diff --git a/packages/shared/src/types/issue.ts b/packages/shared/src/types/issue.ts
index 9ef7f2d4..d55f8e15 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/types/issue.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/types/issue.ts
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ export interface Issue {
   mentionedProjects?: Project[];
   myLastTouchAt?: Date | null;
   lastExternalCommentAt?: Date | null;
-  lastActivityAt?: Date | null;
   isUnreadForMe?: boolean;
   createdAt: Date;
   updatedAt: Date;
diff --git a/server/src/routes/agents.ts b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
index c2ed8ee2..8ec5ffb1 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/agents.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
@@ -1075,7 +1075,6 @@ export function agentRoutes(db: Db) {
         projectId: issue.projectId,
         goalId: issue.goalId,
         parentId: issue.parentId,
-        lastActivityAt: (issue as typeof issue & { lastActivityAt?: Date | null }).lastActivityAt ?? issue.updatedAt,
         updatedAt: issue.updatedAt,
         activeRun: issue.activeRun,
       })),
diff --git a/ui/src/components/Layout.tsx b/ui/src/components/Layout.tsx
index 69457356..be39adb7 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/Layout.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/Layout.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { MobileBottomNav } from "./MobileBottomNav";
 import { WorktreeBanner } from "./WorktreeBanner";
 import { DevRestartBanner } from "./DevRestartBanner";
 import { useDialog } from "../context/DialogContext";
+import { GeneralSettingsProvider } from "../context/GeneralSettingsContext";
 import { usePanel } from "../context/PanelContext";
 import { useCompany } from "../context/CompanyContext";
 import { useSidebar } from "../context/SidebarContext";
@@ -265,12 +266,13 @@ export function Layout() {
   }, [location.hash, location.pathname, location.search]);
 
   return (
-    <div
+    <GeneralSettingsProvider value={{ keyboardShortcutsEnabled }}>
+      <div
       className={cn(
         "bg-background text-foreground pt-[env(safe-area-inset-top)]",
         isMobile ? "min-h-dvh" : "flex h-dvh flex-col overflow-hidden",
       )}
-    >
+      >
       <a
         href="#main-content"
         className="sr-only focus:not-sr-only focus:fixed focus:left-3 focus:top-3 focus:z-[200] focus:rounded-md focus:bg-background focus:px-3 focus:py-2 focus:text-sm focus:font-medium focus:shadow-lg focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring"
@@ -442,6 +444,7 @@ export function Layout() {
       <NewGoalDialog />
       <NewAgentDialog />
       <ToastViewport />
-    </div>
+      </div>
+    </GeneralSettingsProvider>
   );
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/context/GeneralSettingsContext.tsx b/ui/src/context/GeneralSettingsContext.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a3917ed6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/context/GeneralSettingsContext.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+import { createContext, useContext } from "react";
+
+export interface GeneralSettingsContextValue {
+  keyboardShortcutsEnabled: boolean;
+}
+
+const GeneralSettingsContext = createContext<GeneralSettingsContextValue>({
+  keyboardShortcutsEnabled: false,
+});
+
+export function GeneralSettingsProvider({
+  value,
+  children,
+}: {
+  value: GeneralSettingsContextValue;
+  children: ReactNode;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <GeneralSettingsContext.Provider value={value}>
+      {children}
+    </GeneralSettingsContext.Provider>
+  );
+}
+
+export function useGeneralSettings() {
+  return useContext(GeneralSettingsContext);
+}
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/inbox.test.ts b/ui/src/lib/inbox.test.ts
index 784e38cb..2cdd8721 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/inbox.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/inbox.test.ts
@@ -180,7 +180,6 @@ function makeIssue(id: string, isUnreadForMe: boolean): Issue {
     labelIds: [],
     myLastTouchAt: new Date("2026-03-11T00:00:00.000Z"),
     lastExternalCommentAt: new Date("2026-03-11T01:00:00.000Z"),
-    lastActivityAt: new Date("2026-03-11T01:00:00.000Z"),
     isUnreadForMe,
   };
 }
@@ -358,10 +357,10 @@ describe("inbox helpers", () => {
 
   it("mixes approvals into the inbox feed by most recent activity", () => {
     const newerIssue = makeIssue("1", true);
-    newerIssue.lastActivityAt = new Date("2026-03-11T04:00:00.000Z");
+    newerIssue.lastExternalCommentAt = new Date("2026-03-11T04:00:00.000Z");
 
     const olderIssue = makeIssue("2", false);
-    olderIssue.lastActivityAt = new Date("2026-03-11T02:00:00.000Z");
+    olderIssue.lastExternalCommentAt = new Date("2026-03-11T02:00:00.000Z");
 
     const approval = makeApprovalWithTimestamps(
       "approval-between",
@@ -386,21 +385,19 @@ describe("inbox helpers", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it("prefers canonical lastActivityAt over comment-only timestamps", () => {
-    const activityIssue = makeIssue("1", true);
-    activityIssue.lastExternalCommentAt = new Date("2026-03-11T01:00:00.000Z");
-    activityIssue.lastActivityAt = new Date("2026-03-11T05:00:00.000Z");
+  it("sorts touched issues by latest external comment timestamp", () => {
+    const newerIssue = makeIssue("1", true);
+    newerIssue.lastExternalCommentAt = new Date("2026-03-11T05:00:00.000Z");
 
-    const commentIssue = makeIssue("2", true);
-    commentIssue.lastExternalCommentAt = new Date("2026-03-11T04:00:00.000Z");
-    commentIssue.lastActivityAt = new Date("2026-03-11T04:00:00.000Z");
+    const olderIssue = makeIssue("2", true);
+    olderIssue.lastExternalCommentAt = new Date("2026-03-11T04:00:00.000Z");
 
-    expect(getRecentTouchedIssues([commentIssue, activityIssue]).map((issue) => issue.id)).toEqual(["1", "2"]);
+    expect(getRecentTouchedIssues([olderIssue, newerIssue]).map((issue) => issue.id)).toEqual(["1", "2"]);
   });
 
   it("mixes join requests into the inbox feed by most recent activity", () => {
     const issue = makeIssue("1", true);
-    issue.lastActivityAt = new Date("2026-03-11T04:00:00.000Z");
+    issue.lastExternalCommentAt = new Date("2026-03-11T04:00:00.000Z");
 
     const joinRequest = makeJoinRequest("join-1");
     joinRequest.createdAt = new Date("2026-03-11T03:00:00.000Z");
@@ -485,7 +482,7 @@ describe("inbox helpers", () => {
   it("limits recent touched issues before unread badge counting", () => {
     const issues = Array.from({ length: RECENT_ISSUES_LIMIT + 5 }, (_, index) => {
       const issue = makeIssue(String(index + 1), index < 3);
-      issue.lastActivityAt = new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 2, 31, 0, 0, 0, 0) - index * 60_000);
+      issue.lastExternalCommentAt = new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 2, 31, 0, 0, 0, 0) - index * 60_000);
       return issue;
     });
 
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/inbox.ts b/ui/src/lib/inbox.ts
index 9f26e998..647b6bea 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/inbox.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/inbox.ts
@@ -217,9 +217,6 @@ export function normalizeTimestamp(value: string | Date | null | undefined): num
 }
 
 export function issueLastActivityTimestamp(issue: Issue): number {
-  const lastActivityAt = normalizeTimestamp(issue.lastActivityAt);
-  if (lastActivityAt > 0) return lastActivityAt;
-
   const lastExternalCommentAt = normalizeTimestamp(issue.lastExternalCommentAt);
   if (lastExternalCommentAt > 0) return lastExternalCommentAt;
 
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx
index adb161c2..10ac47d7 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ function createIssue(overrides: Partial<Issue> = {}): Issue {
     labelIds: [],
     myLastTouchAt: null,
     lastExternalCommentAt: null,
-    lastActivityAt: new Date("2026-03-11T00:00:00.000Z"),
     isUnreadForMe: false,
     ...overrides,
   };
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
index 1a356580..d8bbccfa 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { instanceSettingsApi } from "../api/instanceSettings";
 import { projectsApi } from "../api/projects";
 import { useCompany } from "../context/CompanyContext";
 import { useBreadcrumbs } from "../context/BreadcrumbContext";
+import { useGeneralSettings } from "../context/GeneralSettingsContext";
 import { queryKeys } from "../lib/queryKeys";
 import {
   armIssueDetailInboxQuickArchive,
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ export function InboxIssueMetaLeading({
 }
 
 function issueActivityText(issue: Issue): string {
-  return `Updated ${timeAgo(issue.lastActivityAt ?? issue.lastExternalCommentAt ?? issue.updatedAt)}`;
+  return `Updated ${timeAgo(issue.lastExternalCommentAt ?? issue.updatedAt)}`;
 }
 
 function issueTrailingGridTemplate(columns: InboxIssueColumn[]): string {
@@ -245,7 +246,7 @@ export function InboxIssueTrailingColumns({
   assigneeName: string | null;
   currentUserId: string | null;
 }) {
-  const activityText = timeAgo(issue.lastActivityAt ?? issue.lastExternalCommentAt ?? issue.updatedAt);
+  const activityText = timeAgo(issue.lastExternalCommentAt ?? issue.updatedAt);
   const userLabel = formatAssigneeUserLabel(issue.assigneeUserId, currentUserId) ?? "User";
 
   return (
@@ -791,10 +792,7 @@ export function Inbox() {
   const location = useLocation();
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   const [actionError, setActionError] = useState<string | null>(null);
-  const keyboardShortcutsEnabled = useQuery({
-    queryKey: queryKeys.instance.generalSettings,
-    queryFn: () => instanceSettingsApi.getGeneral(),
-  }).data?.keyboardShortcuts === true;
+  const { keyboardShortcutsEnabled } = useGeneralSettings();
   const { data: experimentalSettings } = useQuery({
     queryKey: queryKeys.instance.experimentalSettings,
     queryFn: () => instanceSettingsApi.getExperimental(),
@@ -1778,7 +1776,7 @@ export function Inbox() {
                     <div key="today-divider" className="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 my-2">
                       <div className="flex-1 border-t border-zinc-600" />
                       <span className="shrink-0 text-[11px] font-medium uppercase tracking-wider text-zinc-500">
-                        Today
+                        Earlier
                       </span>
                     </div>,
                   );