diff --git a/veans/internal/commands/claim.go b/veans/internal/commands/claim.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..312d366b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veans/internal/commands/claim.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/client"
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/output"
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/status"
+)
+
+func newClaimCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "claim <id>",
+		Short: "Claim a task: assign the bot, move to In Progress, tag with branch",
+		Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			rt, err := loadRuntime()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			id, err := rt.resolveTaskID(cmd.Context(), args[0])
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			// Move to In Progress.
+			bid, err := status.BucketID(status.InProgress, rt.cfg.Buckets)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			task, err := rt.client.UpdateTask(cmd.Context(), id, &client.Task{
+				ID:       id,
+				BucketID: bid,
+				Done:     false,
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			// Assign the bot. Idempotent on repeat — Vikunja returns 409 if
+			// already assigned, which we map to a soft-skip.
+			if err := rt.client.AddAssignee(cmd.Context(), id, rt.cfg.Bot.UserID); err != nil {
+				if oe, ok := err.(*output.Error); !ok || oe.Code != output.CodeConflict {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Tag with the current branch label, if there is one.
+			if branch := currentGitBranch(); branch != "" {
+				labelTitle := branchLabel(branch)
+				l, err := getOrCreateLabelByTitle(cmd.Context(), rt.client, labelTitle)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				if err := rt.client.AddLabelToTask(cmd.Context(), id, l.ID); err != nil {
+					if oe, ok := err.(*output.Error); !ok || oe.Code != output.CodeConflict {
+						return err
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			fresh, err := rt.client.GetTask(cmd.Context(), id)
+			if err == nil {
+				task = fresh
+			}
+
+			if globals.JSON {
+				return json.NewEncoder(cmd.OutOrStdout()).Encode(task)
+			}
+			fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "Claimed %s  %s\n",
+				rt.cfg.FormatTaskID(task.Index), task.Title)
+			return nil
+		},
+	}
+	return cmd
+}
diff --git a/veans/internal/commands/create.go b/veans/internal/commands/create.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21e218b66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veans/internal/commands/create.go
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/client"
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/output"
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/status"
+)
+
+type createFlags struct {
+	description string
+	statusName  string
+	priority    int64
+	labels      []string
+	parent      string
+	blockedBy   []string
+}
+
+func newCreateCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	f := &createFlags{}
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:     "create <title>",
+		Aliases: []string{"c"},
+		Short:   "Create a new task",
+		Args:    cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			rt, err := loadRuntime()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			task, err := runCreate(cmd.Context(), rt, args[0], f)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if globals.JSON {
+				return json.NewEncoder(cmd.OutOrStdout()).Encode(task)
+			}
+			fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "Created %s  %s\n",
+				rt.cfg.FormatTaskID(task.Index), task.Title)
+			return nil
+		},
+	}
+	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&f.description, "description", "d", "", "task description (markdown)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&f.statusName, "status", "s", "todo", "initial status (defaults to todo)")
+	cmd.Flags().Int64Var(&f.priority, "priority", 0, "priority (0=unset, 1=low, 5=DO_NOW)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&f.labels, "label", nil, "labels to attach (repeatable; veans: prefix added if missing)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&f.parent, "parent", "", "parent task ID (creates parenttask relation)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&f.blockedBy, "blocked-by", nil, "task IDs that block this one (repeatable)")
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func runCreate(ctx context.Context, rt *runtime, title string, f *createFlags) (*client.Task, error) {
+	st, err := status.Parse(f.statusName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	bucketID, err := status.BucketID(st, rt.cfg.Buckets)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	created, err := rt.client.CreateTask(ctx, rt.cfg.ProjectID, &client.Task{
+		Title:       strings.TrimSpace(title),
+		Description: f.description,
+		Priority:    f.priority,
+		ProjectID:   rt.cfg.ProjectID,
+		BucketID:    bucketID,
+		Done:        st.Done(),
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// If the initial bucket isn't where Vikunja put it (defaults to first
+	// bucket on the view), nudge it explicitly.
+	if created.BucketID != bucketID {
+		updated, err := rt.client.UpdateTask(ctx, created.ID, &client.Task{
+			ID:       created.ID,
+			BucketID: bucketID,
+			Done:     st.Done(),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, output.Wrap(output.CodeUnknown, err, "set initial bucket: %v", err)
+		}
+		created = updated
+	}
+
+	// Attach labels (lazily creating them under veans: namespace).
+	for _, raw := range f.labels {
+		title := normalizeLabelTitle(raw)
+		l, err := getOrCreateLabelByTitle(ctx, rt.client, title)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, output.Wrap(output.CodeUnknown, err, "label %q: %v", title, err)
+		}
+		if err := rt.client.AddLabelToTask(ctx, created.ID, l.ID); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Parent relation.
+	if f.parent != "" {
+		parentID, err := rt.resolveTaskID(ctx, f.parent)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if _, err := rt.client.CreateRelation(ctx, created.ID, parentID, "parenttask"); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Blocked-by relations.
+	for _, ref := range f.blockedBy {
+		blockerID, err := rt.resolveTaskID(ctx, ref)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if _, err := rt.client.CreateRelation(ctx, created.ID, blockerID, "blocked"); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Re-fetch so the response reflects the labels and any post-create state.
+	final, err := rt.client.GetTask(ctx, created.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return created, nil // partial success — caller still got a usable task
+	}
+	return final, nil
+}
diff --git a/veans/internal/commands/labels.go b/veans/internal/commands/labels.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0dc1830ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veans/internal/commands/labels.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/client"
+)
+
+// labelNamespace is auto-prepended to label names that don't already have it,
+// so the agent's labels live in their own corner of the user's global label
+// list and don't pollute manually-curated labels.
+const labelNamespace = "veans:"
+
+func normalizeLabelTitle(raw string) string {
+	t := strings.TrimSpace(raw)
+	if t == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(t, labelNamespace) {
+		return t
+	}
+	return labelNamespace + t
+}
+
+// getOrCreateLabelByTitle returns the ID of the label with the given title,
+// creating it under the current user if it doesn't exist. Labels are global
+// per user in Vikunja, so this only finds labels visible to whoever the
+// `c` client is authenticated as (i.e. the bot when called from veans).
+func getOrCreateLabelByTitle(ctx context.Context, c *client.Client, title string) (*client.Label, error) {
+	existing, err := c.ListLabels(ctx, title)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	for _, l := range existing {
+		if l.Title == title {
+			return l, nil
+		}
+	}
+	created, err := c.CreateLabel(ctx, &client.Label{Title: title})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return created, nil
+}
+
+// findLabelOnTask returns the label with the given (already-normalized)
+// title attached to the task, or nil. Used by --label-remove to know which
+// label ID to detach.
+func findLabelOnTask(t *client.Task, title string) *client.Label {
+	for _, l := range t.Labels {
+		if l != nil && l.Title == title {
+			return l
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/veans/internal/commands/root.go b/veans/internal/commands/root.go
index 0c35df120..29e603d7f 100644
--- a/veans/internal/commands/root.go
+++ b/veans/internal/commands/root.go
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ func Root(version string) *cobra.Command {
 	root.AddCommand(newInitCmd())
 	root.AddCommand(newListCmd())
 	root.AddCommand(newShowCmd())
+	root.AddCommand(newCreateCmd())
+	root.AddCommand(newUpdateCmd())
+	root.AddCommand(newClaimCmd())
 
 	return root
 }
diff --git a/veans/internal/commands/update.go b/veans/internal/commands/update.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a6f57475
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veans/internal/commands/update.go
@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/client"
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/output"
+	"code.vikunja.io/veans/internal/status"
+)
+
+type updateFlags struct {
+	statusName       string
+	title            string
+	priority         int64
+	priorityIsSet    bool
+	addLabels        []string
+	removeLabels     []string
+	description      string
+	descriptionIsSet bool
+	replaceOld       string
+	replaceNew       string
+	descriptionApp   string
+	comment          string
+	reason           string
+	ifUnchangedSince string
+}
+
+func newUpdateCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	f := &updateFlags{}
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:     "update <id>",
+		Aliases: []string{"u"},
+		Short:   "Update a task by PROJ-NN, #NN, or numeric ID",
+		Args:    cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			rt, err := loadRuntime()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			f.descriptionIsSet = cmd.Flags().Changed("description")
+			f.priorityIsSet = cmd.Flags().Changed("priority")
+
+			id, err := rt.resolveTaskID(cmd.Context(), args[0])
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			task, err := runUpdate(cmd.Context(), rt, id, f)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if globals.JSON {
+				return json.NewEncoder(cmd.OutOrStdout()).Encode(task)
+			}
+			s := status.FromBucketID(task.BucketID, rt.cfg.Buckets)
+			fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "Updated %s  [%s]  %s\n",
+				rt.cfg.FormatTaskID(task.Index), s, task.Title)
+			return nil
+		},
+	}
+	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&f.statusName, "status", "s", "", "transition to a status")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&f.title, "title", "t", "", "new title")
+	cmd.Flags().Int64Var(&f.priority, "priority", 0, "new priority")
+	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&f.addLabels, "label-add", nil, "labels to attach (repeatable; veans: prefix added if missing)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&f.removeLabels, "label-remove", nil, "labels to detach (repeatable)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&f.description, "description", "", "replace the entire description")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&f.replaceOld, "description-replace-old", "", "exact-match string to replace in description (must be unique)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&f.replaceNew, "description-replace-new", "", "replacement for --description-replace-old")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&f.descriptionApp, "description-append", "", "append text to the existing description")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&f.comment, "comment", "c", "", "post a comment as part of this update")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&f.reason, "reason", "", "rationale (required when --status scrapped)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&f.ifUnchangedSince, "if-unchanged-since", "", "RFC3339 timestamp; abort if the task has changed since")
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func runUpdate(ctx context.Context, rt *runtime, id int64, f *updateFlags) (*client.Task, error) {
+	current, err := rt.client.GetTask(ctx, id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// Optimistic concurrency.
+	if f.ifUnchangedSince != "" {
+		ts, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, f.ifUnchangedSince)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, output.Wrap(output.CodeValidation, err, "parse --if-unchanged-since: %v", err)
+		}
+		if current.Updated.After(ts) {
+			return nil, output.New(output.CodeConflict,
+				"task %s changed at %s, after --if-unchanged-since %s",
+				rt.cfg.FormatTaskID(current.Index), current.Updated.Format(time.RFC3339), ts.Format(time.RFC3339))
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Resolve new status / done flag if --status is set.
+	var newStatus status.Status
+	if f.statusName != "" {
+		s, err := status.Parse(f.statusName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		newStatus = s
+		if s == status.Scrapped && strings.TrimSpace(f.reason) == "" {
+			return nil, output.New(output.CodeValidation, "--reason is required when --status scrapped")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Build the update payload incrementally so we don't clobber unmentioned
+	// fields. The base must include the ID; bucket/done are conditional.
+	body := &client.Task{ID: id}
+	dirty := false
+
+	if f.title != "" {
+		body.Title = f.title
+		dirty = true
+	}
+	if f.priorityIsSet {
+		body.Priority = f.priority
+		dirty = true
+	}
+
+	// Description ops are mutually-exclusive layers; --description wins
+	// outright, otherwise replace-old/new + append run on the current body.
+	newDesc, descChanged, err := composeDescription(current.Description, f)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if descChanged {
+		body.Description = newDesc
+		dirty = true
+	}
+
+	if newStatus != "" {
+		bid, err := status.BucketID(newStatus, rt.cfg.Buckets)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		body.BucketID = bid
+		body.Done = newStatus.Done()
+		dirty = true
+	}
+
+	// Comment first when transitioning to scrapped — the reason is part of
+	// the audit trail and should appear before the bucket move in the log.
+	if newStatus == status.Scrapped {
+		if _, err := rt.client.AddTaskComment(ctx, id, "**Scrapped:** "+strings.TrimSpace(f.reason)); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	if f.comment != "" {
+		if _, err := rt.client.AddTaskComment(ctx, id, f.comment); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Apply the field update if anything changed.
+	updated := current
+	if dirty {
+		u, err := rt.client.UpdateTask(ctx, id, body)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		updated = u
+	}
+
+	// Label add/remove run after the field update so a status transition
+	// can't clobber freshly-attached labels.
+	for _, raw := range f.addLabels {
+		title := normalizeLabelTitle(raw)
+		l, err := getOrCreateLabelByTitle(ctx, rt.client, title)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if err := rt.client.AddLabelToTask(ctx, id, l.ID); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	for _, raw := range f.removeLabels {
+		title := normalizeLabelTitle(raw)
+		if l := findLabelOnTask(updated, title); l != nil {
+			if err := rt.client.RemoveLabelFromTask(ctx, id, l.ID); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(f.addLabels) > 0 || len(f.removeLabels) > 0 {
+		fresh, err := rt.client.GetTask(ctx, id)
+		if err == nil {
+			updated = fresh
+		}
+	}
+
+	return updated, nil
+}
+
+// composeDescription folds --description / --description-replace-* / --description-append
+// into the existing body. Returns (new, changed, error).
+func composeDescription(existing string, f *updateFlags) (string, bool, error) {
+	if f.descriptionIsSet {
+		// --description replaces wholesale.
+		return f.description, true, nil
+	}
+
+	out := existing
+	changed := false
+
+	if f.replaceOld != "" || f.replaceNew != "" {
+		if f.replaceOld == "" {
+			return "", false, output.New(output.CodeValidation, "--description-replace-new requires --description-replace-old")
+		}
+		count := strings.Count(out, f.replaceOld)
+		switch {
+		case count == 0:
+			return "", false, output.New(output.CodeValidation,
+				"--description-replace-old not found in description")
+		case count > 1:
+			return "", false, output.New(output.CodeValidation,
+				"--description-replace-old matched %d times — make it unique", count)
+		}
+		out = strings.Replace(out, f.replaceOld, f.replaceNew, 1)
+		changed = true
+	}
+
+	if f.descriptionApp != "" {
+		if out != "" && !strings.HasSuffix(out, "\n") {
+			out += "\n"
+		}
+		out += f.descriptionApp
+		changed = true
+	}
+
+	return out, changed, nil
+}
diff --git a/veans/internal/commands/update_test.go b/veans/internal/commands/update_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46985946f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/veans/internal/commands/update_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestComposeDescription_FullReplace(t *testing.T) {
+	f := &updateFlags{description: "new body", descriptionIsSet: true}
+	got, changed, err := composeDescription("old body", f)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !changed || got != "new body" {
+		t.Fatalf("got %q changed=%v", got, changed)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComposeDescription_SurgicalReplace(t *testing.T) {
+	f := &updateFlags{
+		replaceOld: "TODO",
+		replaceNew: "DONE",
+	}
+	got, changed, err := composeDescription("- [ ] TODO part 1\n- [ ] something else", f)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !changed || !strings.Contains(got, "DONE part 1") {
+		t.Fatalf("got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComposeDescription_ReplaceNotUnique(t *testing.T) {
+	f := &updateFlags{
+		replaceOld: "x",
+		replaceNew: "y",
+	}
+	if _, _, err := composeDescription("xxx", f); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error on non-unique match")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComposeDescription_ReplaceNotFound(t *testing.T) {
+	f := &updateFlags{
+		replaceOld: "missing",
+		replaceNew: "y",
+	}
+	if _, _, err := composeDescription("hello", f); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error on no match")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComposeDescription_Append(t *testing.T) {
+	f := &updateFlags{descriptionApp: "## Notes"}
+	got, changed, err := composeDescription("body", f)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !changed || got != "body\n## Notes" {
+		t.Fatalf("got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComposeDescription_AppendOnEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	f := &updateFlags{descriptionApp: "first line"}
+	got, changed, err := composeDescription("", f)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !changed || got != "first line" {
+		t.Fatalf("got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComposeDescription_NoOp(t *testing.T) {
+	f := &updateFlags{}
+	got, changed, err := composeDescription("body", f)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if changed || got != "body" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no-op, got %q changed=%v", got, changed)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestComposeDescription_ReplaceNewWithoutOld(t *testing.T) {
+	f := &updateFlags{replaceNew: "y"}
+	if _, _, err := composeDescription("body", f); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error: --description-replace-new without --description-replace-old")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNormalizeLabelTitle(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[string]string{
+		"foo":               "veans:foo",
+		"veans:bar":         "veans:bar",
+		"  baz  ":           "veans:baz",
+		"veans:already-prefixed": "veans:already-prefixed",
+	}
+	for in, want := range cases {
+		if got := normalizeLabelTitle(in); got != want {
+			t.Errorf("normalize(%q) = %q, want %q", in, got, want)
+		}
+	}
+}