diff --git a/src/Orbit.Application/Chat/Tools/Implementations/CreateSubHabitTool.cs b/src/Orbit.Application/Chat/Tools/Implementations/CreateSubHabitTool.cs
index f4d1cbaf9..a364ce34d 100644
--- a/src/Orbit.Application/Chat/Tools/Implementations/CreateSubHabitTool.cs
+++ b/src/Orbit.Application/Chat/Tools/Implementations/CreateSubHabitTool.cs
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ public async Task<ToolResult> ExecuteAsync(JsonElement args, Guid userId, Cancel
                 IsBadHabit: isBadHabit,
                 DueDate: dueDate,
                 Emoji: emoji,
+                InheritParentFrequency: true,
                 Options: new Orbit.Application.Habits.Commands.HabitCommandOptions(
                     Days: days,
                     DueTime: dueTime,
diff --git a/src/Orbit.Application/Habits/Commands/CreateSubHabitCommand.cs b/src/Orbit.Application/Habits/Commands/CreateSubHabitCommand.cs
index 67129b9af..97730c112 100644
--- a/src/Orbit.Application/Habits/Commands/CreateSubHabitCommand.cs
+++ b/src/Orbit.Application/Habits/Commands/CreateSubHabitCommand.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@
 
 namespace Orbit.Application.Habits.Commands;
 
+/// <param name="InheritParentFrequency">
+/// When true and <see cref="FrequencyUnit"/>/<see cref="FrequencyQuantity"/> are unset, the child
+/// inherits the parent's cadence instead of becoming a one-time task. Only the AI chat tool (which
+/// treats an unspecified frequency as "match the parent") opts into this; the REST API always sends
+/// the user's explicit choice, where an unset frequency means the user picked "one-time".
+/// </param>
 public record CreateSubHabitCommand(
     Guid UserId,
     Guid ParentHabitId,
@@ -19,7 +25,8 @@ public record CreateSubHabitCommand(
     DateOnly? DueDate = null,
     HabitCommandOptions? Options = null,
     IReadOnlyList<Guid>? TagIds = null,
-    string? Emoji = null) : IRequest<Result<Guid>>;
+    string? Emoji = null,
+    bool InheritParentFrequency = false) : IRequest<Result<Guid>>;
 
 public class CreateSubHabitCommandHandler(
     IGenericRepository<Habit> habitRepository,
@@ -61,11 +68,19 @@ public async Task<Result<Guid>> Handle(CreateSubHabitCommand request, Cancellati
             ? 0
             : siblings.Max(h => h.Position ?? -1) + 1;
 
+        var frequencyUnit = request.FrequencyUnit;
+        var frequencyQuantity = request.FrequencyQuantity;
+        if (request.InheritParentFrequency)
+        {
+            frequencyUnit ??= parent.FrequencyUnit;
+            frequencyQuantity ??= parent.FrequencyQuantity;
+        }
+
         var childResult = Habit.Create(new HabitCreateParams(
             request.UserId,
             request.Title,
-            request.FrequencyUnit ?? parent.FrequencyUnit,
-            request.FrequencyQuantity ?? parent.FrequencyQuantity,
+            frequencyUnit,
+            frequencyQuantity,
             childDueDate,
             request.Description,
             Emoji: request.Emoji,
diff --git a/tests/Orbit.Application.Tests/Commands/Habits/CreateSubHabitCommandHandlerTests.cs b/tests/Orbit.Application.Tests/Commands/Habits/CreateSubHabitCommandHandlerTests.cs
index 3366986f8..1e30194ae 100644
--- a/tests/Orbit.Application.Tests/Commands/Habits/CreateSubHabitCommandHandlerTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Orbit.Application.Tests/Commands/Habits/CreateSubHabitCommandHandlerTests.cs
@@ -129,6 +129,56 @@ public async Task Handle_ForeignTagId_ReturnsFailureWithoutCreating()
         await _unitOfWork.DidNotReceive().SaveChangesAsync(Arg.Any<CancellationToken>());
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Handle_OneTimeChildUnderRecurringParent_DoesNotInheritParentFrequency()
+    {
+        var parent = CreateParentHabit();
+        _habitRepo.FindOneTrackedAsync(
+            Arg.Any<Expression<Func<Habit, bool>>>(),
+            Arg.Any<Func<IQueryable<Habit>, IQueryable<Habit>>?>(),
+            Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(parent);
+        _habitRepo.FindAsync(
+            Arg.Any<Expression<Func<Habit, bool>>>(),
+            Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(new List<Habit> { parent }.AsReadOnly());
+
+        var command = new CreateSubHabitCommand(UserId, parent.Id, "Child Task", null);
+
+        var result = await _handler.Handle(command, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsSuccess.Should().BeTrue();
+        await _habitRepo.Received(1).AddAsync(
+            Arg.Is<Habit>(h => h.FrequencyUnit == null && h.FrequencyQuantity == null),
+            Arg.Any<CancellationToken>());
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Handle_InheritParentFrequencyWithNoOverride_UsesParentCadence()
+    {
+        var parent = CreateParentHabit();
+        _habitRepo.FindOneTrackedAsync(
+            Arg.Any<Expression<Func<Habit, bool>>>(),
+            Arg.Any<Func<IQueryable<Habit>, IQueryable<Habit>>?>(),
+            Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(parent);
+        _habitRepo.FindAsync(
+            Arg.Any<Expression<Func<Habit, bool>>>(),
+            Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(new List<Habit> { parent }.AsReadOnly());
+
+        var command = new CreateSubHabitCommand(
+            UserId, parent.Id, "Child Task", null,
+            InheritParentFrequency: true);
+
+        var result = await _handler.Handle(command, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsSuccess.Should().BeTrue();
+        await _habitRepo.Received(1).AddAsync(
+            Arg.Is<Habit>(h => h.FrequencyUnit == FrequencyUnit.Day && h.FrequencyQuantity == 1),
+            Arg.Any<CancellationToken>());
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task Handle_ExceedsMaxDepth_ReturnsFailure()
     {