diff --git a/internal/storage/sqlite/dependencies.go b/internal/storage/sqlite/dependencies.go
index aa6dea96..e7d8a7ab 100644
--- a/internal/storage/sqlite/dependencies.go
+++ b/internal/storage/sqlite/dependencies.go
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) scanIssues(ctx context.Context, rows *sql.Rows) ([]*type
 		var externalRef sql.NullString
 		var sourceRepo sql.NullString
 		var closeReason sql.NullString
-		var deletedAt sql.NullTime
+		var deletedAt sql.NullString // TEXT column, not DATETIME - must parse manually
 		var deletedBy sql.NullString
 		var deleteReason sql.NullString
 		var originalType sql.NullString
@@ -729,9 +729,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) scanIssues(ctx context.Context, rows *sql.Rows) ([]*type
 		if closeReason.Valid {
 			issue.CloseReason = closeReason.String
 		}
-		if deletedAt.Valid {
-			issue.DeletedAt = &deletedAt.Time
-		}
+		issue.DeletedAt = parseNullableTimeString(deletedAt)
 		if deletedBy.Valid {
 			issue.DeletedBy = deletedBy.String
 		}
@@ -773,7 +771,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) scanIssuesWithDependencyType(ctx context.Context, rows *
 		var assignee sql.NullString
 		var externalRef sql.NullString
 		var sourceRepo sql.NullString
-		var deletedAt sql.NullTime
+		var deletedAt sql.NullString // TEXT column, not DATETIME - must parse manually
 		var deletedBy sql.NullString
 		var deleteReason sql.NullString
 		var originalType sql.NullString
@@ -810,9 +808,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) scanIssuesWithDependencyType(ctx context.Context, rows *
 		if sourceRepo.Valid {
 			issue.SourceRepo = sourceRepo.String
 		}
-		if deletedAt.Valid {
-			issue.DeletedAt = &deletedAt.Time
-		}
+		issue.DeletedAt = parseNullableTimeString(deletedAt)
 		if deletedBy.Valid {
 			issue.DeletedBy = deletedBy.String
 		}
diff --git a/internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go b/internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go
index 1fc59c6e..bc48003b 100644
--- a/internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go
+++ b/internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go
@@ -11,6 +11,23 @@ import (
 	"github.com/steveyegge/beads/internal/types"
 )
 
+// parseNullableTimeString parses a nullable time string from database TEXT columns.
+// The ncruces/go-sqlite3 driver only auto-converts TEXT→time.Time for columns declared
+// as DATETIME/DATE/TIME/TIMESTAMP. For TEXT columns (like deleted_at), we must parse manually.
+// Supports RFC3339, RFC3339Nano, and SQLite's native format.
+func parseNullableTimeString(ns sql.NullString) *time.Time {
+	if !ns.Valid || ns.String == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	// Try RFC3339Nano first (more precise), then RFC3339, then SQLite format
+	for _, layout := range []string{time.RFC3339Nano, time.RFC3339, "2006-01-02 15:04:05"} {
+		if t, err := time.Parse(layout, ns.String); err == nil {
+			return &t
+		}
+	}
+	return nil // Unparseable - shouldn't happen with valid data
+}
+
 // REMOVED (bd-8e05): getNextIDForPrefix and AllocateNextID - sequential ID generation
 // no longer needed with hash-based IDs
 // Migration functions moved to migrations.go (bd-fc2d, bd-b245)
@@ -158,7 +175,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) GetIssue(ctx context.Context, id string) (*types.Issue,
 	var originalSize sql.NullInt64
 	var sourceRepo sql.NullString
 	var closeReason sql.NullString
-	var deletedAt sql.NullTime
+	var deletedAt sql.NullString // TEXT column, not DATETIME - must parse manually
 	var deletedBy sql.NullString
 	var deleteReason sql.NullString
 	var originalType sql.NullString
@@ -220,9 +237,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) GetIssue(ctx context.Context, id string) (*types.Issue,
 	if closeReason.Valid {
 		issue.CloseReason = closeReason.String
 	}
-	if deletedAt.Valid {
-		issue.DeletedAt = &deletedAt.Time
-	}
+	issue.DeletedAt = parseNullableTimeString(deletedAt)
 	if deletedBy.Valid {
 		issue.DeletedBy = deletedBy.String
 	}
@@ -331,7 +346,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) GetIssueByExternalRef(ctx context.Context, externalRef s
 	var compactedAtCommit sql.NullString
 	var sourceRepo sql.NullString
 	var closeReason sql.NullString
-	var deletedAt sql.NullTime
+	var deletedAt sql.NullString // TEXT column, not DATETIME - must parse manually
 	var deletedBy sql.NullString
 	var deleteReason sql.NullString
 	var originalType sql.NullString
@@ -391,9 +406,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) GetIssueByExternalRef(ctx context.Context, externalRef s
 	if closeReason.Valid {
 		issue.CloseReason = closeReason.String
 	}
-	if deletedAt.Valid {
-		issue.DeletedAt = &deletedAt.Time
-	}
+	issue.DeletedAt = parseNullableTimeString(deletedAt)
 	if deletedBy.Valid {
 		issue.DeletedBy = deletedBy.String
 	}
diff --git a/internal/storage/sqlite/ready.go b/internal/storage/sqlite/ready.go
index e4d2a297..1865a96f 100644
--- a/internal/storage/sqlite/ready.go
+++ b/internal/storage/sqlite/ready.go
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) GetStaleIssues(ctx context.Context, filter types.StaleFi
 		var compactedAtCommit sql.NullString
 		var originalSize sql.NullInt64
 		var closeReason sql.NullString
-		var deletedAt sql.NullTime
+		var deletedAt sql.NullString // TEXT column, not DATETIME - must parse manually
 		var deletedBy sql.NullString
 		var deleteReason sql.NullString
 		var originalType sql.NullString
@@ -221,9 +221,7 @@ func (s *SQLiteStorage) GetStaleIssues(ctx context.Context, filter types.StaleFi
 		if closeReason.Valid {
 			issue.CloseReason = closeReason.String
 		}
-		if deletedAt.Valid {
-			issue.DeletedAt = &deletedAt.Time
-		}
+		issue.DeletedAt = parseNullableTimeString(deletedAt)
 		if deletedBy.Valid {
 			issue.DeletedBy = deletedBy.String
 		}
diff --git a/internal/storage/sqlite/transaction.go b/internal/storage/sqlite/transaction.go
index 9689ee8b..96b89f10 100644
--- a/internal/storage/sqlite/transaction.go
+++ b/internal/storage/sqlite/transaction.go
@@ -1068,7 +1068,7 @@ func scanIssueRow(row scanner) (*types.Issue, error) {
 	var sourceRepo sql.NullString
 	var compactedAtCommit sql.NullString
 	var closeReason sql.NullString
-	var deletedAt sql.NullTime
+	var deletedAt sql.NullString // TEXT column, not DATETIME - must parse manually
 	var deletedBy sql.NullString
 	var deleteReason sql.NullString
 	var originalType sql.NullString
@@ -1116,9 +1116,7 @@ func scanIssueRow(row scanner) (*types.Issue, error) {
 	if closeReason.Valid {
 		issue.CloseReason = closeReason.String
 	}
-	if deletedAt.Valid {
-		issue.DeletedAt = &deletedAt.Time
-	}
+	issue.DeletedAt = parseNullableTimeString(deletedAt)
 	if deletedBy.Valid {
 		issue.DeletedBy = deletedBy.String
 	}