diff --git a/src/components/tasks/apply-workflow-dialog.tsx b/src/components/tasks/apply-workflow-dialog.tsx
index 5f39b3a..f77f25a 100644
--- a/src/components/tasks/apply-workflow-dialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/tasks/apply-workflow-dialog.tsx
@@ -71,54 +71,59 @@ export function ApplyWorkflowDialog({
       toast.error("Template has no tasks.");
       return;
     }
-    const inserts = items.map((it: any, idx: number) => ({
-      title: it.title,
-      description: it.description,
-      priority: it.priority,
-      due_date: format(addDays(startDate, it.days_from_start), "yyyy-MM-dd"),
-      case_id: caseId,
-      workflow_template_id: templateId,
-      created_by: user.id,
-      sort_order: idx,
-    }));
-    const { data: created, error } = await supabase.from("tasks").insert(inserts).select("id");
+    // Sequential mode: only spawn the FIRST task. Subsequent tasks are
+    // auto-spawned when the previous one is marked complete.
+    const first = items[0];
+    const { data: created, error } = await supabase
+      .from("tasks")
+      .insert({
+        title: first.title,
+        description: first.description,
+        priority: first.priority,
+        due_date: format(addDays(startDate, first.days_from_start), "yyyy-MM-dd"),
+        case_id: caseId,
+        workflow_template_id: templateId,
+        template_task_id: first.id,
+        created_by: user.id,
+        sort_order: 0,
+      })
+      .select("id")
+      .single();
     if (error || !created) {
       setSubmitting(false);
       toast.error(error?.message || "Failed to apply");
       return;
     }
-    // Insert default assignees + history
-    const assigneeRows: any[] = [];
-    const historyRows: any[] = [];
-    const notifs: any[] = [];
-    created.forEach((row, idx) => {
-      const def = items[idx].default_assignee_id;
-      if (def) {
-        assigneeRows.push({ task_id: row.id, user_id: def, assigned_by: user.id });
-        if (def !== user.id) {
-          notifs.push({
-            user_id: def,
+    if (first.default_assignee_id) {
+      await supabase.from("task_assignees").insert({
+        task_id: created.id,
+        user_id: first.default_assignee_id,
+        assigned_by: user.id,
+      });
+      if (first.default_assignee_id !== user.id) {
+        await createNotifications([
+          {
+            user_id: first.default_assignee_id,
             kind: "task_assigned",
-            title: `Assigned: ${items[idx].title}`,
-            link: `/tasks?task=${row.id}`,
-            task_id: row.id,
+            title: `Assigned: ${first.title}`,
+            link: `/tasks?task=${created.id}`,
+            task_id: created.id,
             case_id: caseId,
             created_by: user.id,
-          });
-        }
+          },
+        ]);
       }
-      historyRows.push({
-        task_id: row.id,
-        actor_id: user.id,
-        event: "created_from_workflow",
-        detail: { template_id: templateId },
-      });
+    }
+    await supabase.from("task_history").insert({
+      task_id: created.id,
+      actor_id: user.id,
+      event: "created_from_workflow",
+      detail: { template_id: templateId, sequential: true, total_steps: items.length },
     });
-    if (assigneeRows.length) await supabase.from("task_assignees").insert(assigneeRows);
-    if (historyRows.length) await supabase.from("task_history").insert(historyRows);
-    if (notifs.length) await createNotifications(notifs);
     setSubmitting(false);
-    toast.success(`Created ${created.length} tasks`);
+    toast.success(
+      `Workflow started — ${items.length} step${items.length === 1 ? "" : "s"} will run sequentially.`,
+    );
     onApplied?.();
     onOpenChange(false);
   };