diff --git a/src/app/api/preferences/route.ts b/src/app/api/preferences/route.ts
index 6ba1b84..4d87fec 100644
--- a/src/app/api/preferences/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/preferences/route.ts
@@ -71,22 +71,25 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
       lastWeedUsageTime?: string;
     };
 
-    // Validation
+    // Validation & Normalization
     if (body.substance && !['nicotine', 'weed'].includes(body.substance)) {
       return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Invalid substance' }, { status: 400 });
     }
     if (body.trackingStartDate && !/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/.test(body.trackingStartDate)) {
       return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Invalid trackingStartDate format' }, { status: 400 });
     }
-    if (body.dailyGoal !== undefined && (typeof body.dailyGoal !== 'number' || body.dailyGoal < 0)) {
+
+    // Loose type checking for numbers (allow strings that parse to numbers)
+    const dailyGoal = Number(body.dailyGoal);
+    if (body.dailyGoal !== undefined && body.dailyGoal !== null && (isNaN(dailyGoal) || dailyGoal < 0)) {
       return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Invalid dailyGoal' }, { status: 400 });
     }
-    if (body.userName && (typeof body.userName !== 'string' || body.userName.length > 100)) {
-      return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Invalid userName' }, { status: 400 });
-    }
-    if (body.userAge !== undefined && (typeof body.userAge !== 'number' || body.userAge < 0 || body.userAge > 120)) {
+
+    const userAge = Number(body.userAge);
+    if (body.userAge !== undefined && body.userAge !== null && (isNaN(userAge) || userAge < 0 || userAge > 120)) {
       return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Invalid userAge' }, { status: 400 });
     }
+
     if (body.religion && !['christian', 'secular'].includes(body.religion)) {
       return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Invalid religion' }, { status: 400 });
     }
diff --git a/src/components/Dashboard.tsx b/src/components/Dashboard.tsx
index 54ef562..ecaa87e 100644
--- a/src/components/Dashboard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Dashboard.tsx
@@ -218,8 +218,17 @@ export function Dashboard({ user }: DashboardProps) {
         ...preferences,
         [substance === 'nicotine' ? 'lastNicotineUsageTime' : 'lastWeedUsageTime']: now,
       };
-      await savePreferencesAsync(latestPrefs);
-      setPreferences(latestPrefs);
+
+      // Force specific fields to be present to avoid partial update issues
+      // This ensures that even if preferences is stale, we explicitly set the usage time
+      const payload: UserPreferences = {
+        ...latestPrefs,
+        lastNicotineUsageTime: substance === 'nicotine' ? now : (latestPrefs.lastNicotineUsageTime ?? null),
+        lastWeedUsageTime: substance === 'weed' ? now : (latestPrefs.lastWeedUsageTime ?? null),
+      };
+
+      await savePreferencesAsync(payload);
+      setPreferences(payload);
     }
 
     setActiveLoggingSubstance(null);
diff --git a/src/components/HealthTimelineCard.tsx b/src/components/HealthTimelineCard.tsx
index e0d9647..6c604ef 100644
--- a/src/components/HealthTimelineCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/HealthTimelineCard.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   Cigarette,
   Leaf
 } from 'lucide-react';
+import { getTodayString, getLocalDateString } from '@/lib/date-utils';
 
 interface HealthTimelineCardProps {
   usageData: UsageEntry[];
@@ -225,29 +226,57 @@ function HealthTimelineCardComponent({
   // Calculate last usage timestamps only when data changes
   const lastUsageTimes = useMemo(() => {
     const getTimestamp = (substance: 'nicotine' | 'weed') => {
-      // 1. Check for stored timestamp first
-      const stored = substance === 'nicotine' ? preferences?.lastNicotineUsageTime : preferences?.lastWeedUsageTime;
-      if (stored) return new Date(stored).getTime();
+      let lastTime = 0;
 
-      // 2. Fallback to usage data
+      // 1. Check for stored timestamp
+      const stored = substance === 'nicotine' ? preferences?.lastNicotineUsageTime : preferences?.lastWeedUsageTime;
+      if (stored) {
+        lastTime = new Date(stored).getTime();
+      }
+
+      // 2. Check usage data (usually more up-to-date for "just logged")
       const lastEntry = usageData
         .filter(e => e.substance === substance && e.count > 0)
         .sort((a, b) => new Date(b.date).getTime() - new Date(a.date).getTime())[0];
 
       if (lastEntry) {
+        const todayStr = getTodayString();
+
+        // Calculate local midnight for today
+        const now = new Date();
+        const localMidnight = new Date(now.getFullYear(), now.getMonth(), now.getDate()).getTime();
+
+        // If usage recorded today
+        if (lastEntry.date === todayStr) {
+          // Check if the stored timestamp belongs to today (is after midnight)
+          if (lastTime >= localMidnight) {
+            return lastTime;
+          }
+
+          // Fallback: If we have usage "Today" but no valid timestamp, 
+          // we must assume it just happened or we missed the timestamp.
+          // Returning Date.now() resets the timer to 0.
+          return Date.now();
+        }
+
         const d = new Date(lastEntry.date);
         d.setHours(23, 59, 59, 999);
-        return d.getTime();
+        const entryTime = d.getTime();
+
+        // Take the more recent of the two
+        lastTime = Math.max(lastTime, entryTime);
       }
 
-      // 3. Fallback to start date
-      if (preferences?.trackingStartDate) {
+
+
+      // 3. Fallback to start date if no usage found
+      if (lastTime === 0 && preferences?.trackingStartDate) {
         const d = new Date(preferences.trackingStartDate);
         d.setHours(0, 0, 0, 0);
-        return d.getTime();
+        lastTime = d.getTime();
       }
 
-      return null;
+      return lastTime || null;
     };
 
     return {
@@ -302,6 +331,7 @@ function HealthTimelineCardComponent({
           <TimelineColumn substance="nicotine" minutesFree={nicotineMinutes} theme={theme} />
           <TimelineColumn substance="weed" minutesFree={weedMinutes} theme={theme} />
         </div>
+
       </CardContent>
     </Card>
   );
diff --git a/src/lib/d1.ts b/src/lib/d1.ts
index 67fb451..ca7f74f 100644
--- a/src/lib/d1.ts
+++ b/src/lib/d1.ts
@@ -74,17 +74,29 @@ export async function upsertPreferencesD1(userId: string, data: Partial<UserPref
         if (data.userName !== undefined) { updates.push('userName = ?'); values.push(data.userName); }
         if (data.userAge !== undefined) { updates.push('userAge = ?'); values.push(data.userAge); }
         if (data.religion !== undefined) { updates.push('religion = ?'); values.push(data.religion); }
-        if (data.lastNicotineUsageTime !== undefined) { updates.push('lastNicotineUsageTime = ?'); values.push(data.lastNicotineUsageTime); }
-        if (data.lastWeedUsageTime !== undefined) { updates.push('lastWeedUsageTime = ?'); values.push(data.lastWeedUsageTime); }
+
+        // Explicit checks for usage times
+        if (data.lastNicotineUsageTime !== undefined) {
+            updates.push('lastNicotineUsageTime = ?');
+            values.push(data.lastNicotineUsageTime);
+        }
+        if (data.lastWeedUsageTime !== undefined) {
+            updates.push('lastWeedUsageTime = ?');
+            values.push(data.lastWeedUsageTime);
+        }
+
         if (data.quitPlanJson !== undefined) { updates.push('quitPlanJson = ?'); values.push(data.quitPlanJson); }
 
         updates.push('updatedAt = ?');
         values.push(now);
         values.push(userId);
 
-        await db.prepare(
-            `UPDATE UserPreferences SET ${updates.join(', ')} WHERE userId = ?`
-        ).bind(...values).run();
+        if (updates.length > 1) { // At least updatedAt is always there
+            await db.prepare(
+                `UPDATE UserPreferences SET ${updates.join(', ')} WHERE userId = ?`
+            ).bind(...values).run();
+        }
+
     } else {
         // Insert
         await db.prepare(
diff --git a/src/lib/storage.ts b/src/lib/storage.ts
index a90c365..b14990b 100644
--- a/src/lib/storage.ts
+++ b/src/lib/storage.ts
@@ -181,6 +181,9 @@ export async function savePreferencesAsync(preferences: UserPreferences): Promis
     });
     if (response.ok) {
       preferencesCache = preferences;
+    } else {
+      const err = await response.json();
+      console.error('[Storage] Error saving preferences:', response.status, err);
     }
   } catch (error) {
     console.error('Error saving preferences:', error);