diff --git a/src/components/MacroplanGrid.vue b/src/components/MacroplanGrid.vue
index e65959e..a93656e 100644
--- a/src/components/MacroplanGrid.vue
+++ b/src/components/MacroplanGrid.vue
@@ -78,7 +78,9 @@ function markerAt(row: FeatureRow, w: WeekId): MarkerKind | null {
 }
 
 interface Cell {
-  inBar: boolean
+  // how far the bar line runs within this cell: none, half-from-center-right,
+  // half-from-left-to-center, or full width
+  line: 'none' | 'right' | 'left' | 'full'
   isStart: boolean
   glyph: string
   glyphCls: string
@@ -90,8 +92,16 @@ const matrix = computed<Cell[][]>(() =>
     weeks.value.map((w) => {
       const m = markerAt(row, w)
       const inBar = w >= row.startWeek && w <= row.barEndWeek
+      let line: Cell['line'] = 'none'
+      if (inBar) {
+        const isStart = w === row.startWeek
+        const isEnd = w === row.barEndWeek
+        // line runs center→edge so it begins and ends at a glyph centre,
+        // never stubbing past the first/last symbol
+        line = isStart && isEnd ? 'none' : isStart ? 'right' : isEnd ? 'left' : 'full'
+      }
       return {
-        inBar,
+        line,
         isStart: inBar && w === row.startWeek,
         glyph: m ? GLYPH[m] : '',
         glyphCls: m ? MARKER_CLASS[m] : '',
@@ -157,7 +167,7 @@ function milestoneTitle(ms: Plan['milestones']): string {
           class="cell"
           :class="colClass(ci)"
         >
-          <i v-if="cell.inBar" class="bar" :class="TONE_TEXT[tone(row)]"></i>
+          <i v-if="cell.line !== 'none'" class="bar" :class="[cell.line, TONE_TEXT[tone(row)]]"></i>
           <i v-if="cell.isStart" class="riser" :class="TONE_TEXT[tone(row)]"></i>
           <span v-if="cell.glyph" class="glyph" :class="cell.glyphCls">{{ cell.glyph }}</span>
         </div>
@@ -178,18 +188,18 @@ function milestoneTitle(ms: Plan['milestones']): string {
   <!-- legend -->
   <div class="legend">
     <span><b class="text-base-content/50">◯</b> original estimate</span>
-    <span><b class="text-warning">△</b> re-estimate (slip)</span>
+    <span><b class="text-warning">△</b> re-estimate</span>
     <span><b class="text-success">◉</b> on time</span>
     <span><b class="text-error">▲</b> late</span>
     <span><b>┣━</b> feature bar</span>
     <span><b class="text-error">◆</b> milestone</span>
-    <span>vertical rule = now</span>
+    <span><b class="now-swatch"></b> today</span>
   </div>
 </template>
 
 <style scoped>
 .plan-grid {
-  --wk: 2.5rem;
+  --wk: 3.5rem;
   display: grid;
   width: max-content;
   min-width: 100%;
@@ -219,6 +229,7 @@ function milestoneTitle(ms: Plan['milestones']): string {
   flex-direction: column;
   align-items: center;
   line-height: 1.15;
+  padding-inline: 0.15rem;
 }
 .wklabel {
   font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
@@ -271,20 +282,31 @@ function milestoneTitle(ms: Plan['milestones']): string {
 }
 .bar {
   position: absolute;
-  left: 0;
-  right: 0;
   top: 50%;
   height: 2px;
   transform: translateY(-50%);
   background: currentColor;
   opacity: 0.55;
 }
+.bar.full {
+  left: 0;
+  right: 0;
+}
+.bar.left {
+  left: 0;
+  right: 50%;
+} /* enters from the left, stops at the glyph */
+.bar.right {
+  left: 50%;
+  right: 0;
+} /* starts at the first glyph, runs right */
 .riser {
   position: absolute;
-  left: 0;
+  left: 50%;
   top: 28%;
   bottom: 28%;
   width: 2px;
+  transform: translateX(-50%);
   background: currentColor;
   opacity: 0.55;
 }
@@ -293,6 +315,10 @@ function milestoneTitle(ms: Plan['milestones']): string {
   z-index: 1;
   font-size: 0.95rem;
   line-height: 1;
+  padding: 0 0.18rem;
+  /* halo so the bar reads as passing behind, not through, the symbol */
+  background: var(--color-base-100);
+  border-radius: 0.3rem;
 }
 
 .learncell {
@@ -320,8 +346,12 @@ function milestoneTitle(ms: Plan['milestones']): string {
   flex: none;
 }
 
-.col-now {
-  border-left: 2px solid var(--color-primary);
+.cell.col-now {
+  background: color-mix(in oklch, var(--color-primary) 9%, var(--color-base-100));
+}
+.cell.col-now .glyph {
+  /* match the column tint so the halo doesn't punch a hole in it */
+  background: color-mix(in oklch, var(--color-primary) 9%, var(--color-base-100));
 }
 .col-ms {
   border-left: 2px dashed color-mix(in oklch, var(--color-base-content) 35%, transparent);
@@ -338,4 +368,13 @@ function milestoneTitle(ms: Plan['milestones']): string {
 .legend b {
   font-weight: 700;
 }
+.now-swatch {
+  display: inline-block;
+  width: 0.8rem;
+  height: 0.8rem;
+  vertical-align: -0.1rem;
+  border-radius: 0.15rem;
+  background: color-mix(in oklch, var(--color-primary) 9%, var(--color-base-100));
+  border: 1px solid color-mix(in oklch, var(--color-primary) 30%, var(--color-base-100));
+}
 </style>