diff --git a/src/cli/commands/close.ts b/src/cli/commands/close.ts
index f7619d3..f0ec4c6 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/close.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/close.ts
@@ -1,54 +1,65 @@
 import { Command } from 'commander';
 import { createEvent } from '../../core/eventService.js';
-import { updateTaskStatus, getTask } from '../../core/taskService.js';
+import { updateTaskStatus, getTask, findTaskByTitle, getActiveTasks, getLastStartedActiveTask } from '../../core/taskService.js';
 
 export function registerClose(program: Command): void {
   program
     .command('close')
-    .description('Close a task')
+    .description('Close a task (auto-selects when only one active task exists)')
     .option('--task <id>', 'Task ID to close')
     .option('--summary <text>', 'Closing summary')
     .action(async (options) => {
       try {
-        let taskId = options.task;
+        let taskId: string | undefined = options.task;
 
-        // If no task specified, we still create the event
-        const summary = options.summary ?? (taskId ? `Closed task` : 'Closed work session');
-
-        if (taskId) {
-          const task = getTask(taskId);
-          if (!task) {
-            console.error(`Task not found: ${taskId}`);
+        if (!taskId) {
+          const activeTasks = getActiveTasks();
+          if (activeTasks.length === 0) {
+            console.error('No active tasks found. Nothing to close.');
+            process.exit(1);
+          }
+          if (activeTasks.length === 1) {
+            taskId = activeTasks[0].id;
+          } else {
+            // Multiple active tasks — show list with default suggestion
+            const suggested = getLastStartedActiveTask();
+            console.error(`Multiple active tasks found. Specify --task <id>:`);
+            for (const t of activeTasks) {
+              const marker = suggested && t.id === suggested.id ? ' *' : '';
+              console.error(`  ${t.id}  ${t.title}${marker}`);
+            }
+            if (suggested) {
+              console.error(`\n* Most recently started (suggested default)`);
+              console.error(`  Run: ingest close --task ${suggested.id}`);
+            }
             process.exit(1);
           }
+        }
 
-          const event = createEvent({
-            event_type: 'task_closed',
-            task_id: taskId,
-            project_id: task.project_id ?? undefined,
-            actor: 'human',
-            origin: 'manual',
-            summary,
-          });
+        const task = getTask(taskId) ?? findTaskByTitle(taskId);
+        if (!task) {
+          console.error(`Task not found: ${taskId}`);
+          process.exit(1);
+        }
+        taskId = task.id;
 
-          updateTaskStatus(taskId, 'closed');
+        const summary = options.summary ?? `Closed task: ${task.title}`;
 
-          console.log(`Task closed: ${event.id}`);
-          console.log(`Task: ${task.title}`);
-          console.log(`Summary: ${event.summary}`);
-          console.log(`Time: ${event.occurred_at}`);
-        } else {
-          const event = createEvent({
-            event_type: 'task_closed',
-            actor: 'human',
-            origin: 'manual',
-            summary,
-          });
+        const event = createEvent({
+          event_type: 'task_closed',
+          task_id: taskId,
+          project_id: task.project_id ?? undefined,
+          actor: 'human',
+          origin: 'manual',
+          summary,
+        });
 
-          console.log(`Session closed: ${event.id}`);
-          console.log(`Summary: ${event.summary}`);
-          console.log(`Time: ${event.occurred_at}`);
-        }
+        updateTaskStatus(taskId, 'closed');
+
+        console.log(`Task closed: ${event.id}`);
+        console.log(`Task: ${task.title}`);
+        console.log(`Summary: ${event.summary}`);
+        console.log(`Time: ${event.occurred_at}`);
       } catch (err) {
         console.error('Error:', err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err));
         process.exit(1);
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/start.ts b/src/cli/commands/start.ts
index 2fde8ee..a7fad73 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/start.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/start.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,19 @@ import { findOrCreateProject } from '../../core/projectService.js';
 import { findOrCreateTopic } from '../../core/topicService.js';
 import { createEvent } from '../../core/eventService.js';
 
+function defaultTaskTitle(summary?: string): string {
+  if (summary) return summary;
+  const now = new Date();
+  const pad = (n: number) => String(n).padStart(2, '0');
+  return `Session ${now.getFullYear()}-${pad(now.getMonth() + 1)}-${pad(now.getDate())} ${pad(now.getHours())}:${pad(now.getMinutes())}`;
+}
+
 export function registerStart(program: Command): void {
   program
     .command('start')
     .description('Start a new task session')
     .option('--project <name>', 'Project name')
-    .option('--task <title>', 'Task title')
+    .option('--task <title>', 'Task title (auto-generated from --summary or timestamp if omitted)')
     .option('--topic <name>', 'Topic name')
     .option('--summary <text>', 'Summary')
     .action(async (options) => {
@@ -21,12 +28,11 @@ export function registerStart(program: Command): void {
           console.log(`Project: ${project.name} (${project.id})`);
         }
 
-        let taskId: string | undefined;
-        if (options.task) {
-          const task = findOrCreateTask(options.task, projectId);
-          taskId = task.id;
-          console.log(`Task: ${task.title} (${task.id})`);
-        }
+        // Always create/find a task so that subsequent events are linked
+        const taskTitle = options.task ?? defaultTaskTitle(options.summary);
+        const task = findOrCreateTask(taskTitle, projectId);
+        const taskId = task.id;
+        console.log(`Task: ${task.title} (${task.id})`);
 
         let topicId: string | undefined;
         if (options.topic) {
@@ -35,7 +41,7 @@ export function registerStart(program: Command): void {
           console.log(`Topic: ${topic.name} (${topic.id})`);
         }
 
-        const summary = options.summary ?? (options.task ? `Started task: ${options.task}` : 'Started work session');
+        const summary = options.summary ?? `Started task: ${taskTitle}`;
 
         const event = createEvent({
           event_type: 'task_started',
diff --git a/src/core/taskService.ts b/src/core/taskService.ts
index ff9a0d2..d3ab5e3 100644
--- a/src/core/taskService.ts
+++ b/src/core/taskService.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,23 @@ export function getActiveTasks(): Task[] {
   ).all() as Task[];
 }
 
+export function findTaskByTitle(title: string): Task | null {
+  const db = getDb();
+  return (db.prepare('SELECT * FROM tasks WHERE title = ? LIMIT 1').get(title) as Task) ?? null;
+}
+
+export function getLastStartedActiveTask(): Task | null {
+  const db = getDb();
+  const row = db.prepare(`
+    SELECT t.* FROM tasks t
+    INNER JOIN events e ON e.task_id = t.id
+    WHERE t.status = 'active' AND e.event_type = 'task_started'
+    ORDER BY e.occurred_at DESC
+    LIMIT 1
+  `).get() as Task | undefined;
+  return row ?? null;
+}
+
 export function getAllTasksWithMetrics(
   status?: TaskStatus
 ): Array<{ task: Task; metrics: TaskMetrics | null }> {