diff --git a/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageDatePicker.tsx b/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageDatePicker.tsx
index 4b35ef0be..fad10d826 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageDatePicker.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageDatePicker.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useState } from 'react'
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../utils/localDate'
 import { ArrowLeft, ChevronRight, Calendar } from 'lucide-react'
 import { useTranslation } from '../../i18n'
 
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ export function DatePicker({ value, onChange, tripDates }: {
                 const dateStr = `${viewMonth.year}-${pad(viewMonth.month + 1)}-${pad(day)}`
                 const isSelected = dateStr === value
                 const isTrip = tripDates?.has(dateStr)
-                const isToday = dateStr === new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+                const isToday = dateStr === localIsoDate()
 
                 return (
                   <button
diff --git a/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageEntryEditor.test.tsx b/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageEntryEditor.test.tsx
index cf51a6ba8..ad10e65fc 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageEntryEditor.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageEntryEditor.test.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { http, HttpResponse, delay } from 'msw'
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../utils/localDate'
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'
 import { render, screen, waitFor, fireEvent } from '../../../tests/helpers/render'
 import { server } from '../../../tests/helpers/msw/server'
@@ -516,7 +517,7 @@ describe('EntryEditor', () => {
       entry_date: '', photos: undefined as unknown as JourneyPhoto[],
     }))
 
-    const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+    const today = localIsoDate() // local, matching the editor's default — not the UTC date
     const label = new Date(today + 'T00:00:00').toLocaleDateString(undefined, {
       month: 'short', day: 'numeric', year: 'numeric',
     })
diff --git a/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageEntryEditor.tsx b/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageEntryEditor.tsx
index 0608df282..0a8792ea6 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageEntryEditor.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Journey/JourneyDetailPageEntryEditor.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useState, useRef } from 'react'
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../utils/localDate'
 import { X, Plus, Image, Minus, Check, MapPin, Locate, Camera } from 'lucide-react'
 import { normalizeImageFiles } from '../../utils/convertHeic'
 import { type ResilientResult, type UploadProgress } from '../../utils/uploadQueue'
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ export function EntryEditor({ entry, journeyId, tripDates, galleryPhotos, trips,
   const toast = useToast()
   const [title, setTitle] = useState(entry.title || '')
   const [story, setStory] = useState(entry.story || '')
-  const [entryDate, setEntryDate] = useState(entry.entry_date || new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0])
+  const [entryDate, setEntryDate] = useState(entry.entry_date || localIsoDate())
   const [entryTime, setEntryTime] = useState(entry.entry_time?.slice(0, 5) || '')
   const [locationName, setLocationName] = useState(entry.location_name || '')
   const [locationLat, setLocationLat] = useState<number | null>(entry.location_lat ?? null)
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ export function EntryEditor({ entry, journeyId, tripDates, galleryPhotos, trips,
   const isDirty = (
     title !== (entry.title || '') ||
     story !== (entry.story || '') ||
-    entryDate !== (entry.entry_date || new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]) ||
+    entryDate !== (entry.entry_date || localIsoDate()) ||
     entryTime !== (entry.entry_time?.slice(0, 5) || '') ||
     locationName !== (entry.location_name || '') ||
     (locationLat ?? null) !== (entry.location_lat ?? null) ||
diff --git a/client/src/components/Planner/ReservationModal.tsx b/client/src/components/Planner/ReservationModal.tsx
index 44d8c23c3..47c29bd56 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Planner/ReservationModal.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Planner/ReservationModal.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useRef, useMemo } from 'react'
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../utils/localDate'
 import { useParams } from 'react-router'
 import apiClient from '../../api/client'
 import { useTripStore } from '../../store/tripStore'
@@ -480,7 +481,7 @@ export function ReservationModal({ isOpen, onClose, onSave, reservation, days, p
                   onChange={tm => {
                     const [d] = (form.reservation_time || '').split('T')
                     const selectedDay = days.find(dy => dy.id === selectedDayId)
-                    const date = d || selectedDay?.date || new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+                    const date = d || selectedDay?.date || localIsoDate()
                     set('reservation_time', tm ? `${date}T${tm}` : date)
                   }}
                 />
diff --git a/client/src/components/shared/CustomDateTimePicker.test.tsx b/client/src/components/shared/CustomDateTimePicker.test.tsx
index fa72bc7ed..986e2419e 100644
--- a/client/src/components/shared/CustomDateTimePicker.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/shared/CustomDateTimePicker.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../utils/localDate';
 import { act, fireEvent, render, screen } from '../../../tests/helpers/render';
 import { useSettingsStore } from '../../store/settingsStore';
 import { CustomDatePicker, CustomDateTimePicker } from './CustomDateTimePicker';
@@ -722,7 +723,7 @@ describe('CustomDateTimePicker branches', () => {
     const steppers = screen.getAllByRole('button').filter((b) => b.textContent?.trim() === '');
     fireEvent.click(steppers[steppers.length - 4]);
 
-    const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
+    const today = localIsoDate(); // the picker falls back to the LOCAL date, not the UTC one
     expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`${today}T01:00`);
   });
 
diff --git a/client/src/components/shared/CustomDateTimePicker.tsx b/client/src/components/shared/CustomDateTimePicker.tsx
index d30227acf..fc3467e16 100644
--- a/client/src/components/shared/CustomDateTimePicker.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/shared/CustomDateTimePicker.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Calendar, ChevronLeft, ChevronRight, Keyboard } from 'lucide-react';
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../utils/localDate';
 import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { createPortal } from 'react-dom';
 import { useTranslation } from '../../i18n';
@@ -688,7 +689,7 @@ export function CustomDateTimePicker({ value, onChange, placeholder, style = {}
     onChange(d ? `${d}T${timePart || '12:00'}` : '');
   };
   const handleTimeChange = (t: string) => {
-    const d = datePart || new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
+    const d = datePart || localIsoDate();
     onChange(t ? `${d}T${t}` : d);
   };
 
diff --git a/client/src/mobile/screens/journey/MJourneyEntrySheet.tsx b/client/src/mobile/screens/journey/MJourneyEntrySheet.tsx
index 9a049ef48..16b975c0e 100644
--- a/client/src/mobile/screens/journey/MJourneyEntrySheet.tsx
+++ b/client/src/mobile/screens/journey/MJourneyEntrySheet.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../../utils/localDate'
 import { Camera, Plus, Image, Images, X, MapPin, Locate, Trash2, CheckCircle2, MinusCircle } from 'lucide-react'
 import MSheet from '../../components/MSheet'
 import MIconBtn from '../../components/MIconBtn'
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ export default function MJourneyEntrySheet({
 
   const [title, setTitle] = useState(entry.title || '')
   const [story, setStory] = useState(entry.story || '')
-  const [entryDate, setEntryDate] = useState(entry.entry_date || new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0])
+  const [entryDate, setEntryDate] = useState(entry.entry_date || localIsoDate())
   const [entryTime, setEntryTime] = useState(entry.entry_time?.slice(0, 5) || '')
   const [locationName, setLocationName] = useState(entry.location_name || '')
   const [locationLat, setLocationLat] = useState<number | null>(entry.location_lat ?? null)
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ export default function MJourneyEntrySheet({
   const isDirty =
     title !== (entry.title || '') ||
     story !== (entry.story || '') ||
-    entryDate !== (entry.entry_date || new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]) ||
+    entryDate !== (entry.entry_date || localIsoDate()) ||
     entryTime !== (entry.entry_time?.slice(0, 5) || '') ||
     locationName !== (entry.location_name || '') ||
     mood !== (entry.mood || '') ||
diff --git a/client/src/pages/DashboardPage.test.tsx b/client/src/pages/DashboardPage.test.tsx
index cb838d62a..c81ba427f 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/DashboardPage.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/DashboardPage.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { localIsoDate } from '../utils/localDate';
 import { render, screen, waitFor, within } from '../../tests/helpers/render';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import { http, HttpResponse } from 'msw';
@@ -535,9 +536,9 @@ describe('DashboardPage', () => {
 
   describe('FE-PAGE-DASH-023: SpotlightCard shows progress bar for ongoing trip', () => {
     it('renders progress bar and live badge when trip is currently ongoing', async () => {
-      const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
-      const yesterday = new Date(Date.now() - 86400000).toISOString().split('T')[0];
-      const nextWeek = new Date(Date.now() + 7 * 86400000).toISOString().split('T')[0];
+      const today = localIsoDate();
+      const yesterday = localIsoDate(new Date(Date.now() - 86400000));
+      const nextWeek = localIsoDate(new Date(Date.now() + 7 * 86400000));
 
       const ongoingTrip = buildTrip({
         title: 'Current Voyage',
diff --git a/client/src/pages/JourneyDetailPage.test.tsx b/client/src/pages/JourneyDetailPage.test.tsx
index 3c116a745..fd827cfd7 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/JourneyDetailPage.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/JourneyDetailPage.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { localIsoDate } from '../utils/localDate';
 import { render, screen, waitFor, cleanup } from '../../tests/helpers/render';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import { http, HttpResponse } from 'msw';
@@ -1317,7 +1318,7 @@ describe('JourneyDetailPage', () => {
         http.post('/api/journeys/1/entries', () => {
           return HttpResponse.json({
             id: 99, journey_id: 1, author_id: 1, type: 'entry',
-            entry_date: new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0],
+            entry_date: localIsoDate(),
             title: 'Test Entry', story: null, location_name: null,
             location_lat: null, location_lng: null, mood: null, weather: null,
             tags: [], pros_cons: null, visibility: 'private', sort_order: 0,
diff --git a/client/src/pages/JourneyPage.tsx b/client/src/pages/JourneyPage.tsx
index 2839ed81d..e2e5b70db 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/JourneyPage.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/JourneyPage.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import PageShell from '../components/Layout/PageShell'
+import { localIsoDate } from '../utils/localDate'
 import { useTranslation, TransHtml } from '../i18n'
 import {
   Plus, Search, Sparkles, Calendar, MapPin,
@@ -271,9 +272,9 @@ function JourneyPageDesktop() {
               <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 max-h-[320px] overflow-y-auto">
                 {availableTrips.map(trip => {
                   const selected = selectedTripIds.has(trip.id)
-                  const status = trip.end_date && trip.end_date < new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+                  const status = trip.end_date && trip.end_date < localIsoDate()
                     ? 'completed'
-                    : trip.start_date && trip.start_date <= new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+                    : trip.start_date && trip.start_date <= localIsoDate()
                       ? 'active'
                       : 'upcoming'
                   const statusColors: Record<string, string> = {
diff --git a/client/src/pages/JourneyPage.wiring.test.tsx b/client/src/pages/JourneyPage.wiring.test.tsx
index 14aa14453..cb59435a7 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/JourneyPage.wiring.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/JourneyPage.wiring.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // FE-JRN-LISTWIRE-001 to FE-JRN-LISTWIRE-014
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { localIsoDate } from '../utils/localDate';
 import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '../../tests/helpers/render';
 import type { Journey } from '../store/journeyStore';
 import JourneyPage from './JourneyPage';
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ describe('JourneyPage wiring', () => {
   });
 
   it('FE-JRN-LISTWIRE-014: modal trips render their status and toggle their selection', () => {
-    const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
+    const today = localIsoDate(); // local — the status chips classify against the wall clock
     const availableTrips = [
       { id: 1, title: 'Past trip', start_date: '2020-01-01', end_date: '2020-01-05', place_count: 3, cover_image: '/uploads/t.jpg' },
       { id: 2, title: 'Running trip', start_date: today, end_date: '2099-01-01', place_count: 1 },
diff --git a/client/src/pages/dashboard/dashboardModel.test.ts b/client/src/pages/dashboard/dashboardModel.test.ts
index c3c18f937..c18bb5da2 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/dashboard/dashboardModel.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/pages/dashboard/dashboardModel.test.ts
@@ -1,97 +1,51 @@
-import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
-import { daysUntil, getTripStatus, sortTrips, MS_PER_DAY, type DashboardTrip } from './dashboardModel';
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { daysUntil, getTripStatus, sortTrips, localIsoToday } from './dashboardModel'
 
-// FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-001 onwards
+/**
+ * The dashboard classifies trips against the user's WALL CLOCK — `daysUntil`
+ * always did (it parses dates as local midnight). But the "ongoing" check and
+ * the sort ranking derived "today" from `toISOString()`, which is UTC — so in
+ * any non-UTC timezone, between local midnight and the UTC rollover, a trip
+ * that ended yesterday still ranked as "running" and a trip starting today
+ * wasn't "ongoing". These tests pin the clock inside that window (00:30 local).
+ * On a UTC machine local == UTC and the old bug is unobservable, so the
+ * regression cases below are vacuous there — they bite on any offset TZ.
+ */
+describe('dashboardModel — "today" is the user\'s local date', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    // Local 2026-08-25 00:30 — for any TZ ahead of UTC, the UTC date is still 08-24.
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date(2026, 7, 25, 0, 30))
+  })
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+  })
 
-const trip = (over: Partial<DashboardTrip>): DashboardTrip =>
-  ({ id: 1, title: 't', ...over }) as unknown as DashboardTrip;
+  it('localIsoToday() is the local calendar date, not the UTC one', () => {
+    expect(localIsoToday()).toBe('2026-08-25')
+  })
 
-const offset = (days: number): string => {
-  const d = new Date('2026-07-15T12:00:00Z');
-  d.setUTCDate(d.getUTCDate() + days);
-  return d.toISOString().split('T')[0];
-};
+  it('daysUntil counts from local midnight', () => {
+    expect(daysUntil('2026-08-25')).toBe(0)
+    expect(daysUntil('2026-08-26')).toBe(1)
+    expect(daysUntil('2026-08-24')).toBe(-1)
+    expect(daysUntil(null)).toBeNull()
+  })
 
-beforeEach(() => {
-  vi.useFakeTimers();
-  vi.setSystemTime(new Date('2026-07-15T12:00:00Z'));
-});
+  it('a trip spanning the local today is ongoing', () => {
+    expect(getTripStatus({ start_date: '2026-08-25', end_date: '2026-08-26' } as never)).toBe('ongoing')
+  })
 
-afterEach(() => {
-  vi.useRealTimers();
-});
+  it('a trip starting on the local today (no end) is "today"', () => {
+    expect(getTripStatus({ start_date: '2026-08-25', end_date: null } as never)).toBe('today')
+  })
 
-describe('daysUntil', () => {
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-001: has no answer without a date', () => {
-    expect(daysUntil(null)).toBeNull();
-    expect(daysUntil(undefined)).toBeNull();
-  });
+  it('a trip that ended yesterday (local) is past — and sorts after one starting today', () => {
+    expect(getTripStatus({ start_date: '2026-08-20', end_date: '2026-08-24' } as never)).toBe('past')
 
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-002: counts forwards and backwards from today', () => {
-    expect(daysUntil(offset(0))).toBe(0);
-    expect(daysUntil(offset(5))).toBe(5);
-    expect(daysUntil(offset(-3))).toBe(-3);
-  });
-});
-
-describe('getTripStatus', () => {
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-003: a date range around today is ongoing', () => {
-    expect(getTripStatus(trip({ start_date: offset(-2), end_date: offset(2) }))).toBe('ongoing');
-  });
-
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-004: a trip without a start date has no status', () => {
-    expect(getTripStatus(trip({ start_date: null, end_date: null }))).toBeNull();
-  });
-
-  it.each([
-    [0, 'today'],
-    [1, 'tomorrow'],
-    [9, 'future'],
-    [-9, 'past'],
-  ] as Array<[number, string]>)('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-005: a start in %s days is %s', (days, status) => {
-    // No end date, so the "ongoing" rule cannot swallow the start-relative states.
-    expect(getTripStatus(trip({ start_date: offset(days), end_date: null }))).toBe(status);
-  });
-
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-010: a finished date range is past', () => {
-    expect(getTripStatus(trip({ start_date: offset(-9), end_date: offset(-8) }))).toBe('past');
-  });
-});
-
-describe('sortTrips', () => {
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-006: running first, then upcoming ascending, then finished descending', () => {
-    const sorted = sortTrips([
-      trip({ id: 1, start_date: offset(-40), end_date: offset(-30) }),
-      trip({ id: 2, start_date: offset(20), end_date: offset(25) }),
-      trip({ id: 3, start_date: offset(-1), end_date: offset(3) }),
-      trip({ id: 4, start_date: offset(5), end_date: offset(8) }),
-      trip({ id: 5, start_date: offset(-10), end_date: offset(-8) }),
-    ]);
-
-    expect(sorted.map(t => t.id)).toEqual([3, 4, 2, 5, 1]);
-  });
-
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-007: leaves the input array untouched', () => {
-    const input = [trip({ id: 1, start_date: offset(10) }), trip({ id: 2, start_date: offset(1) })];
-
-    const sorted = sortTrips(input);
-
-    expect(input.map(t => t.id)).toEqual([1, 2]);
-    expect(sorted.map(t => t.id)).toEqual([2, 1]);
-  });
-
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-008: dateless trips rank last', () => {
-    const sorted = sortTrips([
-      trip({ id: 1, start_date: null, end_date: null }),
-      trip({ id: 2, start_date: offset(4), end_date: offset(6) }),
-    ]);
-
-    expect(sorted.map(t => t.id)).toEqual([2, 1]);
-  });
-});
-
-describe('MS_PER_DAY', () => {
-  it('FE-HOOK-DASHMODEL-009: is one day in milliseconds', () => {
-    expect(MS_PER_DAY).toBe(24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
-  });
-});
+    const endedYesterday = { id: 1, start_date: '2026-08-20', end_date: '2026-08-24' }
+    const startsToday = { id: 2, start_date: '2026-08-25', end_date: '2026-08-26' }
+    const sorted = sortTrips([endedYesterday, startsToday] as never[])
+    expect(sorted.map((t: { id: number }) => t.id)).toEqual([2, 1])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/client/src/pages/dashboard/dashboardModel.ts b/client/src/pages/dashboard/dashboardModel.ts
index 4aa85cd74..7cea64dbb 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/dashboard/dashboardModel.ts
+++ b/client/src/pages/dashboard/dashboardModel.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  */
 
 import type { Trip } from '../../types'
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../utils/localDate'
 
 // The dashboard works with the canonical Trip shape returned by the list/get
 // endpoints (it already carries the computed day_count/place_count/is_owner/
@@ -29,6 +30,15 @@ export interface UpcomingReservation {
 
 export const MS_PER_DAY = 86400000
 
+/**
+ * Today as a local-calendar 'YYYY-MM-DD' — see utils/localDate for why this
+ * must never come from toISOString(). Trip dates are wall-clock dates
+ * (daysUntil below parses them as local midnight).
+ */
+export function localIsoToday(): string {
+  return localIsoDate()
+}
+
 export function daysUntil(dateStr: string | null | undefined): number | null {
   if (!dateStr) return null
   const today = new Date(); today.setHours(0, 0, 0, 0)
@@ -37,7 +47,7 @@ export function daysUntil(dateStr: string | null | undefined): number | null {
 }
 
 export function getTripStatus(trip: DashboardTrip): 'ongoing' | 'today' | 'tomorrow' | 'future' | 'past' | null {
-  const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+  const today = localIsoToday()
   if (trip.start_date && trip.end_date && trip.start_date <= today && trip.end_date >= today) return 'ongoing'
   const until = daysUntil(trip.start_date)
   if (until === null) return null
@@ -48,7 +58,7 @@ export function getTripStatus(trip: DashboardTrip): 'ongoing' | 'today' | 'tomor
 }
 
 export function sortTrips(trips: DashboardTrip[]): DashboardTrip[] {
-  const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+  const today = localIsoToday()
   const rank = (t: DashboardTrip) => {
     if (t.start_date && t.end_date && t.start_date <= today && t.end_date >= today) return 0
     if (t.start_date && t.start_date >= today) return 1
diff --git a/client/src/pages/dashboard/useDashboard.ts b/client/src/pages/dashboard/useDashboard.ts
index 53d991e25..57bd1915c 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/dashboard/useDashboard.ts
+++ b/client/src/pages/dashboard/useDashboard.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { useAuthStore } from '../../store/authStore'
 import { useTranslation } from '../../i18n'
 import { useToast } from '../../components/shared/Toast'
 import { getApiErrorMessage } from '../../types'
+import { localIsoToday } from './dashboardModel'
 import type { TripCreateRequest } from '@trek/shared'
 import {
   type DashboardTrip,
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ export function useDashboard() {
     loadTrips()
   }
 
-  const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+  const today = localIsoToday()
   // A trip the hero features on its own merit: one that is running, else the next
   // one coming up. Only that one is taken out of the grid below, so the same trip
   // isn't shown twice.
diff --git a/client/src/utils/journeyLifecycle.test.ts b/client/src/utils/journeyLifecycle.test.ts
index 1a420cea6..83d707b3f 100644
--- a/client/src/utils/journeyLifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/utils/journeyLifecycle.test.ts
@@ -59,3 +59,33 @@ describe('computeJourneyLifecycle', () => {
     expect(computeJourneyLifecycle('published', null, TODAY)).toBe('live')
   })
 })
+
+/**
+ * The midnight-window regression: "today" must be the LOCAL calendar date.
+ * The old code derived it from toISOString() (the UTC date), so between local
+ * midnight and the UTC rollover a journey running through yesterday still
+ * showed 'live' and one starting today showed 'upcoming'. Pinned at 00:30
+ * local — vacuous on a UTC machine, biting on any TZ ahead of UTC.
+ */
+describe('computeJourneyLifecycle — local today at the midnight window', () => {
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date(2026, 7, 25, 0, 30)) // local 2026-08-25 00:30
+  })
+  afterAll(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+  })
+
+  it('a journey spanning the local today is live', () => {
+    expect(computeJourneyLifecycle('active', '2026-08-25', '2026-08-26')).toBe('live')
+  })
+
+  it('a journey that ended yesterday (local) is completed', () => {
+    expect(computeJourneyLifecycle('active', '2026-08-20', '2026-08-24')).toBe('completed')
+  })
+
+  it('single boundaries follow the local date too', () => {
+    expect(computeJourneyLifecycle('active', '2026-08-25', null)).toBe('live')      // starts today → live
+    expect(computeJourneyLifecycle('active', null, '2026-08-24')).toBe('completed') // ended yesterday
+  })
+})
diff --git a/client/src/utils/journeyLifecycle.ts b/client/src/utils/journeyLifecycle.ts
index e27dd6acf..bdb4f2b56 100644
--- a/client/src/utils/journeyLifecycle.ts
+++ b/client/src/utils/journeyLifecycle.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { localIsoDate } from './localDate'
+
 export type JourneyLifecycle = 'archived' | 'live' | 'upcoming' | 'completed' | 'draft'
 
 export function computeJourneyLifecycle(
@@ -8,7 +10,7 @@ export function computeJourneyLifecycle(
   if (status === 'archived') return 'archived'
 
   if (tripDateMin && tripDateMax) {
-    const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+    const today = localIsoDate()
     if (tripDateMin <= today && today <= tripDateMax) return 'live'
     if (tripDateMin > today) return 'upcoming'
     return 'completed'
@@ -20,11 +22,11 @@ export function computeJourneyLifecycle(
 
   // Single boundary: only start or only end
   if (tripDateMin && !tripDateMax) {
-    const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+    const today = localIsoDate()
     return tripDateMin > today ? 'upcoming' : 'live'
   }
   if (!tripDateMin && tripDateMax) {
-    const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]
+    const today = localIsoDate()
     return tripDateMax < today ? 'completed' : 'live'
   }
 
diff --git a/client/src/utils/localDate.test.ts b/client/src/utils/localDate.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..84cd314e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/utils/localDate.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { localIsoDate } from './localDate'
+
+/**
+ * "Today" must be the user's local calendar date. `toISOString()` is the UTC
+ * date — between local midnight and the UTC rollover it is YESTERDAY for any
+ * TZ ahead of UTC, which misclassified trips/journeys in that window. On a UTC
+ * machine local == UTC, so the distinction is vacuous there; these tests pin
+ * the clock at 00:30 local, where any positive offset separates the two.
+ */
+describe('localIsoDate', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date(2026, 7, 25, 0, 30)) // local 2026-08-25 00:30
+  })
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+  })
+
+  it('formats the local calendar date, zero-padded', () => {
+    expect(localIsoDate()).toBe('2026-08-25')
+    expect(localIsoDate(new Date(2026, 0, 3, 12))).toBe('2026-01-03')
+  })
+
+  it('defaults to now', () => {
+    expect(localIsoDate()).toBe(localIsoDate(new Date()))
+  })
+})
diff --git a/client/src/utils/localDate.ts b/client/src/utils/localDate.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fbac8e539
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/utils/localDate.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/**
+ * The user's LOCAL calendar date as 'YYYY-MM-DD'.
+ *
+ * Never derive "today" from `toISOString().split('T')[0]` — that is the UTC
+ * date, which disagrees with the wall clock between local midnight and the UTC
+ * rollover (for a UTC+2 user, from 00:00 to 02:00 every night). Trip and
+ * journey dates are wall-clock dates, so every "is this today/past/upcoming"
+ * comparison must use this instead.
+ *
+ * (Converting a Date you deliberately built in UTC — `new Date(s + 'T00:00:00Z')`
+ * round-tripped through date arithmetic — is a different, self-consistent
+ * pattern and fine as it is.)
+ */
+export function localIsoDate(d: Date = new Date()): string {
+  return `${d.getFullYear()}-${String(d.getMonth() + 1).padStart(2, '0')}-${String(d.getDate()).padStart(2, '0')}`
+}
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/mobile/dashboard/MDashboard.test.tsx b/client/tests/unit/mobile/dashboard/MDashboard.test.tsx
index c5aced04f..d9f92cd18 100644
--- a/client/tests/unit/mobile/dashboard/MDashboard.test.tsx
+++ b/client/tests/unit/mobile/dashboard/MDashboard.test.tsx
@@ -25,10 +25,13 @@ vi.mock('../../../../src/components/Plugins/TripCardBadges', () => ({
   useTripCardBadges: () => (tripId: number) => mocks.badges[tripId] ?? [],
 }));
 
+// Local-calendar date string — NOT toISOString(), which is the UTC date and
+// disagrees with the badge logic's wall-clock classification between local
+// midnight and the UTC rollover (these tests flaked in exactly that window).
 const iso = (offsetDays: number): string => {
   const d = new Date();
   d.setDate(d.getDate() + offsetDays);
-  return d.toISOString().split('T')[0];
+  return `${d.getFullYear()}-${String(d.getMonth() + 1).padStart(2, '0')}-${String(d.getDate()).padStart(2, '0')}`;
 };
 
 function buildTrip(over: Partial<DashboardTrip> = {}): DashboardTrip {
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/mobile/journey/MJourneyEntrySheet.test.tsx b/client/tests/unit/mobile/journey/MJourneyEntrySheet.test.tsx
index 361fde069..df2e18dd7 100644
--- a/client/tests/unit/mobile/journey/MJourneyEntrySheet.test.tsx
+++ b/client/tests/unit/mobile/journey/MJourneyEntrySheet.test.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { StrictMode } from 'react';
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { http, HttpResponse } from 'msw';
+import { localIsoDate } from '../../../../src/utils/localDate';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import { mapsApi, weatherApi } from '../../../../src/api/client';
 import { useAddonStore } from '../../../../src/store/addonStore';
@@ -326,8 +327,8 @@ describe('MJourneyEntrySheet full editor', () => {
     expect(screen.getByText('Mood')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByText('Weather')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByText('Tags')).toBeInTheDocument();
-    // An empty entry_date falls back to today, an empty gallery locks the picker.
-    expect(dateField().value).toBe(new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]);
+    // An empty entry_date falls back to today (the LOCAL date), an empty gallery locks the picker.
+    expect(dateField().value).toBe(localIsoDate());
     expect(timeField()).toHaveValue('');
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'From Gallery' })).toBeDisabled();
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Upload photos' })).toBeEnabled();