diff --git a/src/client/main.ts b/src/client/main.ts
index 2689d2f..83684a3 100644
--- a/src/client/main.ts
+++ b/src/client/main.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { dueMs, recordEnd, type TimeRecord } from "../shared/record.ts";
 import { normalizeTag } from "../shared/tag.ts";
 import { countdown, pad, pageTitle } from "./title.ts";
 import { readyToReload } from "./update.ts";
+import { recentTags } from "./recent-tags.ts";
 import { THEMES, THEME_COLORS, isTheme, type Theme } from "./theme.ts";
 
 type View = "timer" | "log" | "insights" | "settings";
@@ -144,6 +145,7 @@ function timerPage() {
   const completedToday = completed.length;
   const week = totals(records, rangeWindow("week"));
   const tagOptions = tags().map(tag => `<option value="${h(tag)}" ${tag === selectedTag ? "selected" : ""}>${h(tag)}</option>`).join("");
+  const recent = recentTags(records);
   const latest = completed.sort((a, b) => b.startMs - a.startMs).slice(0, 6);
   const weekMax = Math.max(...week.trend, 1);
   return `<section class="page">
@@ -155,9 +157,10 @@ function timerPage() {
         <div class="progress-track"><div class="progress-fill" id="progress-fill" style="width:${active ? progress(active) : 0}%"></div></div>
         ${active ? `<div class="field-grid"><div><span class="field-label">TAG</span><div class="field" style="display:flex;align-items:center">${h(active.tag)}</div></div><div><span class="field-label">DURATION</span><div class="field" style="display:flex;align-items:center">${duration(active.targetSeconds! * 1000)}</div></div></div>
           <button class="primary-btn outline" data-action="stop" type="button">■ STOP EARLY &amp; LOG TIME</button>` : `
-          <div class="field-grid"><div><label class="field-label" for="timer-tag">TAG</label><select class="field" id="timer-tag">${tagOptions}<option value="__new__">+ New tag...</option></select></div>
-          <div><label class="field-label" for="timer-duration">DURATION / MIN</label><input class="field" id="timer-duration" type="number" min="1" max="180" inputmode="numeric" value="${selectedDuration}" /></div></div>
-          <div class="duration-row">${[15, 25, 30, 45, 60, 120].map(n => `<button class="chip ${n === selectedDuration ? "active" : ""}" data-action="duration" data-minutes="${n}" type="button">${n}m</button>`).join("")}</div>
+          <div class="field-grid"><div><label class="field-label" for="timer-tag">TAG</label><select class="field" id="timer-tag">${tagOptions}<option value="__new__">+ New tag...</option></select>
+            ${recent.length ? `<div class="chip-row" role="group" aria-label="Recent tags">${recent.map(tag => `<button class="chip tag-chip ${tag === selectedTag ? "active" : ""}" data-action="pick-tag" data-tag="${h(tag)}" title="${h(tag)}" type="button">${h(tag)}</button>`).join("")}</div>` : ""}</div>
+          <div><label class="field-label" for="timer-duration">DURATION / MIN</label><input class="field" id="timer-duration" type="number" min="1" max="180" inputmode="numeric" value="${selectedDuration}" />
+            <div class="chip-row fill" role="group" aria-label="Durations">${[15, 25, 30, 45, 60, 120].map(n => `<button class="chip ${n === selectedDuration ? "active" : ""}" data-action="duration" data-minutes="${n}" type="button">${n}m</button>`).join("")}</div></div></div>
           <button class="primary-btn" data-action="start" type="button">&gt; START SESSION</button>`}
       </div></div>
       <div class="panel"><div class="panel-inner"><div class="panel-label"><span>// TODAY</span><span class="end">${h(shortDate(todayWindow.start).toUpperCase())}</span></div>
@@ -422,6 +425,7 @@ async function dispatch(action: string, element: HTMLElement) {
   switch (action) {
     case "nav": view = element.dataset.view as View; editingId = null; render(); break;
     case "duration": selectedDuration = Number(element.dataset.minutes); render(); break;
+    case "pick-tag": selectedTag = normalizeTag(element.dataset.tag || selectedTag); render(); break;
     case "start": await startSession(); break;
     case "stop": await stopSession(); break;
     case "prev-log": logMonthOffset--; render(); break;
diff --git a/src/client/recent-tags.ts b/src/client/recent-tags.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..681d0cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/recent-tags.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+type TaggedRecord = { startMs: number; tag: string; deleted: boolean };
+
+/** The different tags of the most recent sessions, newest first. */
+export function recentTags(records: TaggedRecord[], limit = 3): string[] {
+  const tags: string[] = [];
+  for (const record of [...records].sort((a, b) => b.startMs - a.startMs)) {
+    if (record.deleted || tags.includes(record.tag)) continue;
+    tags.push(record.tag);
+    if (tags.length === limit) break;
+  }
+  return tags;
+}
diff --git a/src/client/styles.css b/src/client/styles.css
index f29d9de..b534948 100644
--- a/src/client/styles.css
+++ b/src/client/styles.css
@@ -120,7 +120,11 @@ h2 { font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacin
 .field::placeholder { color: var(--faint); }
 select.field { appearance: none; background-image: linear-gradient(45deg, transparent 50%, var(--muted) 50%), linear-gradient(135deg, var(--muted) 50%, transparent 50%); background-position: calc(100% - 20px) 20px, calc(100% - 15px) 20px; background-size: 5px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-right: 35px; }
 .field-grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 18px; }
-.duration-row { display: flex; gap: 7px; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: 9px; }
+.chip-row { display: flex; gap: 7px; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: 9px; }
+/* Minute buttons share the column width, so all six fit on one line in a narrow column. */
+.chip-row.fill { gap: 6px; }
+.chip-row.fill .chip { flex: 1 0 auto; padding-inline: 4px; }
+.tag-chip { max-width: 160px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; }
 .chip { border: 1px solid var(--line); background: transparent; color: var(--muted); min-height: 34px; padding: 5px 10px; font-size: 11px; }
 .chip:hover { border-color: var(--accent); color: var(--accent); }
 .chip.active { border-color: var(--accent); color: var(--accent-ink); background: var(--accent); }
diff --git a/tests/recent-tags.test.ts b/tests/recent-tags.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc28532
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/recent-tags.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { recentTags } from "../src/client/recent-tags.ts";
+
+const at = (minute: number, tag: string, deleted = false) => ({ startMs: minute * 60_000, tag, deleted });
+
+describe("recent tags", () => {
+  test("gives the 3 different tags from the most recent sessions, newest first", () => {
+    const records = [at(1, "Read"), at(2, "Study"), at(3, "Gym"), at(4, "Study"), at(5, "Code"), at(6, "Study")];
+    expect(recentTags(records)).toEqual(["Study", "Code", "Gym"]);
+  });
+
+  test("does not depend on the order of the records", () => {
+    expect(recentTags([at(9, "Code"), at(1, "Read"), at(5, "Study")])).toEqual(["Code", "Study", "Read"]);
+  });
+
+  test("ignores deleted sessions", () => {
+    expect(recentTags([at(1, "Read"), at(2, "Study", true)])).toEqual(["Read"]);
+  });
+
+  test("gives fewer tags when there are fewer than 3", () => {
+    expect(recentTags([at(1, "Study"), at(2, "Study")])).toEqual(["Study"]);
+    expect(recentTags([])).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+test("the timer form puts each row of buttons under its field", async () => {
+  const source = await Bun.file("src/client/main.ts").text();
+  const form = source.slice(source.indexOf('id="timer-tag"'), source.indexOf('data-action="start"'));
+  const tagRow = form.indexOf('data-action="pick-tag"');
+  const durationField = form.indexOf('id="timer-duration"');
+  const minuteRow = form.indexOf('data-action="duration"');
+  expect(tagRow).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+  expect(tagRow).toBeLessThan(durationField);
+  expect(minuteRow).toBeGreaterThan(durationField);
+});