diff --git a/panel/src/components/dashboard/__tests__/ceo-approval-queue.test.tsx b/panel/src/components/dashboard/__tests__/ceo-approval-queue.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5810e771
--- /dev/null
+++ b/panel/src/components/dashboard/__tests__/ceo-approval-queue.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { TaskStatus, Team, type Task } from "@/types";
+
+// Control useQuery per call (the component runs two queries); the mutation +
+// queryClient hooks just need to exist.
+const { mockUseQuery } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  mockUseQuery: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@tanstack/react-query", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("@tanstack/react-query")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    useQuery: mockUseQuery,
+    useMutation: vi.fn(() => ({ mutate: vi.fn(), mutateAsync: vi.fn() })),
+    useQueryClient: vi.fn(() => ({})),
+  };
+});
+
+// tasksApi methods never run (useQuery/useMutation are mocked), but the
+// component imports tasksApi from this barrel — provide a stub object.
+vi.mock("@/lib/api", () => ({
+  tasksApi: {
+    getAwaitingCeoApproval: vi.fn(),
+    list: vi.fn(),
+    approve: vi.fn(),
+    reject: vi.fn(),
+    approveAndStart: vi.fn(),
+  },
+}));
+
+import { CeoApprovalQueue } from "../ceo-approval-queue";
+
+function buildTask(): Task {
+  return {
+    id: "task-1",
+    title: "Add timestamp footer",
+    description: "objective objective objective",
+    acceptance_criteria: ["a"],
+    status: TaskStatus.AWAITING_CEO_APPROVAL,
+    priority: 1,
+    sequence: 0,
+    team: Team.BACKEND,
+    created_by: "ceo",
+    assigned_to: null,
+    parent_task_id: null,
+    dependency_ids: [],
+    blocker_ids: [],
+    created_at: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+    updated_at: null,
+    claimed_at: null,
+    started_at: null,
+    completed_at: null,
+    target_date: null,
+    estimated_complexity: "M" as never,
+    nature: "feature" as never,
+    task_type: "code" as never,
+    project_id: "p1",
+    docs_complete: false,
+    pr_created: false,
+    pm_approvals: {},
+    plan: null,
+  } as unknown as Task;
+}
+
+describe("CeoApprovalQueue — Approve dialog notes label (F081)", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // The awaiting-ceo-approval query returns one task (renders an Approve
+    // row); the awaiting-approve-start query returns none (no Approve&Start).
+    mockUseQuery.mockImplementation((opts: { queryKey: string[] }) => {
+      const kind = opts.queryKey[1];
+      if (kind === "awaiting-ceo-approval") {
+        return { data: [buildTask()], isLoading: false };
+      }
+      return { data: [], isLoading: false };
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("the Approve dialog tells the CEO notes are required (>= 20 chars), not optional", () => {
+    render(<CeoApprovalQueue />);
+
+    // Open the Approve dialog for the one pending task.
+    const approveBtn = screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Approve" });
+    fireEvent.click(approveBtn);
+
+    // The notes label must signal required + the >= 20 char minimum the
+    // client (and server) enforce. Before the fix it read "Notes (optional)"
+    // while approve actually requires >= 20 substantive chars — so the CEO
+    // could type nothing, hit submit, and only learn the requirement from a
+    // toast error.
+    const label = document.querySelector('label[for="notes"]');
+    expect(label).not.toBeNull();
+    const text = label!.textContent ?? "";
+    expect(text).not.toMatch(/optional/i);
+    expect(text).toMatch(/required/i);
+    expect(text).toMatch(/20/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/components/dashboard/ceo-approval-queue.tsx b/panel/src/components/dashboard/ceo-approval-queue.tsx
index 9c39ff71..46319cef 100644
--- a/panel/src/components/dashboard/ceo-approval-queue.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/components/dashboard/ceo-approval-queue.tsx
@@ -361,9 +361,7 @@ export function CeoApprovalQueue({ className }: CeoApprovalQueueProps) {
             <Label htmlFor="notes">
               {actionType === "reject"
                 ? "Reason for rejection (required)"
-                : actionType === "start"
-                  ? "Approval notes (required, ≥ 20 characters)"
-                  : "Notes (optional)"}
+                : "Approval notes (required, ≥ 20 characters)"}
             </Label>
             <Textarea
               id="notes"
@@ -372,7 +370,7 @@ export function CeoApprovalQueue({ className }: CeoApprovalQueueProps) {
                   ? "Explain what needs to be fixed..."
                   : actionType === "start"
                     ? "Why this is ready to build, scope to hold to, anything the Main PM should know..."
-                    : "Add any notes about this approval..."
+                    : "Why this is ready to ship, scope to hold to, anything to note..."
               }
               value={notes}
               onChange={(e) => setNotes(e.target.value)}