diff --git a/scripts/board.py b/scripts/board.py
index 1f94735..7fc17cb 100644
--- a/scripts/board.py
+++ b/scripts/board.py
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@
 #: holds everything that was missed — git history does, which is exactly what
 #: ``scripts/catch_up.py`` reads back.
 CATCH_UP_DAYS = 7
-CATCH_UP_LYRIC = "…so… I've been lost for a while"  # Fred again..
 CATCH_UP_CMD = "Read PyAutoMemory/skills/catch_up/SKILL.md and follow the catch_up skill with arguments: lensing."
 
 # The family look lives once, in the Brain (``board/_theme.py``): the
@@ -701,27 +700,23 @@ def _catch_up_due(snapshot: dict) -> int | None:
     return model["age_days"] if model["state"] == "stale" else None
 
 
-def _catch_up_md(snapshot: dict) -> list[str]:
+def _catch_up_summary(snapshot: dict) -> str:
     model = _lensing_catch_up(snapshot)
-    if model["state"] == "healthy":
-        return []
-    title = "Strong-lensing catch-up due" if model["state"] == "stale" else "Strong-lensing freshness unknown"
-    return [f"> **{title}**", f"> {model['reason']}",
-            f"> Next: `{CATCH_UP_CMD}` — human-reviewed paper selection.", ""]
+    if model["state"] == "unknown":
+        return "Catch-up start date unknown."
+    due = model["due_at"][:10]
+    status = "due" if model["state"] == "stale" else "next due"
+    return f"Catch up from {model['last_activity']} · {status} {due}."
+
+
+def _catch_up_md(snapshot: dict) -> list[str]:
+    return ["## Catch up", "", _catch_up_summary(snapshot), "",
+            f"`{CATCH_UP_CMD}`", ""]
 
 
 def _catch_up_html(snapshot: dict) -> str:
-    model = _lensing_catch_up(snapshot)
-    if model["state"] == "healthy":
-        return ""
-    title = "Strong-lensing catch-up due" if model["state"] == "stale" else "Strong-lensing freshness unknown"
-    lyric = (f"<p class='lyric'><em>{_html.escape(CATCH_UP_LYRIC)}</em></p>"
-             if model["state"] == "stale" else "")
-    return (f"<section class='catchup'>{lyric}<p><strong>{title}</strong></p>"
-            f"<p>{_html.escape(model['reason'])}</p>"
-            f"<p><code>{_html.escape(CATCH_UP_CMD)}</code> "
-            f"{_copy_btn(CATCH_UP_CMD, 'copy: catch up on strong lensing')} "
-            "<span class='muted'>Human-reviewed paper selection</span></p></section>")
+    return (f"<p>{_html.escape(_catch_up_summary(snapshot))}</p>"
+            f"{_copy_btn(CATCH_UP_CMD, 'Copy catch-up prompt')}")
 
 
 def _totals(snapshot: dict) -> dict:
@@ -1163,9 +1158,6 @@ def _bar(statuses: dict) -> str:
  color:var(--bg);opacity:0;transition:opacity .2s;pointer-events:none;z-index:9}
 #toast.show{opacity:1}
 #toast.bad{background:var(--warn)}
-.catchup{border-left:3px solid var(--warn);padding:.4em .9em;margin:0 0 1em}
-.catchup p{margin:.25em 0}
-.catchup .lyric{color:var(--warn)}
 """
 
 # The shared copy handler is delegated, so a chip inside a <summary> would
@@ -1592,9 +1584,7 @@ def _fresh_span(fresh: dict, now_text: str, stale_text: str,
         filing_items.append(
             f"<li>{issue_link} <span class='meta'>"
             f"{_html.escape(f['branch'])}</span>{pr}</li>")
-    # Above everything else when present, absent otherwise: it is the one
-    # section that is a human's merge, and an empty "nothing waiting" line
-    # would only teach the eye to skip it.
+    # Keep pending filings in their own navigable section when present.
     filings_block = (
         f"<h2 id='filings'>Filings awaiting merge <span class=\"muted\">({len(filing_items)} "
         f"on a branch, not yet in memory — merge the PR to finish the "
@@ -1608,10 +1598,9 @@ def _fresh_span(fresh: dict, now_text: str, stale_text: str,
         {"href": "#citation-work", "label": "To cite", "count": t["todo"]},
         {"href": "#sub-wikis", "label": "Pages", "count": t["pages"], "context": f"{pct}% cited"},
     ]
-    if _catch_up_html(snapshot):
-        navigation.insert(0, {"href": "#catch-up", "label": "Catch up"})
+    navigation.append({"href": "#catch-up", "label": "Catch up"})
     if filing_items:
-        navigation.insert(0, {"href": "#filings", "label": "Filings awaiting merge", "count": len(filing_items)})
+        navigation.append({"href": "#filings", "label": "Filings awaiting merge", "count": len(filing_items)})
     hero = t_.hero(BOARD_KEY, "Dashboard", _LEDE, navigation=navigation)
     repo_url = _repo_url(snapshot)
     panel = t_.orchestration_panel(
@@ -1637,12 +1626,9 @@ def _fresh_span(fresh: dict, now_text: str, stale_text: str,
 <body{body_attrs}>
 {hero}
 {panel}
-<section id="catch-up">{_catch_up_html(snapshot)}</section>
-<p class="muted mdsrc"><a href="dashboard.md">markdown version</a>{onetap}</p>
-<div id="toast"></div>
-{filings_block}
 <h2 id='arxiv-inbox'>arXiv inbox <span class="muted">(suggested overnight — un-acted papers
  lapse after {inbox_actions.INBOX_WINDOW_DAYS} days)</span></h2>
+<div class="inbox-tools">{onetap.removeprefix(" · ")}</div>
 {inbox_block}
 <h2 id='arxiv-interests'>arXiv interests <span class="muted">(everything that is not strong
  lensing — one day's ten at a time; \U0001f9f9 clears the day and shows the
@@ -1658,8 +1644,12 @@ def _fresh_span(fresh: dict, now_text: str, stale_text: str,
 <h2 id='sub-wikis'>Sub-wikis <span class="muted">({snapshot.get('bib_entries', 0)} bibliography
  entries · {snapshot.get('links', {}).get('wanted', 0)} wanted pages)</span></h2>
 <table class="recent">{''.join(wiki_rows)}</table>
+<h2 id="catch-up">Catch up</h2>
+{_catch_up_html(snapshot)}
+{filings_block}
 {_boards_nav(snapshot)}
-<footer>Rendered by <code>scripts/board.py</code> from the checkout —
+<div id="toast"></div>
+<footer><a href="dashboard.md">markdown version</a> · Rendered by <code>scripts/board.py</code> from the checkout —
 nothing here is committed; generated
 {_html.escape(str(snapshot.get('generated') or '?'))}.</footer>
 <script>{t_.JS}{_EXTRA_JS}</script>
diff --git a/tests/test_board.py b/tests/test_board.py
index e63e483..059d774 100644
--- a/tests/test_board.py
+++ b/tests/test_board.py
@@ -752,8 +752,8 @@ def boom(*a, **k):
     assert board._pending_filings() == []
 
 
-def test_pending_filings_render_above_the_inbox_with_a_pr_link(tmp_path):
-    """A filing on a branch is not in memory: the board says so, first, and
+def test_pending_filings_render_in_their_own_section_with_a_pr_link(tmp_path):
+    """A filing on a branch is not in memory: the board says so and
     hands out the one tap that finishes it."""
     snap = _snap_with_remote(tmp_path)
     snap["filings"] = [{"issue": 91, "branch": "queue-filing/issue-91"}]
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ def test_pending_filings_render_above_the_inbox_with_a_pr_link(tmp_path):
         assert "compare/main...queue-filing/issue-91?expand=1" in text
         assert "/issues/91" in text
         if '<!doctype html>' in text:
-            assert text.index("id='filings'") < text.index("id='arxiv-inbox'")
+            assert text.index("id='filings'") > text.index("id='arxiv-inbox'")
         else:
             assert text.index("Filings awaiting merge") < text.index("arXiv inbox")
 
@@ -946,11 +946,12 @@ def test_last_ingested_is_collected_from_a_scope_section(tmp_path):
     assert board.collect(root)["last_ingested"] == "2026-09-01"
 
 
-def test_no_banner_under_the_threshold(tmp_path):
+def test_catchup_remains_available_under_the_threshold(tmp_path):
     snap = _banner_snap(tmp_path, "2026-09-24")  # 6 days
     assert board._days_since_ingest(snap) == 6
     assert "lost for a while" not in board.render(snap, "md")
-    assert "class='catchup'" not in board.render(snap, "html")
+    assert "Catch up from 2026-09-24 · next due 2026-10-01." in board.render(snap, "html")
+    assert 'href="#catch-up"' in board.render(snap, "html")
     assert board.to_state(snap)["days_since_ingest"] == 6
 
 
@@ -958,21 +959,20 @@ def test_banner_at_the_threshold_carries_the_day_count(tmp_path):
     snap = _banner_snap(tmp_path, "2026-09-23")  # exactly CATCH_UP_DAYS
     assert board.CATCH_UP_DAYS == 7
     md = board.render(snap, "md")
-    assert "**Strong-lensing catch-up due**" in md
-    assert "2026-09-23 (7 days ago)" in md
-    assert "after 7 days" in md
+    assert "## Catch up" in md
+    assert "Catch up from 2026-09-23 · due 2026-09-30." in md
     assert "`Read PyAutoMemory/skills/catch_up/SKILL.md and follow the catch_up skill with arguments: lensing.`" in md
     # Top of the markdown: before the contents line.
-    assert md.index("Strong-lensing catch-up due") < md.index("_Contents")
+    assert md.index("## Catch up") < md.index("_Contents")
 
 
 def test_catchup_html_follows_banner_and_navigation_with_a_copy_button(tmp_path):
     snap = _banner_snap(tmp_path, "2026-09-11")
     page = board.render(snap, "html")
-    assert "<em>…so… I&#x27;ve been lost for a while</em>" in page
-    assert "2026-09-11 (19 days ago)" in page
+    assert "lost for a while" not in page
+    assert "Catch up from 2026-09-11 · due 2026-09-18." in page
     assert 'data-cmd="Read PyAutoMemory/skills/catch_up/SKILL.md and follow the catch_up skill with arguments: lensing."' in page
-    assert page.index('class="hero"') < page.index('class="board-nav"') < page.index("class='catchup'")
+    assert page.index('class="hero"') < page.index('class="board-nav"') < page.index('id="catch-up"')
     assert board.to_state(snap)["days_since_ingest"] == 19
 
 
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ def test_unknown_banner_when_nothing_is_on_record(tmp_path):
     snap = _banner_snap(tmp_path, None)
     assert board._days_since_ingest(snap) is None
     assert "lost for a while" not in board.render(snap, "md")
-    assert "Strong-lensing freshness unknown" in board.render(snap, "html")
+    assert "Catch-up start date unknown." in board.render(snap, "html")
     assert board.to_state(snap)["days_since_ingest"] is None
 
 
@@ -998,8 +998,8 @@ def test_lensing_catch_up_threshold_has_one_model_for_every_surface(tmp_path, ag
         assert not rows
     else:
         assert len(rows) == 1 and rows[0]["reason"] == model["reason"]
-        assert model["reason"] in board.render(snap, "md")
-        assert model["reason"] in board.render(snap, "html")
+        assert board._catch_up_summary(snap) in board.render(snap, "md")
+        assert board._catch_up_summary(snap) in board.render(snap, "html")
         assert rows[0]["actions"][0]["target"] == "Read PyAutoMemory/skills/catch_up/SKILL.md and follow the catch_up skill with arguments: lensing."
         assert rows[0]["actions"][0]["safety"] == "scientific_judgement"
         assert "requires_human_decision" not in rows[0]  # No invented choice.
@@ -1182,3 +1182,15 @@ def test_panel_refresh_uses_capture_not_ingest_date(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     board.render(snap, "html")
     assert calls[0]["refreshed_at"] == snap["generated"]
     assert calls[0]["refresh_url"] == "https://github.com/SomeOrg/MemoryWork/actions/workflows/knowledge_board.yml"
+
+
+def test_inbox_is_first_content_after_checkin(tmp_path):
+    page = board.render(_snap_with_remote(tmp_path), "html")
+    between = page.split('id="orchestration-memory"', 1)[1].split("id='arxiv-inbox'", 1)[0]
+    assert 'id="catch-up"' not in between
+    assert "mdsrc" not in between
+    assert "id='onetap'" not in between
+    assert "id='filings'" not in between
+    assert page.index("id='arxiv-inbox'") < page.index("id='onetap'") < page.index("id='arxiv-interests'")
+    assert "<code>Read PyAutoMemory/skills/catch_up" not in page
+    assert "Copy catch-up prompt" in page