diff --git a/src-tauri/src/vault/cache.rs b/src-tauri/src/vault/cache.rs
index 55f85ef7..9a682cc7 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/vault/cache.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/vault/cache.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use super::{parse_md_file, scan_vault, VaultEntry};
 // --- Vault Cache ---
 
 /// Bump this when VaultEntry fields change to force a full rescan.
-const CACHE_VERSION: u32 = 8;
+const CACHE_VERSION: u32 = 9;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 struct VaultCache {
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/vault/frontmatter.rs b/src-tauri/src/vault/frontmatter.rs
index 448e29e5..06b8eb53 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/vault/frontmatter.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/vault/frontmatter.rs
@@ -284,20 +284,113 @@ fn pod_to_json(pod: gray_matter::Pod) -> serde_json::Value {
     }
 }
 
+/// Strip matching outer quotes (single or double) from a YAML scalar.
+fn unquote(s: &str) -> &str {
+    s.strip_prefix('"')
+        .and_then(|rest| rest.strip_suffix('"'))
+        .or_else(|| s.strip_prefix('\'').and_then(|rest| rest.strip_suffix('\'')))
+        .unwrap_or(s)
+}
+
+/// Parse a scalar YAML value into a JSON value.
+fn parse_scalar(s: &str) -> serde_json::Value {
+    let trimmed = unquote(s);
+    match trimmed.to_lowercase().as_str() {
+        "true" | "yes" => serde_json::Value::Bool(true),
+        "false" | "no" => serde_json::Value::Bool(false),
+        _ => trimmed
+            .parse::<i64>()
+            .map(|n| serde_json::json!(n))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| serde_json::Value::String(trimmed.to_string())),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Return the key from a top-level `key:` or `"key":` YAML line.
+/// Returns `None` for indented, blank, or non-key lines.
+fn extract_yaml_key(line: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+    if line.is_empty() || line.starts_with(' ') || line.starts_with('\t') {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let (k, _) = line.split_once(':')?;
+    Some(k.trim().trim_matches('"'))
+}
+
+/// Flush a pending list accumulator into the map.
+fn flush_list(
+    map: &mut HashMap<String, serde_json::Value>,
+    key: &mut Option<String>,
+    items: &mut Vec<serde_json::Value>,
+) {
+    if let Some(k) = key.take() {
+        if !items.is_empty() {
+            map.insert(k, serde_json::Value::Array(std::mem::take(items)));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Fallback parser for when gray_matter fails to parse YAML (returns raw string).
+/// Extracts simple `key: value` lines, handling booleans, numbers, quoted strings,
+/// and YAML lists.
+fn fallback_parse_yaml_string(raw: &str) -> HashMap<String, serde_json::Value> {
+    let mut map = HashMap::new();
+    let mut list_key: Option<String> = None;
+    let mut list_items: Vec<serde_json::Value> = Vec::new();
+
+    for line in raw.lines() {
+        // Accumulate list items under the current key
+        if list_key.is_some() {
+            if let Some(item) = line.strip_prefix("  - ") {
+                list_items.push(parse_scalar(item.trim()));
+                continue;
+            }
+            flush_list(&mut map, &mut list_key, &mut list_items);
+        }
+
+        let Some(key) = extract_yaml_key(line) else { continue };
+        let value_part = line.split_once(':').map(|(_, v)| v.trim()).unwrap_or("");
+        if value_part.is_empty() {
+            list_key = Some(key.to_string());
+        } else {
+            map.insert(key.to_string(), parse_scalar(value_part));
+        }
+    }
+    flush_list(&mut map, &mut list_key, &mut list_items);
+    map
+}
+
+/// Extract the raw YAML frontmatter string from between `---` delimiters.
+fn extract_raw_frontmatter(content: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+    let rest = content.strip_prefix("---")?;
+    let rest = rest.strip_prefix('\n').or_else(|| rest.strip_prefix("\r\n"))?;
+    let end = rest.find("\n---")?;
+    Some(&rest[..end])
+}
+
 /// Extract frontmatter, relationships, and custom properties from parsed gray_matter data.
+/// When gray_matter fails to parse YAML (e.g. malformed quotes from Notion exports),
+/// `raw_content` is used as a fallback: simple key:value pairs are extracted line-by-line
+/// so that critical fields like Trashed, Archived, type are not silently lost.
 pub(crate) fn extract_fm_and_rels(
     data: Option<gray_matter::Pod>,
+    raw_content: &str,
 ) -> (
     Frontmatter,
     HashMap<String, Vec<String>>,
     HashMap<String, serde_json::Value>,
 ) {
-    let hash = match data {
-        Some(gray_matter::Pod::Hash(map)) => map,
-        _ => return (Frontmatter::default(), HashMap::new(), HashMap::new()),
+    let json_map = match data {
+        Some(gray_matter::Pod::Hash(map)) => {
+            map.into_iter().map(|(k, v)| (k, pod_to_json(v))).collect()
+        }
+        _ => {
+            // gray_matter returned Null, String, or None — YAML parse failed.
+            // Fall back to line-by-line extraction from the raw frontmatter block.
+            match extract_raw_frontmatter(raw_content) {
+                Some(raw) => fallback_parse_yaml_string(raw),
+                None => return (Frontmatter::default(), HashMap::new(), HashMap::new()),
+            }
+        }
     };
-    let json_map: HashMap<String, serde_json::Value> =
-        hash.into_iter().map(|(k, v)| (k, pod_to_json(v))).collect();
     (
         parse_frontmatter(&json_map),
         extract_relationships(&json_map),
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/vault/mod.rs b/src-tauri/src/vault/mod.rs
index 22e5c39e..5672e69f 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/vault/mod.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/vault/mod.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ pub fn parse_md_file(path: &Path) -> Result<VaultEntry, String> {
 
     let matter = Matter::<YAML>::new();
     let parsed = matter.parse(&content);
-    let (frontmatter, mut relationships, properties) = extract_fm_and_rels(parsed.data);
+    let (frontmatter, mut relationships, properties) = extract_fm_and_rels(parsed.data, &content);
 
     let title = extract_title(frontmatter.title.as_deref(), &content, &filename);
     let snippet = extract_snippet(&content);
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/vault/mod_tests.rs b/src-tauri/src/vault/mod_tests.rs
index e5041595..ab98dde9 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/vault/mod_tests.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/vault/mod_tests.rs
@@ -1103,6 +1103,142 @@ fn test_parse_visible_missing_defaults_to_none() {
     assert_eq!(entry.visible, None);
 }
 
+// --- Regression: trashed/archived must survive unquoted date in "Trashed at" ---
+
+#[test]
+fn test_trashed_true_with_unquoted_date_in_trashed_at() {
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    // Reproduces the engineering-management.md scenario: Trashed at has an
+    // unquoted YAML date (2026-03-11) which gray_matter may parse as a non-string.
+    // The entire Frontmatter deserialization must NOT fail because of this.
+    let content = "---\ntype: Topic\nTrashed: true\n\"Trashed at\": 2026-03-11\n---\n# Engineering Management\n";
+    let entry = parse_test_entry(&dir, "engineering-management.md", content);
+    assert!(
+        entry.trashed,
+        "Trashed must be true even when 'Trashed at' contains an unquoted date"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_archived_true_with_extra_non_string_fields() {
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    // If any StringOrList field gets a non-string value, archived must still parse.
+    let content = "---\nArchived: true\norder: 5\n---\n# Archived Note\n";
+    let entry = parse_test_entry(&dir, "archived-extra.md", content);
+    assert!(
+        entry.archived,
+        "Archived must be true even with other fields present"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_trashed_with_reviewed_false_field() {
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let content = "---\ntype: Topic\nReviewed: False\nTrashed: true\n---\n# Test\n";
+    let entry = parse_test_entry(&dir, "reviewed-test.md", content);
+    assert!(
+        entry.trashed,
+        "Trashed must be true even when frontmatter contains Reviewed: False"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(entry.is_a, Some("Topic".to_string()));
+}
+
+/// Regression: wikilinks containing curly braces + nested quotes in YAML arrays
+/// cause gray_matter to produce Hash values instead of strings for array elements.
+/// This must NOT make parse_frontmatter fall back to default (losing trashed/archived).
+#[test]
+fn test_trashed_survives_malformed_wikilinks_in_yaml() {
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    // This YAML has curly braces inside a double-quoted string, producing nested
+    // Hash values in some YAML parsers. The Frontmatter serde must not fail.
+    let content = "---\ntype: Topic\nNotes:\n  - \"[[foo|bar]]\"\n  - \"[[slug|{'Title': 'Subtitle'}]]\"\nTrashed: true\n---\n# Test\n";
+    let entry = parse_test_entry(&dir, "malformed-links.md", content);
+    assert!(
+        entry.trashed,
+        "Trashed must be true even with curly-brace wikilinks in frontmatter arrays"
+    );
+}
+
+/// Regression: files with malformed YAML (e.g. Notion exports with unescaped quotes
+/// in wikilinks) cause gray_matter to return Null instead of a Hash. The fallback
+/// parser must still extract Trashed, type, and other simple key:value fields.
+#[test]
+fn test_parse_real_engineering_management_file() {
+    let path = std::path::Path::new("/Users/luca/Laputa/engineering-management.md");
+    if !path.exists() {
+        return; // Skip when the Laputa vault is not available
+    }
+    let entry = parse_md_file(path).unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        entry.trashed,
+        "engineering-management.md must be trashed (has Trashed: true in frontmatter)"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(entry.is_a, Some("Topic".to_string()));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_fallback_parser_extracts_trashed_from_malformed_yaml() {
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    // Simulate malformed YAML that gray_matter can't parse: unescaped double
+    // quotes inside a double-quoted YAML string cause the YAML parser to fail.
+    // The fallback line-by-line parser must still extract simple key:value pairs.
+    //
+    // Write the file manually with literal unescaped quotes (can't use Rust string
+    // escaping for this since the YAML itself is the malformed part).
+    let fm = [
+        "---",
+        "type: Topic",
+        "Status: Draft",
+        "Belongs to:",
+        "  - \"[[engineering|Engineering]]\"",
+        "aliases:",
+        "  - Engineering Management",
+        "Notes:",
+        // This line has unescaped " inside a "-quoted YAML string — malformed YAML
+        "  - \"[[slug|{\"Title\": 'Subtitle'}]]\"",
+        "Trashed: true",
+        "\"Trashed at\": 2026-03-11",
+        "---",
+        "",
+        "# Engineering Management",
+    ];
+    let content = fm.join("\n");
+    create_test_file(dir.path(), "eng-mgmt.md", &content);
+    let entry = parse_md_file(&dir.path().join("eng-mgmt.md")).unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        entry.trashed,
+        "Trashed must be true even when YAML is malformed (fallback parser)"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        entry.is_a,
+        Some("Topic".to_string()),
+        "isA must be extracted by fallback parser"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_fallback_parser_extracts_archived_from_malformed_yaml() {
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let fm = [
+        "---",
+        "type: Essay",
+        "Notes:",
+        "  - \"[[slug|{\"Broken\": 'quotes'}]]\"",
+        "Archived: true",
+        "---",
+        "",
+        "# Archived Essay",
+    ];
+    let content = fm.join("\n");
+    create_test_file(dir.path(), "archived-essay.md", &content);
+    let entry = parse_md_file(&dir.path().join("archived-essay.md")).unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        entry.archived,
+        "Archived must be true even when YAML is malformed"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(entry.is_a, Some("Essay".to_string()));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_visible_not_in_relationships() {
     let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();