diff --git a/lua/pending/textobj.lua b/lua/pending/textobj.lua
index 3f33197..77a6539 100644
--- a/lua/pending/textobj.lua
+++ b/lua/pending/textobj.lua
@@ -21,50 +21,40 @@ end
 ---@return integer start_col
 ---@return integer end_col
 function M.inner_task_range(line)
-  local prefix_end = line:find('/') and select(2, line:find('^/%d+/- %[.%] '))
+  local prefix_end = line:find('/') and select(2, line:find('^/%d+/%- %[.%] '))
   if not prefix_end then
-    prefix_end = select(2, line:find('^- %[.%] ')) or 0
+    prefix_end = select(2, line:find('^%- %[.%] ')) or 0
   end
   local start_col = prefix_end + 1
 
   local dk = config.get().date_syntax or 'due'
   local rk = config.get().recur_syntax or 'rec'
-  local dk_esc = vim.pesc(dk)
-  local rk_esc = vim.pesc(rk)
+  local dk_pat = '^' .. vim.pesc(dk) .. ':%S+$'
+  local rk_pat = '^' .. vim.pesc(rk) .. ':%S+$'
 
-  local desc_end = #line
-  local tokens = {}
-  for token in line:gmatch('%S+') do
-    table.insert(tokens, token)
+  local rest = line:sub(start_col)
+  local words = {}
+  for word in rest:gmatch('%S+') do
+    table.insert(words, word)
   end
 
-  local i = #tokens
+  local i = #words
   while i >= 1 do
-    local token = tokens[i]
-    if token:match('^' .. dk_esc .. ':%S+$')
-      or token:match('^cat:%S+$')
-      or token:match('^' .. rk_esc .. ':%S+$')
-    then
+    local word = words[i]
+    if word:match(dk_pat) or word:match('^cat:%S+$') or word:match(rk_pat) then
       i = i - 1
     else
       break
     end
   end
 
-  if i < #tokens then
-    local rebuilt = {}
-    for j = 1, i do
-      table.insert(rebuilt, tokens[j])
-    end
-    local desc_text = table.concat(rebuilt, ' ')
-    local search_start = prefix_end
-    local found = line:find(desc_text, search_start + 1, true)
-    if found then
-      desc_end = found + #desc_text - 1
-    end
+  if i < 1 then
+    return start_col, start_col
   end
 
-  return start_col, desc_end
+  local desc = table.concat(words, ' ', 1, i)
+  local end_col = start_col + #desc - 1
+  return start_col, end_col
 end
 
 ---@param row integer
diff --git a/spec/textobj_spec.lua b/spec/textobj_spec.lua
index 0d05c47..fa7ac65 100644
--- a/spec/textobj_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/textobj_spec.lua
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ describe('textobj', function()
   describe('inner_task_range', function()
     it('returns description range for task with id prefix', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Buy groceries')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(23, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(22, e)
     end)
 
     it('returns description range for task without id prefix', function()
@@ -30,78 +30,78 @@ describe('textobj', function()
 
     it('excludes trailing due: token', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Buy groceries due:2026-03-15')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(23, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(22, e)
     end)
 
     it('excludes trailing cat: token', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Buy groceries cat:Errands')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(23, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(22, e)
     end)
 
     it('excludes trailing rec: token', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Take out trash rec:weekly')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(25, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(23, e)
     end)
 
     it('excludes multiple trailing metadata tokens', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Buy milk due:2026-03-15 cat:Errands rec:weekly')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(18, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(17, e)
     end)
 
     it('handles priority checkbox', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [!] Important task')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(24, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(23, e)
     end)
 
     it('handles done checkbox', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [x] Finished task')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(23, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(22, e)
     end)
 
     it('handles multi-digit task ids', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/123/- [ ] Some task')
-      assert.are.equal(13, s)
-      assert.are.equal(21, e)
+      assert.are.equal(12, s)
+      assert.are.equal(20, e)
     end)
 
     it('does not strip non-metadata tokens', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Buy groceries for dinner')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(34, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(33, e)
     end)
 
     it('stops stripping at first non-metadata token from right', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Buy groceries for dinner due:2026-03-15')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(34, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(33, e)
     end)
 
     it('respects custom date_syntax', function()
       vim.g.pending = { date_syntax = 'by' }
       config.reset()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Buy groceries by:2026-03-15')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(23, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(22, e)
     end)
 
     it('respects custom recur_syntax', function()
       vim.g.pending = { recur_syntax = 'repeat' }
       config.reset()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] Take trash repeat:weekly')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(20, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(19, e)
     end)
 
     it('handles task with only metadata after description', function()
       local s, e = textobj.inner_task_range('/1/- [ ] X due:tomorrow')
-      assert.are.equal(11, s)
-      assert.are.equal(11, e)
+      assert.are.equal(10, s)
+      assert.are.equal(10, e)
     end)
   end)
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ describe('textobj', function()
       }
       local h, l = textobj.category_bounds(2, meta)
       assert.are.equal(1, h)
-      assert.are.equal(2, l)
+      assert.are.equal(3, l)
     end)
 
     it('returns bounds for second category', function()