diff --git a/src/cli/commands/list.rs b/src/cli/commands/list.rs
index 2946008..e540546 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/list.rs
+++ b/src/cli/commands/list.rs
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ pub struct IssueListRow {
     pub unresolved_count: i64,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub status_name: Option<String>,
-    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    #[serde(skip_serializing)]
     pub status_category: Option<String>,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub status_color: Option<String>,
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ pub struct IssueListRowJson {
     pub project_path: String,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub status_name: Option<String>,
-    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    #[serde(skip_serializing)]
     pub status_category: Option<String>,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub status_color: Option<String>,
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ impl From<&IssueListRow> for IssueListRowJson {
 pub struct ListResult {
     pub issues: Vec<IssueListRow>,
     pub total_count: usize,
+    pub available_statuses: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize)]
@@ -268,10 +269,21 @@ pub fn run_list_issues(config: &Config, filters: ListFilters) -> Result<ListResu
     let db_path = get_db_path(config.storage.db_path.as_deref());
     let conn = create_connection(&db_path)?;
 
-    let result = query_issues(&conn, &filters)?;
+    let mut result = query_issues(&conn, &filters)?;
+    result.available_statuses = query_available_statuses(&conn)?;
     Ok(result)
 }
 
+fn query_available_statuses(conn: &Connection) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
+    let mut stmt = conn.prepare(
+        "SELECT DISTINCT status_name FROM issues WHERE status_name IS NOT NULL ORDER BY status_name",
+    )?;
+    let statuses = stmt
+        .query_map([], |row| row.get::<_, String>(0))?
+        .collect::<std::result::Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
+    Ok(statuses)
+}
+
 fn query_issues(conn: &Connection, filters: &ListFilters) -> Result<ListResult> {
     let mut where_clauses = Vec::new();
     let mut params: Vec<Box<dyn rusqlite::ToSql>> = Vec::new();
@@ -457,6 +469,7 @@ fn query_issues(conn: &Connection, filters: &ListFilters) -> Result<ListResult>
     Ok(ListResult {
         issues,
         total_count,
+        available_statuses: Vec::new(),
     })
 }
 
@@ -822,11 +835,13 @@ pub fn print_list_issues(result: &ListResult) {
 
 pub fn print_list_issues_json(result: &ListResult, elapsed_ms: u64, fields: Option<&[String]>) {
     let json_result = ListResultJson::from(result);
-    let meta = RobotMeta { elapsed_ms };
     let output = serde_json::json!({
         "ok": true,
         "data": json_result,
-        "meta": meta,
+        "meta": {
+            "elapsed_ms": elapsed_ms,
+            "available_statuses": result.available_statuses,
+        },
     });
     let mut output = output;
     if let Some(f) = fields {
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/show.rs b/src/cli/commands/show.rs
index 7087bc9..1d08b09 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/show.rs
+++ b/src/cli/commands/show.rs
@@ -628,13 +628,9 @@ pub fn print_show_issue(issue: &IssueDetail) {
     println!("State:    {}", state_styled);
 
     if let Some(status) = &issue.status_name {
-        let display = match &issue.status_category {
-            Some(cat) => format!("{status} ({})", cat.to_ascii_lowercase()),
-            None => status.clone(),
-        };
         println!(
             "Status:   {}",
-            style_with_hex(&display, issue.status_color.as_deref())
+            style_with_hex(status, issue.status_color.as_deref())
         );
     }
 
@@ -944,6 +940,7 @@ pub struct IssueDetailJson {
     pub closing_merge_requests: Vec<ClosingMrRefJson>,
     pub discussions: Vec<DiscussionDetailJson>,
     pub status_name: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing)]
     pub status_category: Option<String>,
     pub status_color: Option<String>,
     pub status_icon_name: Option<String>,
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index b518793..262c44c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -2109,11 +2109,15 @@ fn handle_robot_docs(robot_mode: bool, brief: bool) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::e
             "description": "List or show issues",
             "flags": ["<IID>", "-n/--limit", "--fields <list>", "-s/--state", "--status <name>", "-p/--project", "-a/--author", "-A/--assignee", "-l/--label", "-m/--milestone", "--since", "--due-before", "--has-due", "--no-has-due", "--sort", "--asc", "--no-asc", "-o/--open", "--no-open"],
             "example": "lore --robot issues --state opened --limit 10",
+            "notes": {
+                "status_filter": "--status filters by work item status NAME (case-insensitive). Valid values are in meta.available_statuses of any issues list response.",
+                "status_name": "status_name is the board column label (e.g. 'In review', 'Blocked'). This is the canonical status identifier for filtering."
+            },
             "response_schema": {
                 "list": {
                     "ok": "bool",
-                    "data": {"issues": "[{iid:int, title:string, state:string, author_username:string, labels:[string], assignees:[string], discussion_count:int, unresolved_count:int, created_at_iso:string, updated_at_iso:string, web_url:string?, project_path:string}]", "total_count": "int", "showing": "int"},
-                    "meta": {"elapsed_ms": "int"}
+                    "data": {"issues": "[{iid:int, title:string, state:string, author_username:string, labels:[string], assignees:[string], discussion_count:int, unresolved_count:int, created_at_iso:string, updated_at_iso:string, web_url:string?, project_path:string, status_name:string?}]", "total_count": "int", "showing": "int"},
+                    "meta": {"elapsed_ms": "int", "available_statuses": "[string] — all distinct status names in the database, for use with --status filter"}
                 },
                 "show": {
                     "ok": "bool",