diff --git a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 4ad141962..0b429abec 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
     "sendNames": {
       "type": "boolean",
       "title": "Send task names",
-      "default": true,
-      "description": "Send each task's name (its name in the Claude Code sidebar, or its first prompt) to the webhook. Off: the board shows the task without a name."
+      "default": false,
+      "description": "Send each task's name (its name in the Claude Code sidebar, or its first prompt) to the webhook. Off by default: the board shows the task without a name."
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/hooks/band/register.tsx b/hooks/band/register.tsx
index b57bf830a..022f2f7c3 100644
--- a/hooks/band/register.tsx
+++ b/hooks/band/register.tsx
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ async function record($: EngineInterface, b: Band, options: Options) {
   const url = typeof options.webhookUrl === 'string' ? options.webhookUrl.trim() : ''
   if (url !== '') {
     const token = typeof options.webhookToken === 'string' ? options.webhookToken.trim() : ''
-    const request = webhookRequest(url, token, options.sendNames !== false, row)
+    const request = webhookRequest(url, token, options.sendNames === true, row)
     if ('refused' in request) {
       $.ui.status(`ponytail band: ${request.refused}`)
       return
diff --git a/tests/band-webhook-names.test.js b/tests/band-webhook-names.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d1b305f4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/band-webhook-names.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// The webhook gets no task names unless the user turns them on.
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const root = path.join(__dirname, '..');
+
+const plugin = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, '.claude-plugin', 'plugin.json'), 'utf8'));
+assert.strictEqual(plugin.userConfig.sendNames.default, false, 'sendNames is off by default');
+
+const register = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'hooks', 'band', 'register.tsx'), 'utf8');
+assert.ok(register.includes('options.sendNames === true'), 'an unset sendNames sends no names');
+assert.ok(!register.includes('options.sendNames !== false'), 'an unset sendNames must not count as on');
+
+console.log('ok');