diff --git a/src/app/p/[clientSlug]/[projectSlug]/dashboard/page.tsx b/src/app/p/[clientSlug]/[projectSlug]/dashboard/page.tsx
index 48509f1..2c493df 100644
--- a/src/app/p/[clientSlug]/[projectSlug]/dashboard/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/p/[clientSlug]/[projectSlug]/dashboard/page.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import { Methodology } from "@/components/dashboard/methodology";
 import { RecentActivity } from "@/components/dashboard/recent-activity";
 import { RecomputeButton } from "@/components/dashboard/recompute-button";
 import { RefreshCommitsButton } from "@/components/dashboard/refresh-commits-button";
+import { aiConfigured } from "@/lib/ai/settings";
+import { LogWorkPanel } from "@/components/dashboard/log-work-panel";
 import { getSession } from "@/lib/auth/session";
 import { getServerPb } from "@/lib/pb/server";
 import { loadBoard } from "@/lib/data/board";
@@ -88,6 +90,16 @@ export default async function DashboardPage({
             )}
           </div>
 
+          {session.role === "owner" && (
+            <LogWorkPanel
+              projectId={board.project.id}
+              clientSlug={clientSlug}
+              projectSlug={projectSlug}
+              cards={board.cards}
+              assistantAvailable={await aiConfigured()}
+            />
+          )}
+
           {!metrics || metrics.totalCommits === 0 ? (
             <div className="rounded-[var(--radius-tile)] border border-dashed border-border-subtle p-10 text-center">
               <h2 className="text-base font-medium text-text-primary">
diff --git a/src/components/dashboard/log-work-panel.tsx b/src/components/dashboard/log-work-panel.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..828d843
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/dashboard/log-work-panel.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useState, useTransition } from "react";
+import { Plus, Sparkles } from "lucide-react";
+
+import { logWorkAction, polishNoteAction } from "@/app/actions/log-work";
+import type { CardRecord } from "@/lib/pb/types";
+
+/**
+ * The owner's way to put off-repo work onto the dashboard.
+ *
+ * Follows the same inline-expand pattern as NewProjectForm and OwnerAdd
+ * elsewhere in this app, rather than introducing a modal/dialog component
+ * that does not otherwise exist in the codebase.
+ */
+export function LogWorkPanel({
+  projectId,
+  clientSlug,
+  projectSlug,
+  cards,
+  assistantAvailable,
+}: {
+  projectId: string;
+  clientSlug: string;
+  projectSlug: string;
+  cards: CardRecord[];
+  assistantAvailable: boolean;
+}) {
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
+  const [date, setDate] = useState(() => new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10));
+  const [hours, setHours] = useState("");
+  const [message, setMessage] = useState("");
+  const [cardId, setCardId] = useState("");
+  const [pending, startTransition] = useTransition();
+  const [polishing, setPolishing] = useState(false);
+  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+
+  if (!open) {
+    return (
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        onClick={() => setOpen(true)}
+        className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg border border-border-subtle px-2.5 py-1.5 text-xs text-text-secondary hover:bg-surface-raised"
+      >
+        <Plus size={13} strokeWidth={2} />
+        Log work
+      </button>
+    );
+  }
+
+  const field =
+    "w-full rounded-lg border border-border-subtle bg-panel px-3 py-2 text-sm text-text-primary outline-none focus:border-brand";
+
+  function submit(event: React.FormEvent) {
+    event.preventDefault();
+    const parsedHours = Number(hours);
+    if (!message.trim() || !Number.isFinite(parsedHours) || parsedHours <= 0) return;
+    setError(null);
+
+    startTransition(async () => {
+      const result = await logWorkAction({
+        projectId,
+        clientSlug,
+        projectSlug,
+        date,
+        hours: parsedHours,
+        message,
+        cardId: cardId || undefined,
+      });
+
+      if (!result.ok) {
+        setError(result.message ?? "Could not log that work");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      setOpen(false);
+      setHours("");
+      setMessage("");
+      setCardId("");
+    });
+  }
+
+  async function polish() {
+    if (!message.trim()) return;
+    setPolishing(true);
+    setError(null);
+    try {
+      const result = await polishNoteAction({ text: message });
+      if (result.ok && result.text) setMessage(result.text);
+      else setError(result.message ?? "Could not polish that note");
+    } finally {
+      setPolishing(false);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <form
+      onSubmit={submit}
+      className="space-y-3 rounded-[var(--radius-tile)] border border-border-subtle bg-surface p-4"
+    >
+      <div className="grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
+        <label className="space-y-1">
+          <span className="text-xs text-text-muted">Date</span>
+          <input
+            type="date"
+            value={date}
+            onChange={(event) => setDate(event.target.value)}
+            className={field}
+          />
+        </label>
+
+        <label className="space-y-1">
+          <span className="text-xs text-text-muted">Hours</span>
+          <input
+            type="number"
+            step="0.1"
+            min="0.1"
+            value={hours}
+            onChange={(event) => setHours(event.target.value)}
+            placeholder="3.5"
+            className={field}
+          />
+        </label>
+      </div>
+
+      <label className="block space-y-1">
+        <span className="text-xs text-text-muted">What was worked on</span>
+        <textarea
+          rows={3}
+          value={message}
+          onChange={(event) => setMessage(event.target.value)}
+          className={field}
+        />
+      </label>
+
+      {cards.length > 0 && (
+        <label className="block space-y-1">
+          <span className="text-xs text-text-muted">Link to a card (optional)</span>
+          <select
+            value={cardId}
+            onChange={(event) => setCardId(event.target.value)}
+            className={field}
+          >
+            <option value="">Not linked to a card</option>
+            {cards.map((card) => (
+              <option key={card.id} value={card.id}>
+                #{card.number} {card.title}
+              </option>
+            ))}
+          </select>
+        </label>
+      )}
+
+      {error && (
+        <p role="alert" className="text-xs text-accent">
+          {error}
+        </p>
+      )}
+
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+        <button
+          type="submit"
+          disabled={pending || !message.trim() || !hours}
+          className="rounded-lg bg-brand px-3 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-brand-fg disabled:opacity-50"
+        >
+          {pending ? "Logging…" : "Log work"}
+        </button>
+
+        {assistantAvailable && (
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            onClick={polish}
+            disabled={polishing || !message.trim()}
+            className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg border border-border-subtle px-2.5 py-2 text-xs text-text-secondary hover:bg-surface-raised disabled:opacity-50"
+          >
+            <Sparkles size={13} strokeWidth={2} />
+            {polishing ? "Polishing…" : "Polish with AI"}
+          </button>
+        )}
+
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          onClick={() => setOpen(false)}
+          className="px-2 py-2 text-sm text-text-muted hover:text-text-secondary"
+        >
+          Cancel
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </form>
+  );
+}