diff --git a/lib/cli/cli_args.dart b/lib/cli/cli_args.dart
index 1ba53f9..a345ebf 100644
--- a/lib/cli/cli_args.dart
+++ b/lib/cli/cli_args.dart
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ class CliArgs {
         case '--get' || '--delete' || '--close':
           modes.add(CliMode.values.byName(arg.substring(2)));
           id = value();
+        case '--set-text':
+          modes.add(CliMode.setText);
+          id = value();
         case '--set-status':
           modes.add(CliMode.setStatus);
           id = value();
@@ -74,7 +77,8 @@ class CliArgs {
     if (modes.contains(CliMode.help)) return const CliArgs(mode: CliMode.help);
     if (modes.length > 1) {
       throw UsageError(
-        '--list, --search, --get, --delete, --set-status, --close and '
+        '--list, --search, --get, --delete, --set-status, --set-text, '
+        '--close and '
         '--backfill-created-by are mutually exclusive',
       );
     }
@@ -110,7 +114,8 @@ class CliArgs {
   /// The selected mode.
   final CliMode mode;
 
-  /// Note text from `--text`; null means "read stdin" in [CliMode.add].
+  /// Note text from `--text`; null means "read stdin" in [CliMode.add] and
+  /// [CliMode.setText].
   final String? text;
 
   /// Full id or 8+ character prefix of the note an id mode acts on.
@@ -146,7 +151,7 @@ class CliArgs {
 
   static const _adding = 'when adding a note';
   static const Map<String, (String, Set<CliMode>)> _scopes = {
-    '--text': (_adding, {CliMode.add}),
+    '--text': ('$_adding or to --set-text', {CliMode.add, CliMode.setText}),
     '--done-check': (_adding, {CliMode.add}),
     '--by': (_adding, {CliMode.add}),
     '--repo': (
diff --git a/lib/cli/cli_commands.dart b/lib/cli/cli_commands.dart
index a00ec68..f185800 100644
--- a/lib/cli/cli_commands.dart
+++ b/lib/cli/cli_commands.dart
@@ -136,6 +136,15 @@ class CliCommands {
     return 0;
   }
 
+  /// Replaces a note's whole text (title is its first line) and pushes it.
+  Future<int> setText(String ref, String text) async {
+    final note = await _pullAndFind(ref);
+    await _save(note.copyWith(text: text));
+    if (!await _push('text change')) return 1;
+    _out.writeln('${note.id}\ttext');
+    return 0;
+  }
+
   /// Marks a note done with [evidence], keeping it, and pushes it.
   Future<int> close(String ref, String evidence) async {
     final note = await _pullAndFind(ref);
diff --git a/lib/cli/cli_mode.dart b/lib/cli/cli_mode.dart
index b1671fa..0125bea 100644
--- a/lib/cli/cli_mode.dart
+++ b/lib/cli/cli_mode.dart
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ enum CliMode {
   /// Change one note's status and push it.
   setStatus,
 
+  /// Replace one note's whole text and push it.
+  setText,
+
   /// Set a task done with evidence and push it.
   close,
 
diff --git a/lib/cli/cli_runner.dart b/lib/cli/cli_runner.dart
index d29af6f..886bf04 100644
--- a/lib/cli/cli_runner.dart
+++ b/lib/cli/cli_runner.dart
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Future<int> runCli(
     return 0;
   }
   String? text;
-  if (args.mode == CliMode.add) {
+  if (args.mode == CliMode.add || args.mode == CliMode.setText) {
     text = args.text ?? await readStdin();
     if (text.trim().isEmpty) {
       err.writeln('error: empty note (pass --text or pipe text on stdin)');
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ Future<int> runCli(
       CliMode.list || CliMode.search => await cli.list(args),
       CliMode.get => await cli.get(args.id!),
       CliMode.setStatus => await cli.setStatus(args.id!, args.status!),
+      CliMode.setText => await cli.setText(args.id!, text!),
       CliMode.close => await cli.close(args.id!, args.opts.evidence!),
       CliMode.backfill => await cli.backfillCreatedBy(
         claudeNodeIds(env),
diff --git a/lib/cli/cli_usage.dart b/lib/cli/cli_usage.dart
index f02f673..2758338 100644
--- a/lib/cli/cli_usage.dart
+++ b/lib/cli/cli_usage.dart
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ A note with --repo is a repo task; one without is a plain idea.
   --get <id>            pull, then print one note in full (exit 1 if absent)
   --delete <id>         pull, tombstone the note, push
   --set-status <id> <s> pull, change the note's status (as --status), push
+  --set-text <id>       pull, replace the note's whole text with --text (or
+                        stdin; first line = title), keep its other fields, push
   --close <id> --evidence <s>
                         pull, set status done + evidence (commit sha + done
                         check exit code), push; refused without --evidence
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index 019bf52..a123c84 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ publish_to: 'none' # Remove this line if you wish to publish to pub.dev
 # https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/General/Reference/InfoPlistKeyReference/Articles/CoreFoundationKeys.html
 # In Windows, build-name is used as the major, minor, and patch parts
 # of the product and file versions while build-number is used as the build suffix.
-version: 1.0.71+1
+version: 1.0.72+1
 
 environment:
   sdk: ^3.12.2
diff --git a/test/cli/cli_harness.dart b/test/cli/cli_harness.dart
index aa9d1c2..cc2cd5d 100644
--- a/test/cli/cli_harness.dart
+++ b/test/cli/cli_harness.dart
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ class CliHarness {
 
   String dir(String name) => '${tmp.path}/$name';
 
-  Future<int> run(List<String> argv, {SessionOpener? opener}) async {
+  Future<int> run(
+    List<String> argv, {
+    SessionOpener? opener,
+    String stdin = '',
+  }) async {
     out.clear();
     err.clear();
     return runCli(
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ class CliHarness {
       env: env,
       out: out,
       err: err,
-      readStdin: () async => '',
+      readStdin: () async => stdin,
       open:
           opener ?? (d, {required seedCredentials}) => open(d, seedCredentials),
     );
diff --git a/test/cli/cli_set_text_test.dart b/test/cli/cli_set_text_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f1a97c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cli/cli_set_text_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+// --set-text: replace a note's whole text, keeping every other field.
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:todo/cli/cli_args.dart';
+import 'package:todo/cli/cli_mode.dart';
+import 'package:todo/cli/cli_session.dart';
+
+import 'cli_harness.dart';
+import 'scripted_session.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  late CliHarness h;
+  setUp(() => h = CliHarness());
+  tearDown(() => h.dispose());
+
+  test('--set-text replaces the text and keeps repo and status', () async {
+    final id = await h.add('Old title\nold body', ['--repo', 'kuhyx/todo']);
+    expect(await h.run(['--set-status', id, 'in_progress']), 0);
+    expect(
+      await h.run([
+        '--set-text',
+        id.substring(0, 8),
+        '--text',
+        'New title\nnew body',
+        '--data-dir',
+        h.dir('a'),
+      ]),
+      0,
+    );
+    expect(h.out.toString().trim(), '$id\ttext');
+    expect(await h.run(['--get', id, '--data-dir', h.dir('b')]), 0);
+    expect(
+      h.out.toString(),
+      allOf(
+        contains('New title\nnew body'),
+        isNot(contains('old body')),
+        contains('repo: kuhyx/todo'),
+        contains('in_progress'),
+      ),
+    );
+  });
+
+  test('--set-text reads stdin when --text is absent', () async {
+    final id = await h.add('Old');
+    expect(await h.run(['--set-text', id], stdin: 'From stdin'), 0);
+    expect(await h.run(['--get', id, '--data-dir', h.dir('b')]), 0);
+    expect(h.out.toString(), contains('From stdin'));
+  });
+
+  test('--set-text refuses empty text and changes nothing', () async {
+    final id = await h.add('Keep me');
+    expect(await h.run(['--set-text', id, '--text', '  ']), 2);
+    expect(h.err.toString(), contains('empty note'));
+    expect(await h.run(['--get', id]), 0);
+    expect(h.out.toString(), contains('Keep me'));
+  });
+
+  test('--set-text on a missing id exits 1', () async {
+    expect(await h.run(['--set-text', 'ffffffff', '--text', 'x']), 1);
+    expect(h.err.toString(), contains('no live note with id ffffffff'));
+  });
+
+  test('--set-text fails when the push reports nothing published', () async {
+    Future<CliSession> opener(String d, {required String seedCredentials}) =>
+        ScriptedSession.create(h.db.client, [true, false], noteId: 'stuck');
+    expect(
+      await h.run(['--set-text', 'stuck', '--text', 'x'], opener: opener),
+      1,
+    );
+    expect(h.err.toString(), contains('text change saved locally'));
+  });
+
+  test('parse: --set-text takes an id and allows --text', () {
+    final args = CliArgs.parse(['--set-text', 'abc', '--text', 'T']);
+    expect(args.mode, CliMode.setText);
+    expect(args.id, 'abc');
+    expect(args.text, 'T');
+    expect(() => CliArgs.parse(['--set-text']), throwsA(isA<UsageError>()));
+    expect(
+      () => CliArgs.parse(['--set-text', 'a', '--repo', 'kuhyx/todo']),
+      throwsA(isA<UsageError>()),
+    );
+  });
+}