
 export function isTaskPriority(value: unknown): value is TaskPriority {
diff --git a/src/model/taskStatus.ts b/src/model/taskStatus.ts
index 926d9ec..6f52974 100644
--- a/src/model/taskStatus.ts
+++ b/src/model/taskStatus.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ export type TaskStatusMeta = {
 	defaultHidden: boolean;
 	/** Codicon id for tree; adapters wrap in ThemeIcon. */
 	icon: string;
+	/**
+	 * Fallback value assigned when the parsed status is invalid/missing.
+	 * Excluded from editing choices; hidden in tree when empty.
+	 */
+	fallback?: boolean;
 };
 
 /** Explicit display / column order (not Object.values). */
@@ -57,6 +62,7 @@ export const TASK_STATUS_META: Record<TaskStatus, TaskStatusMeta> = {
 		label: "Unknown",
 		defaultHidden: true,
 		icon: "question",
+		fallback: true,
 	},
 };
 
diff --git a/src/ui/editFrontmatterField.ts b/src/ui/editFrontmatterField.ts
index 37bf161..05fc54c 100644
--- a/src/ui/editFrontmatterField.ts
+++ b/src/ui/editFrontmatterField.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import * as vscode from "vscode";
 import { addProjectTag } from "@/commands/addProjectTag";
 import { loadProjectConfig } from "@/commands/loadProjectConfig";
 import { resolveTaskLocations } from "@/commands/resolveTaskLocations";
@@ -16,13 +15,16 @@ import {
 	TASK_LANGUAGE_ID,
 } from "@/model/taskFile";
 import { IConfigProvider, IFileSystem } from "@/ports";
+import * as vscode from "vscode";
 import { getGitUserName, yamlInlineScalar } from "./getGitUserName";
 import { presentError } from "./presentError";
 import { resolveTaskFolderForPath } from "./resolveTaskFolder";
 import {
 	TASK_PRIORITY_LABELS,
+	TASK_PRIORITY_META,
 	TASK_PRIORITY_ORDER,
 	TASK_STATUS_LABELS,
+	TASK_STATUS_META,
 	TASK_STATUS_ORDER,
 } from "./taskLabels";
 
@@ -115,7 +117,9 @@ export async function runEditTaskStatus(uriArg?: string): Promise<void> {
 	}
 
 	const picked = await vscode.window.showQuickPick(
-		TASK_STATUS_ORDER.map((status) => ({
+		TASK_STATUS_ORDER.filter(
+			(status) => !TASK_STATUS_META[status].fallback,
+		).map((status) => ({
 			label: TASK_STATUS_LABELS[status],
 			description: status,
 			status,
@@ -137,7 +141,9 @@ export async function runEditTaskPriority(uriArg?: string): Promise<void> {
 	}
 
 	const picked = await vscode.window.showQuickPick(
-		TASK_PRIORITY_ORDER.map((priority) => ({
+		TASK_PRIORITY_ORDER.filter(
+			(priority) => !TASK_PRIORITY_META[priority].fallback,
+		).map((priority) => ({
 			label: TASK_PRIORITY_LABELS[priority],
 			description: priority,
 			priority,
diff --git a/src/views/taskTreeProvider.ts b/src/views/taskTreeProvider.ts
index c91f3a9..d2b4904 100644
--- a/src/views/taskTreeProvider.ts
+++ b/src/views/taskTreeProvider.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import * as vscode from "vscode";
 import { listLocatedTasks } from "@/commands/listLocatedTasks";
 import { resolveTaskLocations } from "@/commands/resolveTaskLocations";
 import { Task } from "@/model/task";
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 } from "@/model/taskStatus";
 import { IConfigProvider, ITaskRepository } from "@/ports";
 import { TASK_SCOPE_LABELS, TASK_STATUS_LABELS } from "@/ui/taskLabels";
+import * as vscode from "vscode";
 import { TaskTreeItem } from "./taskTreeItem";
 
 class ScopeTreeItem extends vscode.TreeItem {
@@ -119,7 +119,10 @@ export class TaskTreeProvider implements vscode.TreeDataProvider<vscode.TreeItem
 
 	private getStatusGroups(scope: ScopeTreeItem): vscode.TreeItem[] {
 		const tasks = scope.locatedTasks.map((item) => item.task);
-		return TASK_STATUS_ORDER.map((status) => {
+		return TASK_STATUS_ORDER.filter((status) => {
+			const groupTasks = tasks.filter((t) => t.status === status);
+			return !(groupTasks.length === 0 && TASK_STATUS_META[status].fallback);
+		}).map((status) => {
 			const groupTasks = tasks.filter((t) => t.status === status);
 			return new TaskGroupTreeItem(status, scope.location, groupTasks);
 		});