diff --git a/src/kanban/filterDefaultHiddenStatuses.test.ts b/src/kanban/filterDefaultHiddenStatuses.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aca9592
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kanban/filterDefaultHiddenStatuses.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { TaskStatus } from "@/model/taskStatus";
+import { filterDefaultHiddenStatuses } from "./filterDefaultHiddenStatuses";
+
+describe("filterDefaultHiddenStatuses", () => {
+	it("excludes unknown when no unknown tasks and column not shown", () => {
+		const result = filterDefaultHiddenStatuses(false, []);
+		expect(result).not.toContain(TaskStatus.UNKNOWN);
+	});
+
+	it("includes unknown when unknown tasks exist", () => {
+		const result = filterDefaultHiddenStatuses(true, []);
+		expect(result).toContain(TaskStatus.UNKNOWN);
+	});
+
+	it("includes unknown when column is shown even without unknown tasks", () => {
+		const result = filterDefaultHiddenStatuses(false, [TaskStatus.UNKNOWN]);
+		expect(result).toContain(TaskStatus.UNKNOWN);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/src/kanban/filterDefaultHiddenStatuses.ts b/src/kanban/filterDefaultHiddenStatuses.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9554bc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kanban/filterDefaultHiddenStatuses.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import {
+	TaskStatus,
+	TASK_STATUS_META,
+	TASK_STATUS_ORDER,
+} from "@/model/taskStatus";
+
+export function filterDefaultHiddenStatuses(
+	hasUnknown: boolean,
+	shownHiddenColumns: TaskStatus[],
+): TaskStatus[] {
+	return TASK_STATUS_ORDER.filter(
+		(s) =>
+			TASK_STATUS_META[s].defaultHidden &&
+			(s !== TaskStatus.UNKNOWN || hasUnknown || shownHiddenColumns.includes(TaskStatus.UNKNOWN)),
+	);
+}
diff --git a/src/views/taskKanbanPanel.ts b/src/views/taskKanbanPanel.ts
index ccd3c57..e87f3ba 100644
--- a/src/views/taskKanbanPanel.ts
+++ b/src/views/taskKanbanPanel.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { listLocatedTasks } from "@/commands/listLocatedTasks";
 import { resolveTaskLocations } from "@/commands/resolveTaskLocations";
 import { appError, AppErrorVariant } from "@/error";
 import { buildKanbanBoard } from "@/kanban/buildKanbanBoard";
+import { filterDefaultHiddenStatuses } from "@/kanban/filterDefaultHiddenStatuses";
 import {
 	parseKanbanInboundMessage,
 	type KanbanInboundMessage,
@@ -290,10 +291,9 @@ export class TaskKanbanPanel {
 			board,
 			scopeFilter: this.#scopeFilter,
 			shownHiddenColumns: this.#shownHiddenColumns,
-			defaultHiddenStatuses: TASK_STATUS_ORDER.filter(
-				(s) =>
-					TASK_STATUS_META[s].defaultHidden &&
-					(s !== TaskStatus.UNKNOWN || hasUnknown),
+			defaultHiddenStatuses: filterDefaultHiddenStatuses(
+				hasUnknown,
+				this.#shownHiddenColumns,
 			),
 			availableScopes: this.#availableScopes(),
 			dangerStatuses: hasUnknown ? [TaskStatus.UNKNOWN] : [],