diff --git a/src/app/api/agents/[agentName]/next-task/route.ts b/src/app/api/agents/[agentName]/next-task/route.ts
index 44ff2ba..c877218 100644
--- a/src/app/api/agents/[agentName]/next-task/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/agents/[agentName]/next-task/route.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ import {
 import { isBacklogLane, getBacklogLane } from "@/lib/lane-config";
 import { isRenovateIssue } from "@/lib/agent-queue";
 import { fetchAgentQueueData } from "@/lib/agent-queue-fetch";
-import { applyRenovateIssueExclusion } from "@/lib/issue-filters";
+import {
+  applyRenovateIssueExclusion,
+  applyUmbrellaIssueExclusion,
+  buildGroomingStateExclusionWhere,
+} from "@/lib/issue-filters";
 
 export async function GET(
   request: Request,
@@ -37,6 +41,20 @@ export async function GET(
         repository: { enabled: true },
       };
       applyRenovateIssueExclusion(issueWhere);
+      applyUmbrellaIssueExclusion(issueWhere);
+
+      // Exclude issues already groomed recently or currently blocked/not-ready
+      const groomingStateWhere = buildGroomingStateExclusionWhere(24);
+      if (groomingStateWhere.AND) {
+        const existing = issueWhere.AND;
+        if (Array.isArray(existing)) {
+          existing.push(...groomingStateWhere.AND);
+        } else if (existing) {
+          issueWhere.AND = [existing, ...groomingStateWhere.AND];
+        } else {
+          issueWhere.AND = groomingStateWhere.AND;
+        }
+      }
 
       const issues = await prisma.issue.findMany({
         where: issueWhere,
@@ -47,6 +65,9 @@ export async function GET(
           url: true,
           labels: true,
           currentLane: true,
+          groomedAt: true,
+          notReadyReason: true,
+          blockedReason: true,
           repository: { select: { fullName: true } },
         },
         orderBy: { number: "asc" },
diff --git a/src/lib/issue-filters.ts b/src/lib/issue-filters.ts
index 75b9e9c..39a29c9 100644
--- a/src/lib/issue-filters.ts
+++ b/src/lib/issue-filters.ts
@@ -111,6 +111,45 @@ export function applyRenovateIssueExclusion(where: Record<string, unknown>): voi
   appendIssueWhere(where, buildRenovateIssueExclusionWhere());
 }
 
+/**
+ * Build a Prisma where clause that excludes umbrella issues (issues with the
+ * "umbrella" label or titles starting with "Weekly tech debt audit:").
+ */
+export function buildUmbrellaIssueExclusionWhere() {
+  return {
+    NOT: {
+      OR: [
+        { labels: { has: "umbrella" } },
+        { title: { startsWith: "Weekly tech debt audit:", mode: "insensitive" } },
+      ],
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+export function applyUmbrellaIssueExclusion(where: Record<string, unknown>): void {
+  appendIssueWhere(where, buildUmbrellaIssueExclusionWhere());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build a Prisma where clause that excludes issues already groomed within the
+ * given cooldown (default 24h) or currently blocked/not-ready.
+ */
+export function buildGroomingStateExclusionWhere(cooldownHours: number = 24) {
+  const cutoff = new Date();
+  cutoff.setHours(cutoff.getHours() - cooldownHours);
+
+  return {
+    AND: [
+      // Not recently groomed (or never groomed)
+      { OR: [{ groomedAt: null }, { groomedAt: { lt: cutoff } }] },
+      // Not currently blocked
+      { blockedReason: null },
+      // Not currently marked not-ready
+      { notReadyReason: null },
+    ],
+  };
+}
+
 export const DEFAULT_DONE_RETENTION_DAYS = 7;
 
 export function getDoneRetentionDays(): number {