diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/footnote/footnote.module.css b/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/footnote/footnote.module.css
index fb21fc03..f739a331 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/footnote/footnote.module.css
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editor/components/footnote/footnote.module.css
@@ -104,6 +104,19 @@
   min-width: 0;
 }
 
+/* The inner editable paragraph inherits `.ProseMirror p { margin: 0.5em 0 }`,
+   which pushes the first text line ~0.5em below the "N." marker (aligned to
+   flex-start), making the number float above the text. Drop the outer margins
+   so the marker and the first line share the same top edge — same approach
+   used for callouts in core.css. */
+.definitionContent > :first-child {
+  margin-top: 0;
+}
+
+.definitionContent > :last-child {
+  margin-bottom: 0;
+}
+
 .backLink {
   flex: 0 0 auto;
   cursor: pointer;
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editor/styles/task-list.css b/apps/client/src/features/editor/styles/task-list.css
index b8b9fb89..3fe67e5a 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/editor/styles/task-list.css
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editor/styles/task-list.css
@@ -10,9 +10,15 @@ ul[data-type="taskList"] {
         display: flex;
 
         > label {
-            padding-top: 0.2rem;
+            /* Box exactly one text-line tall and center the checkbox in it, so the
+               checkbox lines up with the first line of the item's text. This tracks
+               the editor line-height (--mantine-line-height-xl) instead of a magic
+               padding-top that drifts from the real line box. */
             flex: 0 0 auto;
             margin-right: 0.5rem;
+            height: calc(var(--mantine-line-height-xl, 1.65) * 1em);
+            display: inline-flex;
+            align-items: center;
             user-select: none;
         }