diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban.py b/hermes_cli/kanban.py
index 4e975bb3e8d..a861a6f2c23 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban.py
@@ -550,6 +550,33 @@ def build_parser(parent_subparsers: argparse._SubParsersAction) -> argparse.Argu
     p_unblock = sub.add_parser("unblock", help="Return one or more blocked/scheduled tasks to ready")
     p_unblock.add_argument("task_ids", nargs="+")
 
+    p_promote = sub.add_parser(
+        "promote",
+        help="Manually move a todo/blocked task to ready (recovery path)",
+    )
+    p_promote.add_argument("task_id")
+    p_promote.add_argument(
+        "reason",
+        nargs="*",
+        help="Audit-trail reason (recorded on the task_events row)",
+    )
+    p_promote.add_argument(
+        "--force",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Promote even if parent dependencies are not yet done/archived",
+    )
+    p_promote.add_argument(
+        "--dry-run",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Validate the promotion without mutating state",
+    )
+    p_promote.add_argument(
+        "--json",
+        dest="json",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Emit machine-readable JSON result",
+    )
+
     p_archive = sub.add_parser("archive", help="Archive one or more tasks")
     p_archive.add_argument("task_ids", nargs="*",
                            help="Task ids to archive (default mode)")
@@ -899,6 +926,7 @@ def kanban_command(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
         "block":    _cmd_block,
         "schedule": _cmd_schedule,
         "unblock":  _cmd_unblock,
+        "promote":  _cmd_promote,
         "archive":  _cmd_archive,
         "tail":     _cmd_tail,
         "dispatch": _cmd_dispatch,
@@ -1955,6 +1983,43 @@ def _cmd_unblock(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
     return 0 if not failed else 1
 
 
+def _cmd_promote(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
+    reason = " ".join(args.reason).strip() if args.reason else None
+    author = _profile_author()
+    as_json = getattr(args, "json", False)
+    with kb.connect() as conn:
+        ok, err = kb.promote_task(
+            conn,
+            args.task_id,
+            actor=author,
+            reason=reason,
+            force=bool(args.force),
+            dry_run=bool(args.dry_run),
+        )
+    if as_json:
+        print(json.dumps(
+            {
+                "task_id": args.task_id,
+                "promoted": ok,
+                "dry_run": bool(args.dry_run),
+                "forced": bool(args.force),
+                "reason": reason,
+                "error": err,
+            },
+            indent=2,
+            ensure_ascii=False,
+        ))
+        return 0 if ok else 1
+    if not ok:
+        print(f"cannot promote {args.task_id}: {err}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+    tag = " (dry)" if args.dry_run else ""
+    label = "Would promote" if args.dry_run else "Promoted"
+    print(f"{label} {args.task_id} -> ready{tag}"
+          + (f": {reason}" if reason else ""))
+    return 0
+
+
 def _cmd_archive(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
     ids = list(args.task_ids or [])
     purge_ids = list(getattr(args, "purge_ids", None) or [])
diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
index 7975a9fb02f..81d852ebfa4 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
@@ -3303,6 +3303,77 @@ def block_task(
         return True
 
 
+
+def promote_task(
+    conn: sqlite3.Connection,
+    task_id: str,
+    *,
+    actor: str,
+    reason: Optional[str] = None,
+    force: bool = False,
+    dry_run: bool = False,
+) -> tuple[bool, Optional[str]]:
+    """Manually promote a `todo` or `blocked` task to `ready`.
+
+    Mirrors the automatic promotion done by ``recompute_ready`` but
+    drives it from a deliberate operator action with an audit-trail
+    entry. Refuses to promote if any parent dep is not in a terminal
+    state (`done`/`archived`) unless ``force=True``. Does NOT change
+    assignee or claim state. Returns ``(True, None)`` on success and
+    ``(False, reason)`` if refused. ``dry_run=True`` validates the
+    promotion would succeed without mutating state.
+    """
+    row = conn.execute(
+        "SELECT status FROM tasks WHERE id = ?", (task_id,)
+    ).fetchone()
+    if row is None:
+        return False, f"task {task_id} not found"
+
+    cur_status = row["status"]
+    if cur_status not in ("todo", "blocked"):
+        return False, (
+            f"task {task_id} is {cur_status!r}; promote only applies to "
+            f"'todo' or 'blocked'"
+        )
+
+    if not force:
+        parents = conn.execute(
+            "SELECT t.id, t.status FROM tasks t "
+            "JOIN task_links l ON l.parent_id = t.id "
+            "WHERE l.child_id = ?",
+            (task_id,),
+        ).fetchall()
+        unsatisfied = [
+            p["id"] for p in parents
+            if p["status"] not in ("done", "archived")
+        ]
+        if unsatisfied:
+            return False, (
+                f"unsatisfied parent dependencies: "
+                f"{', '.join(unsatisfied)} (use --force to override)"
+            )
+
+    if dry_run:
+        return True, None
+
+    with write_txn(conn):
+        upd = conn.execute(
+            "UPDATE tasks SET status = 'ready' "
+            "WHERE id = ? AND status IN ('todo', 'blocked')",
+            (task_id,),
+        )
+        if upd.rowcount != 1:
+            return False, f"task {task_id} status changed during promotion"
+        _append_event(
+            conn,
+            task_id,
+            "promoted_manual",
+            {"actor": actor, "reason": reason, "forced": force},
+        )
+
+    return True, None
+
+
 def unblock_task(conn: sqlite3.Connection, task_id: str) -> bool:
     """Transition ``blocked``/``scheduled`` -> ready or todo.
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_promote.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_promote.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..00bbfecb41e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_promote.py
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+"""Tests for the kanban `promote` verb (issue #28822).
+
+The realistic bug scenario from #28822 is: a child task ends up in
+``todo`` with all its parents already ``done`` (because the
+auto-promote daemon hasn't run, or a manual close raced it).
+Direct-SQL setup is used to construct that state deterministically.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from hermes_cli import kanban_db as kb
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def kanban_home(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    home = tmp_path / ".hermes"
+    home.mkdir()
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(home))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Path, "home", lambda: tmp_path)
+    db_path = kb.kanban_db_path(board="default")
+    kb._INITIALIZED_PATHS.discard(str(db_path.resolve()))
+    kb.init_db()
+    return home
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def conn(kanban_home):
+    with kb.connect() as c:
+        yield c
+
+
+def _stuck_todo(conn, *, parents_done=True, n_parents=1):
+    """Build the #28822 scenario: child in 'todo' whose parents may
+    have closed as 'done' without the auto-promote logic firing.
+    """
+    parent_ids = [
+        kb.create_task(conn, title=f"parent{i}", assignee="setup")
+        for i in range(n_parents)
+    ]
+    child_id = kb.create_task(
+        conn, title="child", parents=parent_ids, assignee="setup"
+    )
+    assert kb.get_task(conn, child_id).status == "todo"
+    if parents_done:
+        for pid in parent_ids:
+            conn.execute(
+                "UPDATE tasks SET status='done' WHERE id=?", (pid,)
+            )
+    return child_id, parent_ids
+
+
+def test_promote_stuck_todo_succeeds(conn):
+    child, _ = _stuck_todo(conn, parents_done=True)
+    ok, err = kb.promote_task(conn, child, actor="tester")
+    assert ok and err is None
+    assert kb.get_task(conn, child).status == "ready"
+
+
+def test_promote_refuses_when_parent_not_done(conn):
+    child, parents = _stuck_todo(conn, parents_done=False)
+    ok, err = kb.promote_task(conn, child, actor="tester")
+    assert ok is False
+    assert err is not None and "unsatisfied parent dependencies" in err
+    assert parents[0] in err
+    assert kb.get_task(conn, child).status == "todo"
+
+
+def test_promote_with_force_bypasses_dependency_check(conn):
+    child, _ = _stuck_todo(conn, parents_done=False)
+    ok, err = kb.promote_task(
+        conn, child, actor="tester", reason="recovery", force=True
+    )
+    assert ok and err is None
+    assert kb.get_task(conn, child).status == "ready"
+
+
+def test_promote_emits_audit_event(conn):
+    child, _ = _stuck_todo(conn, parents_done=True)
+    kb.promote_task(conn, child, actor="tester", reason="manual recovery")
+    ev = conn.execute(
+        "SELECT kind, payload FROM task_events "
+        "WHERE task_id = ? AND kind = 'promoted_manual'",
+        (child,),
+    ).fetchone()
+    assert ev is not None
+    payload = json.loads(ev["payload"])
+    assert payload["actor"] == "tester"
+    assert payload["reason"] == "manual recovery"
+    assert payload["forced"] is False
+
+
+def test_promote_force_records_forced_flag(conn):
+    child, _ = _stuck_todo(conn, parents_done=False)
+    kb.promote_task(conn, child, actor="tester", force=True, reason="r")
+    ev = conn.execute(
+        "SELECT payload FROM task_events "
+        "WHERE task_id = ? AND kind = 'promoted_manual'",
+        (child,),
+    ).fetchone()
+    assert json.loads(ev["payload"])["forced"] is True
+
+
+def test_promote_does_not_change_assignee(conn):
+    child, _ = _stuck_todo(conn, parents_done=True)
+    before = kb.get_task(conn, child).assignee
+    kb.promote_task(conn, child, actor="someone_else")
+    after = kb.get_task(conn, child).assignee
+    assert before == after
+
+
+def test_promote_dry_run_does_not_mutate(conn):
+    child, _ = _stuck_todo(conn, parents_done=True)
+    ok, err = kb.promote_task(conn, child, actor="tester", dry_run=True)
+    assert ok and err is None
+    assert kb.get_task(conn, child).status == "todo"
+    n = conn.execute(
+        "SELECT COUNT(*) AS n FROM task_events "
+        "WHERE task_id = ? AND kind = 'promoted_manual'",
+        (child,),
+    ).fetchone()["n"]
+    assert n == 0
+
+
+def test_promote_dry_run_reports_dependency_failure(conn):
+    child, _ = _stuck_todo(conn, parents_done=False)
+    ok, err = kb.promote_task(conn, child, actor="tester", dry_run=True)
+    assert ok is False
+    assert err is not None and "unsatisfied" in err
+
+
+def test_promote_rejects_non_todo_status(conn):
+    tid = kb.create_task(conn, title="standalone")
+    assert kb.get_task(conn, tid).status == "ready"
+    ok, err = kb.promote_task(conn, tid, actor="tester")
+    assert ok is False
+    assert "'ready'" in err and "promote only applies" in err
+
+
+def test_promote_rejects_unknown_task(conn):
+    ok, err = kb.promote_task(conn, "t_doesnotexist", actor="tester")
+    assert ok is False
+    assert err is not None and "not found" in err
+
+
+def test_promote_blocked_task_works(conn):
+    tid = kb.create_task(conn, title="t")
+    conn.execute("UPDATE tasks SET status='blocked' WHERE id=?", (tid,))
+    ok, err = kb.promote_task(
+        conn, tid, actor="tester", reason="ready now"
+    )
+    assert ok and err is None
+    assert kb.get_task(conn, tid).status == "ready"