diff --git a/crates/heph-tui/src/app.rs b/crates/heph-tui/src/app.rs
index b399dcf..89e331c 100644
--- a/crates/heph-tui/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/heph-tui/src/app.rs
@@ -122,6 +122,17 @@ impl<B: Backend> App<B> {
         self.tasks.get(self.task_cursor)
     }
 
+    /// The node to open in the editor for the highlighted task: its
+    /// canonical-context doc (where the description/checklist live), falling
+    /// back to the task node itself.
+    pub fn selected_context_id(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        self.selected_task().map(|t| {
+            t.canonical_context_id
+                .clone()
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| t.node_id.clone())
+        })
+    }
+
     fn current_target(&self) -> Option<Target> {
         match self.sidebar.get(self.sidebar_cursor)? {
             SidebarEntry::View { name, .. } => Some(Target::View(name.clone())),
diff --git a/crates/heph-tui/src/editor.rs b/crates/heph-tui/src/editor.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edb1023
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/heph-tui/src/editor.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+//! The nvim context handoff (tech-spec §8.1): suspend the TUI, open the task's
+//! canonical-context doc in the owner's nvim (live, via heph.nvim's buffer
+//! surface), then resume. The KB↔task fusion — edit the description/checklist
+//! in the real editor and come straight back to triage.
+
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::Command;
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use ratatui::crossterm::{
+    execute,
+    terminal::{disable_raw_mode, enable_raw_mode, EnterAlternateScreen, LeaveAlternateScreen},
+};
+use ratatui::DefaultTerminal;
+
+/// The nvim arguments that open a heph node buffer through heph.nvim. Node ids
+/// are ULIDs (no quote/escaping hazard), so a plain `'<id>'` literal is safe.
+pub fn nvim_args(node_id: &str) -> Vec<String> {
+    vec![format!("+lua require('heph.node').open('{node_id}')")]
+}
+
+/// Drop out of the alternate screen, run `nvim` on `node_id` (pointing its
+/// heph.nvim at the same daemon via `$HEPH_SOCKET`), then restore the TUI.
+pub fn edit_in_nvim(terminal: &mut DefaultTerminal, node_id: &str, socket: &Path) -> Result<()> {
+    disable_raw_mode()?;
+    execute!(std::io::stdout(), LeaveAlternateScreen)?;
+
+    let status = Command::new("nvim")
+        .args(nvim_args(node_id))
+        .env("HEPH_SOCKET", socket)
+        .status();
+
+    // Restore the TUI regardless of how nvim exited, then surface any error.
+    enable_raw_mode()?;
+    execute!(std::io::stdout(), EnterAlternateScreen)?;
+    terminal.clear()?;
+
+    status.context("launching nvim (is it on PATH?)")?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn args_open_the_node_via_heph_nvim() {
+        let args = nvim_args("01ABCXYZ");
+        assert_eq!(args.len(), 1);
+        assert!(args[0].starts_with("+lua"));
+        assert!(args[0].contains("require('heph.node').open('01ABCXYZ')"));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/heph-tui/src/lib.rs b/crates/heph-tui/src/lib.rs
index 17bb71d..83efc5c 100644
--- a/crates/heph-tui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/heph-tui/src/lib.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 pub mod app;
 pub mod backend;
+pub mod editor;
 pub mod fmt;
 pub mod ui;
 
diff --git a/crates/heph-tui/src/main.rs b/crates/heph-tui/src/main.rs
index b1e596a..ee28461 100644
--- a/crates/heph-tui/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/heph-tui/src/main.rs
@@ -5,10 +5,17 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use clap::Parser;
-use heph_tui::{app::App, backend::ClientBackend, ui, Focus};
+use heph_tui::{app::App, backend::ClientBackend, editor, ui, Focus};
 use hephd::Client;
 use ratatui::crossterm::event::{self, Event, KeyCode, KeyEvent, KeyEventKind, KeyModifiers};
 
+/// A key action that the event loop (which owns the terminal) must perform —
+/// kept out of `App` so app logic stays terminal-free.
+enum Action {
+    /// Suspend and open this node in nvim, then reload.
+    EditContext(String),
+}
+
 #[derive(Parser)]
 #[command(name = "heph-tui", about = "Hephaestus task agenda / triage TUI")]
 struct Cli {
@@ -36,7 +43,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let app = App::new(ClientBackend::new(client)).context("loading the agenda")?;
 
     let mut terminal = ratatui::init();
-    let result = run(&mut terminal, app);
+    let result = run(&mut terminal, app, &socket);
     ratatui::restore();
     result
 }
@@ -44,12 +51,15 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 fn run<B: heph_tui::Backend>(
     terminal: &mut ratatui::DefaultTerminal,
     mut app: App<B>,
+    socket: &std::path::Path,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     loop {
         terminal.draw(|f| ui::render(f, &app))?;
         if let Event::Key(key) = event::read()? {
             if key.kind == KeyEventKind::Press {
-                handle_key(&mut app, key);
+                if let Some(action) = handle_key(&mut app, key) {
+                    perform(terminal, &mut app, socket, action)?;
+                }
             }
         }
         if app.should_quit {
@@ -58,14 +68,33 @@ fn run<B: heph_tui::Backend>(
     }
 }
 
-/// Translate a key press into an [`App`] action (T1: navigation only).
-fn handle_key<B: heph_tui::Backend>(app: &mut App<B>, key: KeyEvent) {
+/// Perform a terminal-affecting action (currently: the nvim handoff).
+fn perform<B: heph_tui::Backend>(
+    terminal: &mut ratatui::DefaultTerminal,
+    app: &mut App<B>,
+    socket: &std::path::Path,
+    action: Action,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    match action {
+        Action::EditContext(id) => {
+            if let Err(e) = editor::edit_in_nvim(terminal, &id, socket) {
+                app.status = format!("error: {e}");
+            }
+            app.reload(); // pick up edits made in nvim
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Translate a key press into an [`App`] mutation and/or an [`Action`] for the
+/// event loop to perform.
+fn handle_key<B: heph_tui::Backend>(app: &mut App<B>, key: KeyEvent) -> Option<Action> {
     // Any keypress clears a stale status message.
     app.status.clear();
 
     if key.modifiers.contains(KeyModifiers::CONTROL) && key.code == KeyCode::Char('c') {
         app.should_quit = true;
-        return;
+        return None;
     }
 
     match key.code {
@@ -82,8 +111,11 @@ fn handle_key<B: heph_tui::Backend>(app: &mut App<B>, key: KeyEvent) {
         KeyCode::Char('s') => app.skip_selected(),
         KeyCode::Char('A') => app.cycle_attention_selected(),
         KeyCode::Char('b') => app.push_to_blue_selected(),
+        // open the task's context doc in nvim (handled by the event loop)
+        KeyCode::Char('o') => return app.selected_context_id().map(Action::EditContext),
         _ => {}
     }
+    None
 }
 
 fn move_down<B: heph_tui::Backend>(app: &mut App<B>) {
diff --git a/crates/heph-tui/src/ui.rs b/crates/heph-tui/src/ui.rs
index 69c5b7d..a26c2e2 100644
--- a/crates/heph-tui/src/ui.rs
+++ b/crates/heph-tui/src/ui.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use crate::backend::Backend;
 use crate::fmt::{fmt_date, today_local};
 
 const HINTS: &str =
-    " j/k move  Tab pane  x done  d drop  s skip  A attn  b→blue  r refresh  q quit";
+    " j/k move  Tab pane  x done  d drop  s skip  A attn  b→blue  o edit  r refresh  q quit";
 
 /// Draw the whole UI for the current frame.
 pub fn render<B: Backend>(frame: &mut Frame, app: &App<B>) {