diff --git a/internal/db/projects.go b/internal/db/projects.go
index 5a80275..034a332 100644
--- a/internal/db/projects.go
+++ b/internal/db/projects.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func (d *DB) ListProjects(areaFilter string, includeCompleted bool) ([]model.Pro
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("scanning project: %w", err)
 		}
 		if status.Valid {
-			p.Status = int(status.Int64)
+			p.Status = model.Status(status.Int64)
 		}
 		if tagsStr != "" {
 			p.Tags = strings.Split(tagsStr, "\x1f")
diff --git a/internal/model/model.go b/internal/model/model.go
index 577c510..4b42237 100644
--- a/internal/model/model.go
+++ b/internal/model/model.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package model
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -10,15 +11,83 @@ const (
 	TypeTask    = 0
 	TypeProject = 1
 
-	StatusOpen      = 0
-	StatusCancelled = 2
-	StatusCompleted = 3
+	StatusOpen      Status = 0
+	StatusCancelled Status = 2
+	StatusCompleted Status = 3
 
 	StartInbox   = 0
 	StartAnytime = 1
 	StartSomeday = 2
 )
 
+// Status is a Things3 task/project status. The underlying integers are the
+// raw Things codes (0 = open, 2 = cancelled, 3 = completed — note there is no
+// 1), but JSON renders the human-readable string so scripts and agents never
+// have to decode the magic ints.
+type Status int
+
+// statusNames is the single source of truth for the name<->code mapping used
+// by String, MarshalJSON, and UnmarshalJSON.
+var statusNames = map[Status]string{
+	StatusOpen:      "open",
+	StatusCancelled: "cancelled",
+	StatusCompleted: "completed",
+}
+
+func (s Status) String() string {
+	if name, ok := statusNames[s]; ok {
+		return name
+	}
+	return "unknown"
+}
+
+// MarshalJSON renders a recognized status as its string name
+// ("open"/"cancelled"/"completed"). An unrecognized raw Things code is
+// preserved as its integer so the value round-trips losslessly rather than
+// collapsing to a lossy "unknown" string.
+func (s Status) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	if name, ok := statusNames[s]; ok {
+		return json.Marshal(name)
+	}
+	return json.Marshal(int(s))
+}
+
+// UnmarshalJSON accepts either a status name or the raw Things integer,
+// mirroring MarshalJSON so values round-trip. Names are matched strictly
+// against the known set; integers are taken verbatim as the raw wire code.
+func (s *Status) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
+	// Per the json.Unmarshaler convention, a JSON null is a no-op: leave the
+	// existing value untouched rather than silently coercing it to Status(0)
+	// ("open").
+	if string(data) == "null" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	// Try the string name first; on a type mismatch fall back to the raw
+	// integer so both the emitted string form and the legacy integer decode. A
+	// non-type error (malformed JSON) is surfaced as-is rather than retried as
+	// an int.
+	var name string
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &name); err != nil {
+		var typeErr *json.UnmarshalTypeError
+		if !errors.As(err, &typeErr) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Status: %w", err)
+		}
+		var n int
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &n); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Status: %w", err)
+		}
+		*s = Status(n)
+		return nil
+	}
+	for st, n := range statusNames {
+		if n == name {
+			*s = st
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("Status: unknown value %q", name)
+}
+
 // ThingsDate is a bit-encoded date: year<<16 | month<<12 | day<<7.
 type ThingsDate int64
 
@@ -73,7 +142,7 @@ type Task struct {
 	Title        string      `json:"title"`
 	Notes        string      `json:"notes,omitempty"`
 	Type         int         `json:"type"`
-	Status       int         `json:"status"`
+	Status       Status      `json:"status"`
 	Start        int         `json:"start"`
 	StartBucket  int         `json:"startBucket"`
 	StartDate    *ThingsDate `json:"startDate,omitempty"`
@@ -95,7 +164,7 @@ type Task struct {
 type ChecklistItem struct {
 	UUID     string     `json:"uuid"`
 	Title    string     `json:"title"`
-	Status   int        `json:"status"`
+	Status   Status     `json:"status"`
 	StopDate *time.Time `json:"stopDate,omitempty"`
 	Index    int        `json:"index"`
 }
@@ -103,7 +172,7 @@ type ChecklistItem struct {
 type Project struct {
 	UUID      string   `json:"uuid"`
 	Title     string   `json:"title"`
-	Status    int      `json:"status"`
+	Status    Status   `json:"status"`
 	AreaUUID  string   `json:"areaUUID,omitempty"`
 	AreaTitle string   `json:"areaTitle,omitempty"`
 	Tags      []string `json:"tags,omitempty"`
diff --git a/internal/model/model_test.go b/internal/model/model_test.go
index 899751c..130d233 100644
--- a/internal/model/model_test.go
+++ b/internal/model/model_test.go
@@ -135,3 +135,83 @@ func TestCoreDataEpochZero(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("CoreDataToTime(0) = %s, want %s", got, epoch)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestStatusMarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		status Status
+		want   string
+	}{
+		{StatusOpen, `"open"`},
+		{StatusCancelled, `"cancelled"`},
+		{StatusCompleted, `"completed"`},
+		{Status(99), `99`}, // unrecognized code preserved as its raw int
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		got, err := json.Marshal(tc.status)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Marshal(%d): %v", tc.status, err)
+		}
+		if string(got) != tc.want {
+			t.Errorf("Marshal(%d) = %s, want %s", tc.status, got, tc.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStatusUnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		in   string
+		want Status
+	}{
+		{`"open"`, StatusOpen},
+		{`"cancelled"`, StatusCancelled},
+		{`"completed"`, StatusCompleted},
+		{`0`, StatusOpen},      // legacy integer input
+		{`2`, StatusCancelled}, // legacy integer input (the non-obvious code)
+		{`3`, StatusCompleted}, // legacy integer input
+		{`99`, Status(99)},     // unrecognized raw code taken verbatim
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		var s Status
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(tc.in), &s); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Unmarshal(%s): %v", tc.in, err)
+		}
+		if s != tc.want {
+			t.Errorf("Unmarshal(%s) = %d, want %d", tc.in, s, tc.want)
+		}
+	}
+	// A JSON null is a no-op: it must leave the existing value untouched rather
+	// than silently coercing it to Status(0) ("open").
+	pre := StatusCompleted
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(`null`), &pre); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unmarshal(null): %v", err)
+	}
+	if pre != StatusCompleted {
+		t.Errorf("Unmarshal(null) = %d, want %d (unchanged)", pre, StatusCompleted)
+	}
+	// Unknown string names are rejected, but a malformed JSON token must not be
+	// silently funnelled into the integer branch.
+	for _, bad := range []string{`"bogus"`, `{}`, `[1]`} {
+		var s Status
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(bad), &s); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("Unmarshal(%s) succeeded, want error", bad)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStatusRoundTripJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	// Both a recognized status and an unrecognized raw code must round-trip.
+	for _, want := range []Status{StatusCancelled, StatusCompleted, Status(99)} {
+		in := Task{Title: "t", Status: want}
+		data, err := json.Marshal(in)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Marshal: %v", err)
+		}
+		var out Task
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &out); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Unmarshal: %v", err)
+		}
+		if out.Status != want {
+			t.Errorf("round-trip status = %d, want %d", out.Status, want)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/output/output.go b/internal/output/output.go
index e86da40..e6f1732 100644
--- a/internal/output/output.go
+++ b/internal/output/output.go
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ func printTags(w io.Writer, tags []model.Tag) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func statusIcon(status int) string {
+func statusIcon(status model.Status) string {
 	switch status {
 	case model.StatusOpen:
 		return "[ ]"
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ func statusIcon(status int) string {
 	}
 }
 
-func statusText(status int) string {
+func statusText(status model.Status) string {
 	switch status {
 	case model.StatusOpen:
 		return "Open"
diff --git a/internal/output/output_test.go b/internal/output/output_test.go
index c7ac82f..422a6de 100644
--- a/internal/output/output_test.go
+++ b/internal/output/output_test.go
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ func TestPrintFallbackJSON(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestStatusHelpers(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
-		status int
+		status model.Status
 		icon   string
 		text   string
 	}{
diff --git a/internal/output/style.go b/internal/output/style.go
index ad64ca0..9983224 100644
--- a/internal/output/style.go
+++ b/internal/output/style.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ var (
 // nowFn is overridable in tests.
 var nowFn = time.Now
 
-func styledStatus(status int) string {
+func styledStatus(status model.Status) string {
 	icon := statusIcon(status)
 	switch status {
 	case model.StatusCompleted:
diff --git a/internal/skill/SKILL.md b/internal/skill/SKILL.md
index 2eaed88..ae8ff24 100644
--- a/internal/skill/SKILL.md
+++ b/internal/skill/SKILL.md
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ today, upcoming, projects, or areas on macOS.
 
 Most commands accept `--json` / `-j`. Prefer it when parsing output.
 
+In JSON, `status` is a string enum — `"open"`, `"cancelled"`, or `"completed"` (not the raw Things integer) — on tasks, projects, and checklist items. Filter with e.g. `jq 'select(.status=="open")'`.
+
 Human output is styled with colors and aligned columns. Color auto-disables when piping or when `NO_COLOR` is set. Override with `--color=always|never` (default `auto`). JSON output is unaffected.
 
 ## Core commands