diff --git a/backend/nodes/text_note.py b/backend/nodes/text_note.py
index 306e297..fa8501d 100644
--- a/backend/nodes/text_note.py
+++ b/backend/nodes/text_note.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from backend.node_registry import register_node
 
 
-@register_node(display_name="Text Note")
+@register_node(display_name="Journal")
 class TextNote:
     """A floating text card for annotating workflows. Supports Markdown."""
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.jsx b/frontend/src/App.jsx
index 89f6580..0a96220 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.jsx
@@ -873,6 +873,7 @@ function Flow() {
   const canvasRightZoomRef = useRef(null);
   const suppressPaneContextMenuUntilRef = useRef(0);
   const loadNodeOutputRequestVersionsRef = useRef(new Map());
+  const journalContentRef = useRef('');
   const reactFlow = useReactFlow();
 
   // ── WebSocket ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -1959,12 +1960,13 @@ function Flow() {
   const openJournalTab = useCallback(() => {
     setHelpTabs((prev) => {
       if (prev.find((t) => t.label === 'Journal')) return prev;
-      return [...prev, { label: 'Journal', type: 'journal', content: '' }];
+      return [...prev, { label: 'Journal', type: 'journal', content: journalContentRef.current }];
     });
     setActiveHelpTab('Journal');
   }, []);
 
   const updateTabContent = useCallback((label, content) => {
+    if (label === 'Journal') journalContentRef.current = content;
     setHelpTabs((prev) => prev.map((t) => t.label === label ? { ...t, content } : t));
   }, []);
 
@@ -1993,6 +1995,10 @@ function Flow() {
     setNodes(sortNodesForParentOrder(hydrated.nodes));
     setEdges(hydrated.edges);
     nextIdRef.current = hydrated.nextNodeId;
+    journalContentRef.current = data.journalContent || '';
+    setHelpTabs((prev) => prev.map((t) =>
+      t.label === 'Journal' ? { ...t, content: journalContentRef.current } : t,
+    ));
     initializeDynamicNodes(hydrated.nodes);
   }, [initializeDynamicNodes, setNodes, setEdges]);
 
@@ -2095,6 +2101,7 @@ function Flow() {
 
     const stampedBlob = await stampLogoOnBlob(blob);
     const workflow = serializeWorkflowState(allNodes, reactFlow.getEdges());
+    if (journalContentRef.current) workflow.journalContent = journalContentRef.current;
     return embedWorkflow(stampedBlob, workflow);
   }, [reactFlow]);
 
@@ -3003,6 +3010,7 @@ function Flow() {
         onTabSelect={setActiveHelpTab}
         onTabClose={closeHelpTab}
         onTabContentChange={updateTabContent}
+        onOpenJournal={openJournalTab}
       />
     </NodeContext.Provider>
   );
diff --git a/frontend/src/HelpPanelManager.jsx b/frontend/src/HelpPanelManager.jsx
index 6f71930..07380cc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/HelpPanelManager.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/HelpPanelManager.jsx
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@ import { marked } from 'marked';
 
 function JournalTab({ content, onChange }) {
   const [isEditing, setIsEditing] = useState(false);
-  const renderedHtml = content?.trim() ? marked.parse(content) : '';
+
+  let renderedHtml = '';
+  if (!isEditing && content?.trim()) {
+    try { renderedHtml = marked.parse(content); } catch { /* fallback to raw */ renderedHtml = content; }
+  }
 
   return (
     <div className="node-help-journal">
@@ -34,23 +38,26 @@ function JournalTab({ content, onChange }) {
           // eslint-disable-next-line jsx-a11y/no-autofocus
           autoFocus
         />
-      ) : (
+      ) : renderedHtml ? (
         <div
           className="node-help-panel-body node-help-journal-preview nowheel"
           onDoubleClick={() => setIsEditing(true)}
           // eslint-disable-next-line react/no-danger
-          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={renderedHtml ? { __html: renderedHtml } : undefined}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: renderedHtml }}
+        />
+      ) : (
+        <div
+          className="node-help-panel-body node-help-journal-preview nowheel"
+          onDoubleClick={() => setIsEditing(true)}
         >
-          {!renderedHtml && (
-            <span className="node-help-journal-placeholder">Double-click to write…</span>
-          )}
+          <span className="node-help-journal-placeholder">Double-click to write…</span>
         </div>
       )}
     </div>
   );
 }
 
-function HelpPanelManager({ tabs, activeTab, onTabSelect, onTabClose, onTabContentChange }) {
+function HelpPanelManager({ tabs, activeTab, onTabSelect, onTabClose, onTabContentChange, onOpenJournal }) {
   const [collapsed, setCollapsed] = useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -92,6 +99,15 @@ function HelpPanelManager({ tabs, activeTab, onTabSelect, onTabClose, onTabConte
             </button>
           </div>
         ))}
+        {!tabs.some((t) => t.type === 'journal') && (
+          <button
+            className="node-help-tab-add"
+            title="Open Journal"
+            onClick={onOpenJournal}
+          >
+            +
+          </button>
+        )}
       </div>
 
       {/* Content */}
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles.css b/frontend/src/styles.css
index a8f8941..acf36c1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles.css
@@ -543,6 +543,25 @@ html, body, #root {
 }
 .node-help-tab-close:hover { opacity: 1; }
 
+.node-help-tab-add {
+  background: none;
+  border: 1px dashed #334155;
+  color: #475569;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  line-height: 1;
+  width: 22px;
+  height: 22px;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  align-self: center;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  transition: color 0.12s, border-color 0.12s;
+}
+.node-help-tab-add:hover { color: #f1f5f9; border-color: #64748b; }
+
 .node-help-panel {
   position: fixed;
   top: 60px;