diff --git a/internal/tui/workspace/views/todos_test.go b/internal/tui/workspace/views/todos_test.go
index 2c7070506..a876b14dc 100644
--- a/internal/tui/workspace/views/todos_test.go
+++ b/internal/tui/workspace/views/todos_test.go
@@ -983,3 +983,19 @@ func newTextInputWithValue(val string) textinput.Model {
 	ti.SetValue(val)
 	return ti
 }
+
+// --- Edit description: multi-line content survives the composer ---
+
+func TestTodos_EditDescription_PreservesMultilineMarkdown(t *testing.T) {
+	v := testTodosViewWithTodos()
+	v.descComposer = widget.NewComposer(v.styles, widget.WithMode(widget.ComposerRich))
+
+	todos := sampleTodos()
+	todos[0].Description = "<p>para one</p>\n<p><br></p>\n<p>para two</p>"
+	v.session.Hub().Todos(42, 10).Set(todos)
+
+	cmd := v.startEditDescription()
+	require.NotNil(t, cmd)
+	assert.Equal(t, "para one\n\npara two", v.descComposer.Value(),
+		"Reset must not drop the rich composer to single-line mode and flatten the description")
+}
diff --git a/internal/tui/workspace/widget/composer.go b/internal/tui/workspace/widget/composer.go
index 2b4a860d4..51afaa834 100644
--- a/internal/tui/workspace/widget/composer.go
+++ b/internal/tui/workspace/widget/composer.go
@@ -114,10 +114,11 @@ func defaultComposerKeyMap() composerKeyMap {
 // Composer is a reusable Markdown editing widget with attachment support.
 type Composer struct {
 	// Input widgets
-	textInput  textinput.Model
-	textArea   textarea.Model
-	mode       ComposerMode
-	autoExpand bool // auto-switch quick→rich on markdown formatting
+	textInput   textinput.Model
+	textArea    textarea.Model
+	mode        ComposerMode
+	initialMode ComposerMode // mode the composer was constructed with; Reset restores it
+	autoExpand  bool         // auto-switch quick→rich on markdown formatting
 
 	// Attachments
 	attachments  []Attachment
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@ func NewComposer(styles *tui.Styles, opts ...ComposerOption) *Composer {
 	for _, opt := range opts {
 		opt(c)
 	}
+	c.initialMode = c.mode
 
 	return c
 }
@@ -252,8 +254,13 @@ func (c *Composer) Value() string {
 	return c.textArea.Value()
 }
 
-// SetValue sets the text content (useful for pre-populating).
+// SetValue sets the text content (useful for pre-populating). Multi-line or
+// Markdown content expands a quick composer to rich mode first: the
+// single-line textinput would silently flatten newlines.
 func (c *Composer) SetValue(s string) {
+	if c.mode == ComposerQuick && (strings.Contains(s, "\n") || richtext.IsMarkdown(s)) {
+		c.expandToRich()
+	}
 	if c.mode == ComposerQuick {
 		c.textInput.SetValue(s)
 	} else {
@@ -262,19 +269,20 @@ func (c *Composer) SetValue(s string) {
 }
 
 // InsertPaste appends pasted text at the current cursor position.
-// If the text contains newlines or markdown, the composer auto-expands to rich mode.
+// If the text contains newlines or markdown, SetValue auto-expands the
+// composer to rich mode.
 func (c *Composer) InsertPaste(text string) {
 	if text == "" {
 		return
 	}
-	if c.mode == ComposerQuick && (strings.Contains(text, "\n") || richtext.IsMarkdown(text)) {
-		c.expandToRich()
-	}
-	existing := c.Value()
-	c.SetValue(existing + text)
+	c.SetValue(c.Value() + text)
 }
 
-// Reset clears all content, attachments, and returns to quick mode.
+// Reset clears all content and attachments and returns the composer to its
+// constructed mode. A quick composer that auto-expanded collapses back to
+// quick; a composer built rich stays rich — dropping it to a single-line
+// input would flatten the next multi-line SetValue and demote Enter from
+// newline to send.
 func (c *Composer) Reset() {
 	c.textInput.Reset()
 	c.textArea.Reset()
@@ -282,7 +290,7 @@ func (c *Composer) Reset() {
 	c.attachCursor = -1
 	c.uploading = 0
 	c.preview = false
-	c.mode = ComposerQuick
+	c.mode = c.initialMode
 }
 
 // Attachments returns the current attachment list.
@@ -743,15 +751,9 @@ func (c *Composer) HandleEditorReturn(msg EditorReturnMsg) tea.Cmd {
 	if content == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
-	// If content has multiple lines or markdown, switch to rich mode
-	if strings.Contains(content, "\n") || richtext.IsMarkdown(content) {
-		if c.mode == ComposerQuick {
-			c.expandToRich()
-		}
-		c.textArea.SetValue(content)
-	} else {
-		c.SetValue(content)
-	}
+	// SetValue switches to rich mode when the content has multiple lines or
+	// markdown.
+	c.SetValue(content)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/tui/workspace/widget/composer_test.go b/internal/tui/workspace/widget/composer_test.go
index d97400ffd..92e35dfc0 100644
--- a/internal/tui/workspace/widget/composer_test.go
+++ b/internal/tui/workspace/widget/composer_test.go
@@ -57,12 +57,53 @@ func TestComposerReset(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestComposerResetReturnsToQuickMode(t *testing.T) {
-	c := NewComposer(testStyles(), WithMode(ComposerRich))
-	c.SetValue("some text")
-	c.Reset()
-	if c.Mode() != ComposerQuick {
-		t.Errorf("mode after Reset = %d, want ComposerQuick", c.Mode())
+func TestComposerResetRestoresConstructedMode(t *testing.T) {
+	// A composer built rich stays rich across Reset: dropping to the
+	// single-line quick input would flatten the next multi-line SetValue
+	// (e.g. re-editing a to-do description) and demote Enter to send.
+	rich := NewComposer(testStyles(), WithMode(ComposerRich))
+	rich.SetValue("some text")
+	rich.Reset()
+	if rich.Mode() != ComposerRich {
+		t.Errorf("mode after Reset = %d, want ComposerRich", rich.Mode())
+	}
+
+	// A quick composer that auto-expanded collapses back to quick.
+	quick := NewComposer(testStyles())
+	quick.InsertPaste("line1\nline2")
+	if quick.Mode() != ComposerRich {
+		t.Fatalf("paste should have expanded to rich, got %d", quick.Mode())
+	}
+	quick.Reset()
+	if quick.Mode() != ComposerQuick {
+		t.Errorf("mode after Reset = %d, want ComposerQuick", quick.Mode())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComposerSetValueExpandsForMultilineContent(t *testing.T) {
+	// SetValue is a content entry point like InsertPaste and editor return:
+	// multi-line or Markdown content must expand a quick composer, or the
+	// single-line textinput silently flattens the newlines.
+	c := NewComposer(testStyles())
+	c.SetValue("para one\n\npara two")
+	if c.Mode() != ComposerRich {
+		t.Errorf("mode after multi-line SetValue = %d, want ComposerRich", c.Mode())
+	}
+	if c.Value() != "para one\n\npara two" {
+		t.Errorf("value = %q, newlines were flattened", c.Value())
+	}
+
+	// Single-line Markdown expands too — rendering it needs the rich editor.
+	markdown := NewComposer(testStyles())
+	markdown.SetValue("some **bold** text")
+	if markdown.Mode() != ComposerRich {
+		t.Errorf("mode after Markdown SetValue = %d, want ComposerRich", markdown.Mode())
+	}
+
+	single := NewComposer(testStyles())
+	single.SetValue("hello")
+	if single.Mode() != ComposerQuick {
+		t.Errorf("single-line SetValue should stay quick, got %d", single.Mode())
 	}
 }