diff --git a/app/src/components/ProgramCard.tsx b/app/src/components/ProgramCard.tsx
index 4d0cc10..c38743a 100644
--- a/app/src/components/ProgramCard.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/ProgramCard.tsx
@@ -9,9 +9,16 @@ interface ProgramCardProps {
   // "/tools" so a tool card opens its tool detail page (a tool is 1:1 with its
   // program, same name).
   linkBase?: string
+  // Whether to list the program's deployments. The Programs catalog shows them;
+  // a kind-specific lens (e.g. Tools) is already looking at one deployment, so off.
+  showDeployments?: boolean
 }
 
-export function ProgramCard({ program, linkBase = "/programs" }: ProgramCardProps) {
+export function ProgramCard({
+  program,
+  linkBase = "/programs",
+  showDeployments = true,
+}: ProgramCardProps) {
   // The dot reflects the uniform lifecycle state (a tool on PATH, a service
   // running, a static site served). Lifecycle controls live on the detail page's
   // Deployment section, not here — a card just shows state and links through.
@@ -38,19 +45,21 @@ export function ProgramCard({ program, linkBase = "/programs" }: ProgramCardProp
         <StackBadge stack={program.stack} />
       </div>
 
-      {/* A program has no kind of its own — show its deployments (name · kind). */}
-      {program.deployments.length > 0 ? (
-        <div className="flex flex-col gap-1 mb-2">
-          {program.deployments.map((d) => (
-            <div key={d.name} className="flex items-center gap-1.5 text-xs">
-              <span className="font-mono text-[var(--muted)]">{d.name}</span>
-              <KindBadge kind={d.kind} />
-            </div>
-          ))}
-        </div>
-      ) : (
-        <p className="text-xs text-[var(--muted)] italic mb-2">no deployment</p>
-      )}
+      {/* A program has no kind of its own — show its deployments (name · kind).
+          Suppressed on kind-specific lenses (e.g. Tools) which already scope to one. */}
+      {showDeployments &&
+        (program.deployments.length > 0 ? (
+          <div className="flex flex-col gap-1 mb-2">
+            {program.deployments.map((d) => (
+              <div key={d.name} className="flex items-center gap-1.5 text-xs">
+                <span className="font-mono text-[var(--muted)]">{d.name}</span>
+                <KindBadge kind={d.kind} />
+              </div>
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        ) : (
+          <p className="text-xs text-[var(--muted)] italic mb-2">no deployment</p>
+        ))}
 
       {program.description && (
         <p className="text-sm text-[var(--muted)]">{program.description}</p>
diff --git a/app/src/components/ProgramList.tsx b/app/src/components/ProgramList.tsx
index 2b2a9ec..fc04bc4 100644
--- a/app/src/components/ProgramList.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/ProgramList.tsx
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ import { ProgramCard } from "./ProgramCard"
 interface ProgramListProps {
   programs: ProgramSummary[]
   linkBase?: string // where each card links (default "/programs")
+  showDeployments?: boolean // list each program's deployments on the card (default true)
 }
 
-export function ProgramList({ programs, linkBase }: ProgramListProps) {
+export function ProgramList({ programs, linkBase, showDeployments }: ProgramListProps) {
   const [search, setSearch] = useState("")
 
   const filtered = useMemo(() => {
@@ -39,7 +40,12 @@ export function ProgramList({ programs, linkBase }: ProgramListProps) {
       ) : (
         <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-4">
           {filtered.map((program) => (
-            <ProgramCard key={program.id} program={program} linkBase={linkBase} />
+            <ProgramCard
+              key={program.id}
+              program={program}
+              linkBase={linkBase}
+              showDeployments={showDeployments}
+            />
           ))}
         </div>
       )}
diff --git a/app/src/pages/ToolDetail.tsx b/app/src/pages/ToolDetail.tsx
index f3ae599..b747dfa 100644
--- a/app/src/pages/ToolDetail.tsx
+++ b/app/src/pages/ToolDetail.tsx
@@ -38,8 +38,9 @@ export function ToolDetailPage() {
         <p className="text-sm text-[var(--muted)] -mt-4 mb-6">{deployment.description}</p>
       )}
 
-      {/* A tool's PATH deployment: install/uninstall is its start/stop. */}
-      <PathLifecycle name={deployment.id} active={deployment.active} onDone={refetch} />
+      {/* A tool's PATH deployment: install/uninstall is its start/stop. Its
+          live state is `installed` (on PATH), which the endpoint sets directly. */}
+      <PathLifecycle name={deployment.id} installed={deployment.installed} onDone={refetch} />
 
       <div className="bg-[var(--card)] border border-[var(--border)] rounded-lg p-5 mb-6">
         <h2 className="text-sm font-semibold text-[var(--muted)] uppercase tracking-wider mb-3">
@@ -65,19 +66,19 @@ export function ToolDetailPage() {
 /** Install/uninstall a tool on PATH — the path deployment's lifecycle. */
 function PathLifecycle({
   name,
-  active,
+  installed: installedState,
   onDone,
 }: {
   name: string
-  active: boolean | null
+  installed: boolean | null
   onDone: () => void
 }) {
   const { mutate, isPending } = useProgramAction()
-  const installed = active === true
+  const installed = installedState === true
   const dot =
-    active === true
+    installedState === true
       ? "bg-green-500"
-      : active === false
+      : installedState === false
         ? "bg-[var(--muted)]"
         : "bg-transparent border border-[var(--muted)]"
   return (
diff --git a/app/src/pages/Tools.tsx b/app/src/pages/Tools.tsx
index bcded37..c693cc0 100644
--- a/app/src/pages/Tools.tsx
+++ b/app/src/pages/Tools.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export function Tools() {
       {isLoading ? (
         <p className="text-[var(--muted)]">Loading...</p>
       ) : programs && programs.length > 0 ? (
-        <ProgramList programs={programs} linkBase="/tools" />
+        <ProgramList programs={programs} linkBase="/tools" showDeployments={false} />
       ) : (
         <p className="text-[var(--muted)]">No tools yet.</p>
       )}
diff --git a/castle-api/src/castle_api/config_editor.py b/castle-api/src/castle_api/config_editor.py
index 8dc0d7c..9fda783 100644
--- a/castle-api/src/castle_api/config_editor.py
+++ b/castle-api/src/castle_api/config_editor.py
@@ -273,18 +273,27 @@ async def delete_program(name: str, cascade: bool = False) -> dict:
 def _save_deployment(name: str, config_dict: dict) -> dict:
     """Validate a deployment (any manager) and persist it to config.deployments."""
     _require_repo()
+    config = get_config()
+    config_dict = dict(config_dict)
+
+    # On CREATE (a new deployment) with no description of its own, inherit the
+    # referenced program's description — a deployment reads as its program by
+    # default. Edits keep whatever the user set (including a cleared field).
+    if name not in config.deployments and not config_dict.get("description"):
+        prog = config_dict.get("program")
+        if prog and prog in config.programs and config.programs[prog].description:
+            config_dict["description"] = config.programs[prog].description
+
     try:
-        dep_data = _normalize_deployment_dict({**config_dict, "id": name})
-        _DEPLOYMENT_ADAPTER.validate_python(dep_data)
+        dep = _DEPLOYMENT_ADAPTER.validate_python(
+            _normalize_deployment_dict({**config_dict, "id": name})
+        )
     except Exception as e:
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=status.HTTP_422_UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY,
             detail=f"Invalid deployment config: {e}",
         )
-    config = get_config()
-    config.deployments[name] = _DEPLOYMENT_ADAPTER.validate_python(
-        _normalize_deployment_dict({**config_dict, "id": name})
-    )
+    config.deployments[name] = dep
     save_config(config)
     return {"ok": True, "deployment": name}
 
diff --git a/castle-api/src/castle_api/routes.py b/castle-api/src/castle_api/routes.py
index 8b9995c..aaeaba9 100644
--- a/castle-api/src/castle_api/routes.py
+++ b/castle-api/src/castle_api/routes.py
@@ -77,10 +77,13 @@ def _summary_from_deployed(name: str, deployed: object) -> DeploymentSummary:
             timer=has_timer,
         )
 
-    # A PATH-managed deployment (a tool) is "installed" when it's on PATH.
+    # A PATH-managed deployment (a tool) is "installed" — and thus active — when
+    # it's on PATH. (systemd/caddy liveness comes from the health/status stream.)
     installed: bool | None = None
+    active: bool | None = None
     if deployed.manager == "path":
         installed = shutil.which(name) is not None
+        active = installed
 
     category = "job" if deployed.schedule else "service"
 
@@ -99,6 +102,7 @@ def _summary_from_deployed(name: str, deployed: object) -> DeploymentSummary:
         systemd=systemd_info,
         schedule=deployed.schedule,
         installed=installed,
+        active=active,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/cli/src/castle_cli/commands/create.py b/cli/src/castle_cli/commands/create.py
index 2e98633..83e3b69 100644
--- a/cli/src/castle_cli/commands/create.py
+++ b/cli/src/castle_cli/commands/create.py
@@ -115,12 +115,13 @@ def run_create(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
     if kind == "tool":
         # A PATH-managed deployment: installed via `uv tool install`, no unit/route.
         config.deployments[name] = PathDeployment(
-            id=name, manager="path", program=name
+            id=name, manager="path", program=name, description=description
         )
     elif kind == "static":
         # A caddy-managed static deployment: no systemd unit, served from the build dir.
         config.deployments[name] = CaddyDeployment(
-            id=name, manager="caddy", program=name, root=static_root or "dist"
+            id=name, manager="caddy", program=name, root=static_root or "dist",
+            description=description,
         )
     elif kind == "service":
         prefix = name.replace("-", "_").upper()
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ def run_create(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
             id=name,
             manager="systemd",
             program=name,
+            description=description,
             run=RunPython(launcher="python", program=name),
             expose=ExposeSpec(
                 http=HttpExposeSpec(