diff --git a/server/appRuntime.test.ts b/server/appRuntime.test.ts
index f8425ec..c269b3e 100644
--- a/server/appRuntime.test.ts
+++ b/server/appRuntime.test.ts
@@ -1084,6 +1084,49 @@ test("listIssues stays cached-only when issue automation is off", async () => {
   assert.equal(buildOctokitCalls, 0, "disabled issue automation must not enrich list rows through GitHub");
 });
 
+test("listIssues excludes closed worked issues from the default open issue count", async () => {
+  const storage = new MemStorage();
+  await storage.updateConfig({ autoIssues: false, watchedRepos: ["owner/repo"] });
+  const makeIssue = (number: number, title: string) => ({
+    number,
+    title,
+    body: null,
+    bodyHtml: null,
+    url: `https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/${number}`,
+    repoFullName: "owner/repo",
+    repoCloneUrl: "https://github.com/owner/repo.git",
+    author: "alice",
+    labels: ["needs-triage"],
+    assignees: [],
+    comments: 0,
+    createdAt: "2026-05-03T17:00:00.000Z",
+    updatedAt: "2026-05-03T18:00:00.000Z",
+  });
+  await storage.upsertSyncedIssues("owner/repo", [
+    makeIssue(1, "Open issue"),
+    makeIssue(2, "Open worked issue"),
+    makeIssue(3, "Closed worked issue"),
+  ], "2026-05-03T18:00:00.000Z");
+  await storage.markSyncedIssueWorked("owner/repo", 2);
+  await storage.markSyncedIssueWorked("owner/repo", 3);
+  await storage.markRepoIssuesStale("owner/repo");
+  await storage.upsertSyncedIssues("owner/repo", [
+    makeIssue(1, "Open issue"),
+    makeIssue(2, "Open worked issue"),
+  ], "2026-05-03T19:00:00.000Z");
+
+  const runtime = createAppRuntime({
+    storage,
+    startBackgroundServices: false,
+    startWatcher: false,
+  });
+
+  const page = await runtime.listIssues({ limit: 50, offset: 0 });
+
+  assert.equal(page.totalCount, 2);
+  assert.deepEqual(page.items.map((issue) => issue.number), [2, 1]);
+});
+
 test("getIssue stays cached-only when issue automation is off", async () => {
   const storage = new MemStorage();
   await storage.updateConfig({ autoIssues: false, watchedRepos: ["owner/repo"] });
diff --git a/server/appRuntime.ts b/server/appRuntime.ts
index 118dcce..d668b20 100644
--- a/server/appRuntime.ts
+++ b/server/appRuntime.ts
@@ -1528,8 +1528,8 @@ export function createAppRuntime(dependencies: AppRuntimeDependencies = {}): App
       };
     }
 
-    const synced = await storage.listSyncedIssues({ repos: config.watchedRepos, limit, offset, includeWorked: true });
-    const counts = await storage.listSyncedIssueCounts({ repos: config.watchedRepos, includeWorked: true });
+    const synced = await storage.listSyncedIssues({ repos: config.watchedRepos, limit, offset });
+    const counts = await storage.listSyncedIssueCounts({ repos: config.watchedRepos });
     const issueAutomationEnabled = config.autoIssues !== false;
     const octokit = issueAutomationEnabled ? await buildOctokit(config) : null;
     const workJobs = await storage.listBackgroundJobs({ kind: "work_issue" });
diff --git a/server/memoryStorage.ts b/server/memoryStorage.ts
index 0298caf..6b7c7be 100644
--- a/server/memoryStorage.ts
+++ b/server/memoryStorage.ts
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ export class MemStorage implements IStorage {
     const repos = new Set(input.repos.map((repo) => repo.toLowerCase()));
     const includeWorked = input.includeWorked ?? false;
     const all = Array.from(this.syncedIssues.values())
-      .filter((record) => (record.isOpen || (includeWorked && record.isWorked)) && repos.has(record.repo.toLowerCase()) && (includeWorked || !record.isWorked))
+      .filter((record) => (record.isOpen || (includeWorked && record.isWorked)) && repos.has(record.repo.toLowerCase()))
       .sort((a, b) => b.number - a.number);
     const items = all.slice(input.offset, input.offset + input.limit).map((record) => structuredClone(record));
     return { items, hasMore: input.offset + items.length < all.length };
@@ -381,7 +381,6 @@ export class MemStorage implements IStorage {
     for (const record of Array.from(this.syncedIssues.values())) {
       if (!record.isOpen && !(includeWorked && record.isWorked)) continue;
       if (!repos.has(record.repo.toLowerCase())) continue;
-      if (!includeWorked && record.isWorked) continue;
       repoTotals[record.repo] = (repoTotals[record.repo] ?? 0) + 1;
       totalCount += 1;
     }
diff --git a/server/sqliteStorage.ts b/server/sqliteStorage.ts
index 46af77c..11f0c2b 100644
--- a/server/sqliteStorage.ts
+++ b/server/sqliteStorage.ts
@@ -2267,13 +2267,12 @@ export class SqliteStorage implements IStorage {
       `
         SELECT repo, issue_number, payload_json, is_open, is_worked, first_seen_at, last_seen_at
         FROM synced_issues
-        WHERE (is_open = 1 OR (? = 1 AND is_worked = 1)) AND repo IN (${placeholders}) AND (? = 1 OR is_worked = 0)
+        WHERE (is_open = 1 OR (? = 1 AND is_worked = 1)) AND repo IN (${placeholders})
         ORDER BY issue_number DESC
         LIMIT ? OFFSET ?
       `,
       includeWorked ? 1 : 0,
       ...input.repos,
-      includeWorked ? 1 : 0,
       input.limit + 1,
       input.offset,
     );
@@ -2292,12 +2291,11 @@ export class SqliteStorage implements IStorage {
       `
         SELECT repo, COUNT(*) as count
         FROM synced_issues
-        WHERE (is_open = 1 OR (? = 1 AND is_worked = 1)) AND repo IN (${placeholders}) AND (? = 1 OR is_worked = 0)
+        WHERE (is_open = 1 OR (? = 1 AND is_worked = 1)) AND repo IN (${placeholders})
         GROUP BY repo
       `,
       includeWorked ? 1 : 0,
       ...input.repos,
-      includeWorked ? 1 : 0,
     );
     const repoTotals: Record<string, number> = {};
     let totalCount = 0;