diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/gsd-db.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/gsd-db.ts
index 9a42646dd..fdb53492a 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/gsd-db.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/gsd-db.ts
@@ -1136,11 +1136,12 @@ export function insertMilestone(m: {
   });
 }
 
-export function upsertMilestonePlanning(milestoneId: string, planning: Partial<MilestonePlanningRecord>, title?: string): void {
+export function upsertMilestonePlanning(milestoneId: string, planning: Partial<MilestonePlanningRecord> & { title?: string; status?: string }): void {
   if (!currentDb) throw new GSDError(GSD_STALE_STATE, "gsd-db: No database open");
   currentDb.prepare(
     `UPDATE milestones SET
-      title = COALESCE(:title, title),
+      title = COALESCE(NULLIF(:title, ''), title),
+      status = COALESCE(NULLIF(:status, ''), status),
       vision = COALESCE(:vision, vision),
       success_criteria = COALESCE(:success_criteria, success_criteria),
       key_risks = COALESCE(:key_risks, key_risks),
@@ -1155,7 +1156,8 @@ export function upsertMilestonePlanning(milestoneId: string, planning: Partial<M
      WHERE id = :id`,
   ).run({
     ":id": milestoneId,
-    ":title": title ?? null,
+    ":title": planning.title ?? "",
+    ":status": planning.status ?? "",
     ":vision": planning.vision ?? null,
     ":success_criteria": planning.successCriteria ? JSON.stringify(planning.successCriteria) : null,
     ":key_risks": planning.keyRisks ? JSON.stringify(planning.keyRisks) : null,
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/plan-milestone-title.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/plan-milestone-title.test.ts
index 1ee49d335..5387773f4 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/plan-milestone-title.test.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/plan-milestone-title.test.ts
@@ -38,8 +38,9 @@ test("upsertMilestonePlanning updates title when DB row pre-exists with empty ti
 
     // Step 3: upsertMilestonePlanning should update the title
     upsertMilestonePlanning("M099", {
+      title: "My Important Milestone",
       vision: "Test vision",
-    }, "My Important Milestone");
+    });
     const afterUpsert = getMilestone("M099");
     assert.ok(afterUpsert);
     assert.equal(
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/plan-milestone.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/plan-milestone.test.ts
index 91cee10c6..0ce6a09f3 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/plan-milestone.test.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/plan-milestone.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { mkdtempSync, mkdirSync, rmSync, readFileSync, existsSync, writeFileSync
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 
-import { openDatabase, closeDatabase, getMilestone, getMilestoneSlices, getSlice, updateSliceStatus, deleteSlice } from '../gsd-db.ts';
+import { openDatabase, closeDatabase, getMilestone, getMilestoneSlices, getSlice, updateSliceStatus, deleteSlice, insertMilestone } from '../gsd-db.ts';
 import { handlePlanMilestone } from '../tools/plan-milestone.ts';
 import { parseRoadmap } from '../parsers-legacy.ts';
 
@@ -268,3 +268,28 @@ test('plan-milestone re-plan preserves completed status and updates slice fields
     cleanup(base);
   }
 });
+
+test('handlePlanMilestone promotes pre-existing queued milestone to active (#3022)', async () => {
+  const base = makeTmpBase();
+  const dbPath = join(base, '.gsd', 'gsd.db');
+  openDatabase(dbPath);
+
+  try {
+    // Simulate ensureMilestoneDbRow: pre-create row with status "queued"
+    // (this is what gsd_milestone_generate_id does)
+    insertMilestone({ id: 'M001', status: 'queued' });
+
+    const before = getMilestone('M001');
+    assert.equal(before?.status, 'queued', 'pre-condition: milestone should start as queued');
+
+    // Now plan the milestone — status should be promoted to "active"
+    const result = await handlePlanMilestone(validParams(), base);
+    assert.ok(!('error' in result), `unexpected error: ${'error' in result ? result.error : ''}`);
+
+    const after = getMilestone('M001');
+    assert.equal(after?.status, 'active', 'milestone status should be promoted from queued to active');
+    assert.equal(after?.title, 'DB-backed planning', 'milestone title should be set');
+  } finally {
+    cleanup(base);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tools/plan-milestone.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tools/plan-milestone.ts
index 4cc39fe8b..51b3120af 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tools/plan-milestone.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tools/plan-milestone.ts
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ export async function handlePlanMilestone(
       });
 
       upsertMilestonePlanning(params.milestoneId, {
+        title: params.title,
+        status: params.status ?? "active",
         vision: params.vision,
         successCriteria: params.successCriteria,
         keyRisks: params.keyRisks,
@@ -252,7 +254,7 @@ export async function handlePlanMilestone(
         definitionOfDone: params.definitionOfDone,
         requirementCoverage: params.requirementCoverage,
         boundaryMapMarkdown: params.boundaryMapMarkdown,
-      }, params.title);
+      });
 
       for (const slice of params.slices) {
         // Preserve completed/done status on re-plan (#2558).