diff --git a/packages/junior-dashboard/e2e/conversations-attention.spec.ts b/packages/junior-dashboard/e2e/conversations-attention.spec.ts
index 3f656f1f76..2642919678 100644
--- a/packages/junior-dashboard/e2e/conversations-attention.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/junior-dashboard/e2e/conversations-attention.spec.ts
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ async function mockWaitingConversation(
   });
 }
 
-test.describe("conversation time sections", () => {
-  test("puts waiting conversations first in their time section", async ({
+test.describe("conversation sections", () => {
+  test("puts waiting conversations in Needs attention first", async ({
     page,
     dashboard,
   }) => {
@@ -90,29 +90,31 @@ test.describe("conversation time sections", () => {
     await page.goto(dashboard.baseURL);
 
     const list = page.getByRole("list", { name: "Your conversations" });
-    const today = list.getByRole("button", { name: "Today" });
+    const attention = list.getByRole("button", { name: "Needs attention" });
     const waitingCard = list.getByRole("listitem").filter({
       has: page.getByRole("heading", { name: "Checkout latency triage" }),
     });
-    await expect(list.getByRole("button").first()).toHaveText(/^Today/);
+    await expect(list.getByRole("button").first()).toHaveText(
+      /^Needs attention/,
+    );
     await expect(list.getByRole("listitem").first()).toContainText(
       "Checkout latency triage",
     );
     await expect(
       waitingCard.getByRole("img", { name: "Waiting on you" }),
     ).toBeVisible();
-    await screenshot(page, "conversations-waiting-first");
+    await screenshot(page, "conversations-needs-attention");
 
-    await today.click();
-    await expect(today).toHaveAttribute("aria-expanded", "false");
+    await attention.click();
+    await expect(attention).toHaveAttribute("aria-expanded", "false");
     await expect(waitingCard).toHaveCount(0);
     await screenshot(page, "conversations-sections-collapsed");
 
     await page.reload();
-    await expect(today).toHaveAttribute("aria-expanded", "false");
+    await expect(attention).toHaveAttribute("aria-expanded", "false");
     await expect(waitingCard).toHaveCount(0);
 
-    await today.click();
+    await attention.click();
     await expect(waitingCard).toBeVisible();
   });
 
@@ -193,7 +195,9 @@ test.describe("conversation time sections", () => {
     const chip = sidebar.getByRole("link", {
       name: /Approve the checkout fix/,
     });
-    await expect(sidebar.getByRole("button").first()).toHaveText(/^Today/);
+    await expect(sidebar.getByRole("button").first()).toHaveText(
+      /^Needs attention/,
+    );
     await expect(
       waitingRow.getByRole("img", { name: "Waiting on you" }),
     ).toBeVisible();
@@ -239,9 +243,9 @@ test.describe("conversation time sections", () => {
       .getByRole("button", { name: "Close conversation details" })
       .click();
 
-    const today = sidebar.getByRole("button", { name: "Today" });
-    await today.click();
-    await expect(today).toHaveAttribute("aria-expanded", "false");
+    const attention = sidebar.getByRole("button", { name: "Needs attention" });
+    await attention.click();
+    await expect(attention).toHaveAttribute("aria-expanded", "false");
     await expect(waitingRow).toHaveCount(0);
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/junior-dashboard/src/client/conversations/conversationSections.ts b/packages/junior-dashboard/src/client/conversations/conversationSections.ts
index 307e6ce938..462f3f61ba 100644
--- a/packages/junior-dashboard/src/client/conversations/conversationSections.ts
+++ b/packages/junior-dashboard/src/client/conversations/conversationSections.ts
@@ -7,13 +7,18 @@ export type ConversationSection = {
 };
 
 const DAY_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
+// Sorts before every time section.
+const ATTENTION_SECTION = {
+  key: "attention",
+  label: "Needs attention",
+  order: Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY,
+};
 
 /**
- * Group conversations by last activity: Today, Yesterday, Previous 7 days,
- * Previous 30 days, then one section per month.
+ * Group conversations into Needs attention, then by last activity: Today,
+ * Yesterday, Previous 7 days, Previous 30 days, then one section per month.
  *
- * Conversations in `attentionIds` lead their section, so unread and waiting
- * rows sit above read rows without leaving their time group.
+ * Conversations in `attentionIds` go to Needs attention, newest first.
  */
 export function buildConversationSections(
   conversations: Conversation[],
@@ -25,20 +30,19 @@ export function buildConversationSections(
 ): ConversationSection[] {
   const nowDay = calendarDay(options.nowMs, options.timeZone);
   const sections = new Map<string, ConversationSection & { order: number }>();
-  const byActivity = [...conversations].sort(
+  const sorted = [...conversations].sort(
     (left, right) => activityTime(right) - activityTime(left),
   );
-  const sorted = options.attentionIds
-    ? attentionFirst(byActivity, options.attentionIds)
-    : byActivity;
 
   for (const conversation of sorted) {
-    const section = conversationSection(
-      activityTime(conversation),
-      nowDay,
-      options.nowMs,
-      options.timeZone,
-    );
+    const section = options.attentionIds?.has(conversation.id)
+      ? ATTENTION_SECTION
+      : conversationSection(
+          activityTime(conversation),
+          nowDay,
+          options.nowMs,
+          options.timeZone,
+        );
     const existing = sections.get(section.key);
     if (existing) {
       existing.conversations.push(conversation);
diff --git a/packages/junior-dashboard/tests/conversationSections.test.ts b/packages/junior-dashboard/tests/conversationSections.test.ts
index 95478d7c91..df8515cbbf 100644
--- a/packages/junior-dashboard/tests/conversationSections.test.ts
+++ b/packages/junior-dashboard/tests/conversationSections.test.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ describe("conversation activity sections", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it("puts attention conversations first inside their own time section", () => {
+  it("puts attention conversations in Needs attention before Today", () => {
     const sections = buildConversationSections(
       [
         conversation("today", "2026-08-03T11:00:00-07:00"),
@@ -73,12 +73,13 @@ describe("conversation activity sections", () => {
     );
 
     expect(sectionIds(sections)).toEqual([
-      { conversations: ["today-unread", "today"], label: "Today" },
-      { conversations: ["yesterday"], label: "Yesterday" },
       {
-        conversations: ["waiting-old", "saturday"],
-        label: "Previous 7 days",
+        conversations: ["today-unread", "waiting-old"],
+        label: "Needs attention",
       },
+      { conversations: ["today"], label: "Today" },
+      { conversations: ["yesterday"], label: "Yesterday" },
+      { conversations: ["saturday"], label: "Previous 7 days" },
     ]);
   });