diff --git a/hooks/use-task-notifications.ts b/hooks/use-task-notifications.ts
index df46368..60746b3 100644
--- a/hooks/use-task-notifications.ts
+++ b/hooks/use-task-notifications.ts
@@ -24,22 +24,6 @@ export function useTaskNotifications() {
   const tasksRef = useRef<Task[]>([]);
   const checkIntervalRef = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout | null>(null);
 
-  // Load notified task IDs from localStorage on mount
-  useEffect(() => {
-    try {
-      const stored = localStorage.getItem('notified-task-ids');
-      if (stored) {
-        const ids = JSON.parse(stored);
-        notifiedTaskIdsRef.current = new Set(ids);
-        console.log('[useTaskNotifications] 📦 Loaded notified task IDs from localStorage', {
-          count: ids.length,
-        });
-      }
-    } catch (error) {
-      console.error('[useTaskNotifications] ❌ Error loading notified task IDs from localStorage', error);
-    }
-  }, []);
-
   // Save notified task IDs to localStorage whenever it changes
   const saveNotifiedTaskIds = useCallback(() => {
     try {
@@ -56,6 +40,21 @@ export function useTaskNotifications() {
   useEffect(() => {
     console.log('[useTaskNotifications] 🎧 Hook initialized, listening for tasks-updated');
     
+    // Load notified task IDs from localStorage synchronously at the start
+    try {
+      const stored = localStorage.getItem('notified-task-ids');
+      if (stored) {
+        const ids = JSON.parse(stored);
+        notifiedTaskIdsRef.current = new Set(ids);
+        console.log('[useTaskNotifications] 📦 Loaded notified task IDs from localStorage', {
+          count: ids.length,
+          ids: Array.from(ids),
+        });
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('[useTaskNotifications] ❌ Error loading notified task IDs from localStorage', error);
+    }
+    
     // Listen for tasks updates
     const handleTasksUpdate = (event: CustomEvent) => {
       const tasks = event.detail?.tasks || [];
@@ -193,11 +192,12 @@ export function useTaskNotifications() {
       const dueTasksWithDates: TaskWithParsedDate[] = [];
       
       for (const task of tasksRef.current) {
-        // Skip if already notified
+        // Skip if already notified (check both in-memory and localStorage)
         if (notifiedTaskIdsRef.current.has(task.id)) {
-          console.log('[useTaskNotifications] ⏭️ Task already notified', {
+          console.log('[useTaskNotifications] ⏭️ Task already notified (skipping)', {
             id: task.id,
             title: task.headline,
+            notifiedIds: Array.from(notifiedTaskIdsRef.current),
           });
           continue;
         }
@@ -322,29 +322,74 @@ export function useTaskNotifications() {
           ],
         };
 
+        console.log('[useTaskNotifications] 🎯 Setting task notification', {
+          taskId: task.id,
+          title: task.headline,
+          beforeAdd: Array.from(notifiedTaskIdsRef.current),
+        });
+        
         setTaskNotification(notification);
         notifiedTaskIdsRef.current.add(task.id);
-        saveNotifiedTaskIds(); // Persist to localStorage
+        saveNotifiedTaskIds(); // Persist to localStorage immediately
+        
+        console.log('[useTaskNotifications] ✅ Task notification set and saved', {
+          taskId: task.id,
+          afterAdd: Array.from(notifiedTaskIdsRef.current),
+        });
 
         // Clean up old notified tasks (older than 1 hour) to allow re-notification if needed
         setTimeout(() => {
           notifiedTaskIdsRef.current.delete(task.id);
           saveNotifiedTaskIds(); // Update localStorage after cleanup
+          console.log('[useTaskNotifications] 🧹 Cleaned up old notification for task', {
+            taskId: task.id,
+          });
         }, 60 * 60 * 1000); // 1 hour
       }
     };
 
+    // Clean up localStorage periodically (remove IDs for tasks that no longer exist or are too old)
+    const cleanupLocalStorage = () => {
+      try {
+        const stored = localStorage.getItem('notified-task-ids');
+        if (stored) {
+          const storedIds = JSON.parse(stored);
+          const currentTaskIds = new Set(tasksRef.current.map(t => t.id));
+          
+          // Remove IDs that are no longer in the current tasks list
+          const validIds = storedIds.filter((id: string) => currentTaskIds.has(id));
+          
+          if (validIds.length !== storedIds.length) {
+            localStorage.setItem('notified-task-ids', JSON.stringify(validIds));
+            notifiedTaskIdsRef.current = new Set(validIds);
+            console.log('[useTaskNotifications] 🧹 Cleaned up localStorage', {
+              removed: storedIds.length - validIds.length,
+              remaining: validIds.length,
+            });
+          }
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error('[useTaskNotifications] ❌ Error cleaning up localStorage', error);
+      }
+    };
+
     // Check immediately and then every 10 seconds for more responsive notifications
     checkForDueTasks();
     checkIntervalRef.current = setInterval(checkForDueTasks, 10000); // Every 10 seconds
+    
+    // Clean up localStorage every 5 minutes
+    const cleanupInterval = setInterval(cleanupLocalStorage, 5 * 60 * 1000);
 
     return () => {
       window.removeEventListener('tasks-updated', handleTasksUpdate as EventListener);
       if (checkIntervalRef.current) {
         clearInterval(checkIntervalRef.current);
       }
+      if (cleanupInterval) {
+        clearInterval(cleanupInterval);
+      }
     };
-  }, []);
+  }, [saveNotifiedTaskIds]);
 
   const handleDismiss = () => {
     setTaskNotification(null);