diff --git a/internal/issue/blocking.go b/internal/issue/blocking.go
index 8da2e44b..641d5a9e 100644
--- a/internal/issue/blocking.go
+++ b/internal/issue/blocking.go
@@ -445,15 +445,25 @@ func (o *subtreeOverlay) effectiveBlockedBy(iss *Issue) []string {
 // buildSubtreeOverlay builds subtrees from parent fields, collects
 // external blockers per display root, and marks all descendants.
 //
-// A "display root" is the shallowest open/deferred ancestor with children.
-// When an ancestor is in_progress or in_review it is already claimed work, so
-// we drill past it to surface the actual next-step descendants.
+// A "display root" is the shallowest open ancestor with children that has not
+// yet been claimed. We drill past a node (recursing into its children to
+// surface the actual next-step frontier) when:
+//   - it is in_progress or in_review — already claimed work; or
+//   - it is open but a descendant is already in_progress/in_review — work has
+//     begun inside the subtree even though the node itself was never started,
+//     so the node is effectively underway and is suppressed from its own
+//     listing; or
+//   - it is deferred with an unexpired defer date — the node is hidden from
+//     ready, but its open, unblocked children should still surface as the
+//     frontier rather than being collapsed away with the hidden parent.
 func (s *Store) buildSubtreeOverlay() *subtreeOverlay {
 	overlay := &subtreeOverlay{
 		descendants:      make(map[string]bool),
 		externalBlockers: make(map[string][]string),
 	}
 
+	now := s.Now()
+
 	// Load all non-closed issues
 	var allIDs []string
 	for _, status := range []string{"open", "in_progress", "in_review", "deferred"} {
@@ -473,9 +483,26 @@ func (s *Store) buildSubtreeOverlay() *subtreeOverlay {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// subtreeHasClaimedWork reports whether any descendant of id (not id
+	// itself) is in_progress or in_review.
+	var subtreeHasClaimedWork func(id string) bool
+	subtreeHasClaimedWork = func(id string) bool {
+		for _, c := range children[id] {
+			ci := issues[c]
+			if ci == nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			if ci.Status == "in_progress" || ci.Status == "in_review" {
+				return true
+			}
+			if subtreeHasClaimedWork(c) {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+
 	// Walk down from each top-level structural root to find display roots.
-	// Claimed nodes (in_progress/in_review) are not display roots themselves —
-	// we recurse into their children to surface the actual ready frontier.
 	var displayRoots []string
 	var walk func(id string)
 	walk = func(id string) {
@@ -483,13 +510,33 @@ func (s *Store) buildSubtreeOverlay() *subtreeOverlay {
 		if iss == nil {
 			return
 		}
+		// Claimed work: drill past to surface the frontier beneath it.
 		if iss.Status == "in_progress" || iss.Status == "in_review" {
 			for _, c := range children[id] {
 				walk(c)
 			}
 			return
 		}
+		// Future-deferred node: hidden from ready, but its children should
+		// still surface. Drill past without listing it (the deferred loop in
+		// Ready will not re-add it while its deferral is unexpired).
+		if iss.Status == "deferred" && !IsDeferralExpired(iss.DeferUntil, now) {
+			for _, c := range children[id] {
+				walk(c)
+			}
+			return
+		}
 		if len(children[id]) > 0 {
+			// An open node with claimed work inside it is effectively
+			// underway. Drill past it to surface the live frontier, and
+			// suppress the node from its own listing.
+			if subtreeHasClaimedWork(id) {
+				overlay.descendants[id] = true
+				for _, c := range children[id] {
+					walk(c)
+				}
+				return
+			}
 			displayRoots = append(displayRoots, id)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/issue/blocking_test.go b/internal/issue/blocking_test.go
index a1827f06..421b5612 100644
--- a/internal/issue/blocking_test.go
+++ b/internal/issue/blocking_test.go
@@ -1528,6 +1528,150 @@ func TestReadyStopsAtOpenIntermediateNode(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// When a child is started directly (without first starting the parent epic),
+// the epic stays open but work has begun inside it. Ready() should drill past
+// the open epic and surface the open sibling frontier — not collapse to just
+// the epic and hide the actionable siblings.
+func TestReadyDrillsPastOpenRootWithClaimedChild(t *testing.T) {
+	env := testutil.NewEnv(t)
+	defer env.Cleanup()
+
+	epic, _ := env.Store.Create("Epic", issue.CreateOpts{Type: "epic"})
+	childB, _ := env.Store.Create("Child B", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: epic.ID})
+	childC, _ := env.Store.Create("Child C", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: epic.ID})
+	env.CommitIntent("setup")
+
+	// Start child B directly; the epic is left open.
+	if _, err := env.Store.Start(childB.ID, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Start child: %v", err)
+	}
+	env.CommitIntent("start " + childB.ID)
+
+	ready, err := env.Store.Ready()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Ready: %v", err)
+	}
+	ids := make(map[string]bool)
+	for _, r := range ready {
+		ids[r.ID] = true
+	}
+	if !ids[childC.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("open sibling C should surface as the frontier, got %v", ids)
+	}
+	if ids[epic.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("open epic should be suppressed (work claimed inside it), got %v", ids)
+	}
+	if ids[childB.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("in_progress child B should not appear in ready, got %v", ids)
+	}
+}
+
+// An open epic with no claimed work inside it keeps the original behavior:
+// the epic is the display root and its children stay hidden until it's started.
+func TestReadyOpenRootNoClaimedWorkStillCollapses(t *testing.T) {
+	env := testutil.NewEnv(t)
+	defer env.Cleanup()
+
+	epic, _ := env.Store.Create("Epic", issue.CreateOpts{Type: "epic"})
+	childB, _ := env.Store.Create("Child B", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: epic.ID})
+	childC, _ := env.Store.Create("Child C", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: epic.ID})
+	env.CommitIntent("setup")
+
+	ready, err := env.Store.Ready()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Ready: %v", err)
+	}
+	ids := make(map[string]bool)
+	for _, r := range ready {
+		ids[r.ID] = true
+	}
+	if !ids[epic.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("epic should be the display root, got %v", ids)
+	}
+	if ids[childB.ID] || ids[childC.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("children should stay hidden under an unstarted epic, got %v", ids)
+	}
+}
+
+// A future-deferred epic is hidden from ready, but its open, unblocked children
+// should still surface as the frontier rather than being suppressed along with
+// the hidden parent.
+func TestReadyDeferredParentSurfacesOpenChildren(t *testing.T) {
+	env := testutil.NewEnv(t)
+	defer env.Cleanup()
+
+	epic, _ := env.Store.Create("Epic", issue.CreateOpts{Type: "epic"})
+	childE, _ := env.Store.Create("Child E", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: epic.ID})
+	childF, _ := env.Store.Create("Child F", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: epic.ID})
+	env.CommitIntent("setup")
+
+	// Defer the epic far into the future; children remain open and unblocked.
+	deferred := "deferred"
+	deferDate := "2099-01-01"
+	if _, err := env.Store.Update(epic.ID, issue.UpdateOpts{Status: &deferred, DeferUntil: &deferDate}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("defer epic: %v", err)
+	}
+	env.CommitIntent("defer " + epic.ID)
+
+	ready, err := env.Store.Ready()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Ready: %v", err)
+	}
+	ids := make(map[string]bool)
+	for _, r := range ready {
+		ids[r.ID] = true
+	}
+	if !ids[childE.ID] || !ids[childF.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("open children of a deferred epic should surface, got %v", ids)
+	}
+	if ids[epic.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("future-deferred epic should not appear in ready, got %v", ids)
+	}
+}
+
+// When work is claimed two levels down (a grandchild started while both the
+// epic and the intermediate node stay open), Ready() must still recognize the
+// subtree as underway: suppress the open epic AND the open intermediate, and
+// surface the open sibling as the frontier. This exercises the recursive
+// descent in subtreeHasClaimedWork.
+func TestReadyDrillsPastOpenRootWithTransitivelyClaimedChild(t *testing.T) {
+	env := testutil.NewEnv(t)
+	defer env.Cleanup()
+
+	epic, _ := env.Store.Create("Epic", issue.CreateOpts{Type: "epic"})
+	mid, _ := env.Store.Create("Mid", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: epic.ID})
+	leaf, _ := env.Store.Create("Leaf", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: mid.ID})
+	sib, _ := env.Store.Create("Sib", issue.CreateOpts{Parent: epic.ID})
+	env.CommitIntent("setup")
+
+	// Start the grandchild directly; epic and mid are left open.
+	if _, err := env.Store.Start(leaf.ID, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Start leaf: %v", err)
+	}
+	env.CommitIntent("start " + leaf.ID)
+
+	ready, err := env.Store.Ready()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Ready: %v", err)
+	}
+	ids := make(map[string]bool)
+	for _, r := range ready {
+		ids[r.ID] = true
+	}
+	if !ids[sib.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("open sibling should surface as the frontier, got %v", ids)
+	}
+	if ids[epic.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("open epic should be suppressed (transitively claimed work), got %v", ids)
+	}
+	if ids[mid.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("open intermediate node should be suppressed (claimed child below it), got %v", ids)
+	}
+	if ids[leaf.ID] {
+		t.Errorf("in_progress leaf should not appear in ready, got %v", ids)
+	}
+}
+
 // External blockers should bubble to the display root (which can be a deeper
 // node than the top-level epic when the epic is in_progress).
 func TestReadyExternalBlockerBubblesToDisplayRoot(t *testing.T) {