diff --git a/ui/src/components/IssueRow.test.tsx b/ui/src/components/IssueRow.test.tsx
index 04deb423..d5f67e9d 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/IssueRow.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/IssueRow.test.tsx
@@ -136,4 +136,42 @@ describe("IssueRow", () => {
       root.unmount();
     });
   });
+
+  it("renders titleSuffix inline after the issue title", () => {
+    const root = createRoot(container);
+    const issue = createIssue({ title: "Parent task" });
+
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(
+        <IssueRow
+          issue={issue}
+          titleSuffix={<span data-testid="suffix">(3 sub-tasks)</span>}
+        />,
+      );
+    });
+
+    const titleEl = container.querySelector(".line-clamp-2, .truncate");
+    expect(titleEl?.textContent).toContain("Parent task");
+    expect(titleEl?.textContent).toContain("(3 sub-tasks)");
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-testid="suffix"]')).not.toBeNull();
+
+    act(() => {
+      root.unmount();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("renders without error when titleSuffix is omitted", () => {
+    const root = createRoot(container);
+
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(<IssueRow issue={createIssue()} />);
+    });
+
+    const titleEl = container.querySelector(".line-clamp-2, .truncate");
+    expect(titleEl?.textContent).toContain("Inbox item");
+
+    act(() => {
+      root.unmount();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/ui/src/components/IssuesList.tsx b/ui/src/components/IssuesList.tsx
index 3113d41c..5ac50ee9 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/IssuesList.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/IssuesList.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { Checkbox } from "@/components/ui/checkbox";
 import { Collapsible, CollapsibleTrigger, CollapsibleContent } from "@/components/ui/collapsible";
 import { CircleDot, Plus, Filter, ArrowUpDown, Layers, Check, X, ChevronRight, List, Columns3, User, Search } from "lucide-react";
 import { KanbanBoard } from "./KanbanBoard";
+import { buildIssueTree } from "../lib/issue-tree";
 import type { Issue } from "@paperclipai/shared";
 
 /* ── Helpers ── */
@@ -667,16 +668,7 @@ export function IssuesList({
             )}
             <CollapsibleContent>
               {(() => {
-                const itemIds = new Set(group.items.map((i) => i.id));
-                const roots = group.items.filter((i) => !i.parentId || !itemIds.has(i.parentId));
-                const childMap = new Map<string, Issue[]>();
-                for (const item of group.items) {
-                  if (item.parentId && itemIds.has(item.parentId)) {
-                    const arr = childMap.get(item.parentId) ?? [];
-                    arr.push(item);
-                    childMap.set(item.parentId, arr);
-                  }
-                }
+                const { roots, childMap } = buildIssueTree(group.items);
 
                 const renderIssueRow = (issue: Issue, depth: number) => {
                   const children = childMap.get(issue.id) ?? [];
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/issue-tree.test.ts b/ui/src/lib/issue-tree.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ddb0e6ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/lib/issue-tree.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { Issue } from "@paperclipai/shared";
+import { buildIssueTree } from "./issue-tree";
+
+function makeIssue(id: string, parentId: string | null = null): Issue {
+  return {
+    id,
+    identifier: id.toUpperCase(),
+    companyId: "company-1",
+    projectId: null,
+    projectWorkspaceId: null,
+    goalId: null,
+    parentId,
+    title: `Issue ${id}`,
+    description: null,
+    status: "todo",
+    priority: "medium",
+    assigneeAgentId: null,
+    assigneeUserId: null,
+    createdByAgentId: null,
+    createdByUserId: null,
+    issueNumber: 1,
+    requestDepth: 0,
+    billingCode: null,
+    assigneeAdapterOverrides: null,
+    executionWorkspaceId: null,
+    executionWorkspacePreference: null,
+    executionWorkspaceSettings: null,
+    checkoutRunId: null,
+    executionRunId: null,
+    executionAgentNameKey: null,
+    executionLockedAt: null,
+    startedAt: null,
+    completedAt: null,
+    cancelledAt: null,
+    hiddenAt: null,
+    createdAt: new Date("2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"),
+    updatedAt: new Date("2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"),
+    labels: [],
+    labelIds: [],
+    myLastTouchAt: null,
+    lastExternalCommentAt: null,
+    isUnreadForMe: false,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("buildIssueTree", () => {
+  it("returns all items as roots when no parent-child relationships exist", () => {
+    const items = [makeIssue("a"), makeIssue("b"), makeIssue("c")];
+    const { roots, childMap } = buildIssueTree(items);
+    expect(roots.map((r) => r.id)).toEqual(["a", "b", "c"]);
+    expect(childMap.size).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("places children under their parent and excludes them from roots", () => {
+    const parent = makeIssue("parent");
+    const child1 = makeIssue("child1", "parent");
+    const child2 = makeIssue("child2", "parent");
+    const { roots, childMap } = buildIssueTree([parent, child1, child2]);
+    expect(roots.map((r) => r.id)).toEqual(["parent"]);
+    expect(childMap.get("parent")?.map((c) => c.id)).toEqual(["child1", "child2"]);
+  });
+
+  it("handles multiple levels of nesting", () => {
+    const grandparent = makeIssue("gp");
+    const parent = makeIssue("p", "gp");
+    const child = makeIssue("c", "p");
+    const { roots, childMap } = buildIssueTree([grandparent, parent, child]);
+    expect(roots.map((r) => r.id)).toEqual(["gp"]);
+    expect(childMap.get("gp")?.map((i) => i.id)).toEqual(["p"]);
+    expect(childMap.get("p")?.map((i) => i.id)).toEqual(["c"]);
+  });
+
+  it("promotes orphaned sub-tasks (parent not in list) to root level", () => {
+    // child references a parent that is not in the items array (e.g. filtered out)
+    const child = makeIssue("child", "missing-parent");
+    const unrelated = makeIssue("unrelated");
+    const { roots, childMap } = buildIssueTree([child, unrelated]);
+    expect(roots.map((r) => r.id)).toEqual(["child", "unrelated"]);
+    expect(childMap.size).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("returns empty roots and empty childMap for an empty list", () => {
+    const { roots, childMap } = buildIssueTree([]);
+    expect(roots).toEqual([]);
+    expect(childMap.size).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("preserves list order within roots and within children", () => {
+    const p1 = makeIssue("p1");
+    const p2 = makeIssue("p2");
+    const c1 = makeIssue("c1", "p1");
+    const c2 = makeIssue("c2", "p1");
+    const { roots, childMap } = buildIssueTree([p1, c1, p2, c2]);
+    expect(roots.map((r) => r.id)).toEqual(["p1", "p2"]);
+    expect(childMap.get("p1")?.map((c) => c.id)).toEqual(["c1", "c2"]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/issue-tree.ts b/ui/src/lib/issue-tree.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c5fa8fc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/lib/issue-tree.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import type { Issue } from "@paperclipai/shared";
+
+export interface IssueTree {
+  roots: Issue[];
+  childMap: Map<string, Issue[]>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Builds a parent→children tree from a flat list of issues.
+ *
+ * - `roots` contains issues whose parent is absent from the list (or have no
+ *   parent at all), so orphaned sub-tasks are always visible at root level.
+ * - `childMap` maps each parent id to its direct children in list order.
+ */
+export function buildIssueTree(items: Issue[]): IssueTree {
+  const itemIds = new Set(items.map((i) => i.id));
+  const roots = items.filter((i) => !i.parentId || !itemIds.has(i.parentId));
+  const childMap = new Map<string, Issue[]>();
+  for (const item of items) {
+    if (item.parentId && itemIds.has(item.parentId)) {
+      const arr = childMap.get(item.parentId) ?? [];
+      arr.push(item);
+      childMap.set(item.parentId, arr);
+    }
+  }
+  return { roots, childMap };
+}