diff --git a/web/new_form_test.go b/web/new_form_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbfc854
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/new_form_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+package web_test
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestNewFormPreselectsParent reproduces m's bug report: GET /new?parent=admin
+// must render the Parents <select> populated with the full project list AND
+// pre-select the option whose value matches admin's item id. Pre-fix the
+// handler passed no ParentOptions to the template, so the <select> was empty
+// and there was nothing to pre-select.
+func TestNewFormPreselectsParent(t *testing.T) {
+	srv, pool := mustServer(t)
+	defer pool.Close()
+	h := srv.Routes()
+
+	code, body := get(t, h, "/new?parent=admin")
+	if code != 200 {
+		t.Fatalf("GET /new?parent=admin → %d body=%s", code, body)
+	}
+
+	// The Parents <select> must be populated. admin is a root area present
+	// in every projax instance — its option should be there.
+	if !strings.Contains(body, `<option value="`) {
+		t.Fatalf("Parents <select> is empty — no <option> rendered. Body excerpt: %s",
+			body[strings.Index(body, "parent_ids"):min(len(body), strings.Index(body, "parent_ids")+800)])
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(body, `>admin</option>`) {
+		t.Errorf("expected an <option>...>admin</option> in the Parents <select>")
+	}
+
+	// The admin option must be the selected one — that's the prefill contract.
+	// We anchor on the path (rendered as the option label) since the id is a
+	// uuid we'd otherwise have to look up.
+	adminIdx := strings.Index(body, `>admin</option>`)
+	if adminIdx < 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("admin option not found in rendered Parents select")
+	}
+	// Look back ~200 chars to the <option ... selected> opening tag.
+	from := adminIdx - 200
+	if from < 0 {
+		from = 0
+	}
+	openingTag := body[from:adminIdx]
+	if !strings.Contains(openingTag, "selected") {
+		t.Errorf("admin <option> not marked selected; opening tag was: %s", openingTag)
+	}
+
+	// And other unrelated options must NOT be selected. Pick `dev` (another
+	// root area) as the counter-anchor.
+	devIdx := strings.Index(body, `>dev</option>`)
+	if devIdx >= 0 {
+		from := devIdx - 200
+		if from < 0 {
+			from = 0
+		}
+		devTag := body[from:devIdx]
+		if strings.Contains(devTag, "selected") {
+			t.Errorf("dev <option> should NOT be selected when ?parent=admin; opening tag was: %s", devTag)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestNewFormNoParentParamRendersAllOptions confirms the Parents <select>
+// is populated even when no ?parent= is supplied — clicking "+ New" from the
+// nav should still let the user pick any parent.
+func TestNewFormNoParentParamRendersAllOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	srv, pool := mustServer(t)
+	defer pool.Close()
+	h := srv.Routes()
+
+	code, body := get(t, h, "/new")
+	if code != 200 {
+		t.Fatalf("GET /new → %d", code)
+	}
+	// At least one option exists.
+	if !strings.Contains(body, `<option value="`) {
+		t.Fatalf("Parents <select> is empty on /new (no ?parent= param)")
+	}
+	// Nothing pre-selected.
+	if strings.Contains(body, `<option value="`) && strings.Contains(body, `" selected>`) {
+		// Make sure no Parents <select> option is selected — Status options
+		// might use selected for the default, so anchor on parent_ids context.
+		pIdx := strings.Index(body, `name="parent_ids"`)
+		if pIdx >= 0 {
+			selectClose := strings.Index(body[pIdx:], `</select>`)
+			if selectClose > 0 {
+				parentBlock := body[pIdx : pIdx+selectClose]
+				if strings.Contains(parentBlock, "selected") {
+					t.Errorf("no Parents option should be selected on bare /new, but block contains 'selected': %s", parentBlock)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/web/server.go b/web/server.go
index ec4ae2a..a5823d6 100644
--- a/web/server.go
+++ b/web/server.go
@@ -860,9 +860,18 @@ func (s *Server) handleNewForm(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 		parent = p
 	}
+	// new.tmpl iterates {{range .ParentOptions}} to render the Parents
+	// <select>. Without this the dropdown was empty and `?parent=admin`
+	// had nothing to pre-select — the symptom m hit.
+	parents, err := s.parentOptions(r.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		s.fail(w, r, err)
+		return
+	}
 	s.render(w, r, "new", map[string]any{
 		"Title":         "new",
 		"Parent":        parent,
+		"ParentOptions": parents,
 		"StatusOptions": []string{"active", "done", "archived"},
 	})
 }