diff --git a/backend/routes/tasks/queries/query-builders.js b/backend/routes/tasks/queries/query-builders.js
index 5f3d9d3..d1a83ae 100644
--- a/backend/routes/tasks/queries/query-builders.js
+++ b/backend/routes/tasks/queries/query-builders.js
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ async function filterTasksByParams(
             };
             whereClause[Op.or] = [
                 {
+                    // Non-recurring tasks that are marked for today
                     [Op.and]: [
                         {
                             [Op.or]: [
@@ -124,16 +125,20 @@ async function filterTasksByParams(
                             ],
                         },
                         { recurring_parent_id: null },
+                        { today: true },
                     ],
                 },
                 {
+                    // Recurring parent tasks that are marked for today
                     [Op.and]: [
                         { recurrence_type: { [Op.ne]: 'none' } },
                         { recurrence_type: { [Op.ne]: null } },
                         { recurring_parent_id: null },
+                        { today: true },
                     ],
                 },
                 {
+                    // Recurring task instances that are due today (regardless of today flag)
                     [Op.and]: [
                         { recurring_parent_id: { [Op.ne]: null } },
                         {
diff --git a/backend/tests/integration/project-sharing.test.js b/backend/tests/integration/project-sharing.test.js
index 947e342..71f4838 100644
--- a/backend/tests/integration/project-sharing.test.js
+++ b/backend/tests/integration/project-sharing.test.js
@@ -152,19 +152,19 @@ describe('Project Sharing Integration Tests', () => {
                 });
             const taskDueToday = taskDueTodayResponse.body;
 
-            // Fetch today's tasks as shared user
-            const response = await sharedUserAgent.get('/api/tasks?type=today');
+            // Fetch today's tasks as shared user with include_lists to get tasks_due_today
+            const response = await sharedUserAgent.get(
+                '/api/tasks?type=today&include_lists=true'
+            );
 
             expect(response.status).toBe(200);
             expect(response.body.tasks).toBeDefined();
 
-            // Check if the task appears in the main tasks or metrics
-            const allTasks = [
-                ...response.body.tasks,
-                ...(response.body.metrics?.tasks_due_today || []),
-            ];
-
-            const foundTask = allTasks.find((t) => t.id === taskDueToday.id);
+            // Task should appear in tasks_due_today since it has a due date but today=false
+            expect(response.body.tasks_due_today).toBeDefined();
+            const foundTask = response.body.tasks_due_today.find(
+                (t) => t.id === taskDueToday.id
+            );
             expect(foundTask).toBeDefined();
             expect(foundTask.name).toBe('Task due today in shared project');
         });
diff --git a/backend/tests/integration/tasks.test.js b/backend/tests/integration/tasks.test.js
index 5dd523e..5b317b9 100644
--- a/backend/tests/integration/tasks.test.js
+++ b/backend/tests/integration/tasks.test.js
@@ -99,13 +99,13 @@ describe('Tasks Routes', () => {
             expect(response.body.tasks.map((t) => t.id)).toContain(task2.id);
         });
 
-        it('should filter today tasks (returns all user tasks)', async () => {
+        it('should filter today tasks (returns only tasks with today=true)', async () => {
             const response = await agent.get('/api/tasks?type=today');
 
             expect(response.status).toBe(200);
             expect(response.body.tasks).toBeDefined();
-            expect(response.body.tasks.length).toBe(2);
-            // Both tasks should be returned as "today" doesn't filter by the today field
+            expect(response.body.tasks.length).toBe(1);
+            expect(response.body.tasks[0].id).toBe(task1.id);
         });
 
         it('should require authentication', async () => {
diff --git a/e2e/playwright.config.ts b/e2e/playwright.config.ts
index 39f25d5..d1ab4e6 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright.config.ts
@@ -8,15 +8,15 @@ const slowMoMs = Number(process.env.E2E_SLOWMO || '0') || 0;
 
 export default defineConfig({
   testDir: './tests',
-  timeout: 60_000,
-  expect: { timeout: 10_000 },
+  timeout: 30_000, // Reduced from 60s to 30s
+  expect: { timeout: 5_000 }, // Reduced from 10s to 5s
   fullyParallel: true,
-  workers: process.env.CI ? 1 : undefined, // Use default workers locally, 1 in CI
+  workers: process.env.CI ? 1 : 4, // Use 4 workers locally for speed
   reporter: [['list']],
   use: {
     baseURL,
     trace: 'on-first-retry',
-    video: 'retain-on-failure',
+    video: 'off', // Disable video for speed (was 'retain-on-failure')
     screenshot: 'only-on-failure',
     viewport: { width: 1280, height: 800 },
     launchOptions: { slowMo: slowMoMs },
diff --git a/e2e/tests/registration.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/registration.spec.ts
index 28f49a6..ac6c603 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/registration.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/registration.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 
-test.describe.serial('User Registration', () => {
-test.describe.serial('User Registration - Enabled', () => {
+test.describe.serial('Registration', () => {
+test.describe.serial('Enabled', () => {
     test.beforeAll(async ({ request, baseURL }) => {
         const appUrl = baseURL ?? process.env.APP_URL ?? 'http://localhost:8080';
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ test.describe.serial('User Registration - Enabled', () => {
         await page.goto(appUrl + '/register');
     });
 
-    test('should display registration form', async ({ page }) => {
+    test('Shows form', async ({ page }) => {
         await expect(page.getByTestId('register-heading')).toBeVisible();
         await expect(page.getByTestId('register-email')).toBeVisible();
         await expect(page.getByTestId('register-password')).toBeVisible();
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ test.describe.serial('User Registration - Enabled', () => {
         await expect(page.getByTestId('register-submit')).toBeVisible();
     });
 
-    test('should show error when passwords do not match', async ({ page }) => {
+    test('Password mismatch error', async ({ page }) => {
         const timestamp = Date.now();
         const email = `test${timestamp}@example.com`;
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ test.describe.serial('User Registration - Enabled', () => {
         await expect(page.getByTestId('register-error')).toContainText(/passwords do not match/i);
     });
 
-    test('should prevent submission when password is too short (HTML5 validation)', async ({ page }) => {
+    test('Password too short', async ({ page }) => {
         const timestamp = Date.now();
         const email = `test${timestamp}@example.com`;
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ test.describe.serial('User Registration - Enabled', () => {
         expect(validationMessage).toBeTruthy();
     });
 
-    test('should successfully register a new user or show email error', async ({ page }) => {
+    test('Register successfully', async ({ page }) => {
         const timestamp = Date.now();
         const email = `test${timestamp}@example.com`;
         const password = 'password123';
@@ -107,13 +107,13 @@ test.describe.serial('User Registration - Enabled', () => {
         }
     });
 
-    test('should navigate to login page from link', async ({ page }) => {
+    test('Link to login', async ({ page }) => {
         await page.getByTestId('register-login-link').click();
 
         await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/login$/);
     });
 
-    test('should show error for duplicate email registration', async ({ page }) => {
+    test('Duplicate email error', async ({ page }) => {
         const email = process.env.E2E_EMAIL || 'test@tududi.com';
         const password = 'password123';
 
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ test.describe.serial('User Registration - Enabled', () => {
     });
 });
 
-test.describe.serial('User Registration - Disabled', () => {
+test.describe.serial('Disabled', () => {
     test.beforeAll(async ({ request, baseURL }) => {
         const appUrl = baseURL ?? process.env.APP_URL ?? 'http://localhost:8080';
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ test.describe.serial('User Registration - Disabled', () => {
         await page.goto(appUrl + '/register');
     });
 
-    test('should show registration disabled error', async ({ page }) => {
+    test('Shows disabled error', async ({ page }) => {
         const timestamp = Date.now();
         const email = `test${timestamp}@example.com`;
         const password = 'password123';
diff --git a/e2e/tests/today-view.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/today-view.spec.ts
index 7bfed5e..70b2e84 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/today-view.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/today-view.spec.ts
@@ -1,27 +1,25 @@
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 
-test.describe.serial('Today View', () => {
+test.describe('Today', () => {
     // Helper function to login via UI
     async function loginViaUI(page, baseURL) {
         const appUrl =
             baseURL ?? process.env.APP_URL ?? 'http://localhost:8080';
         await page.goto(`${appUrl}/login`);
 
-        await page.fill(
-            'input[type="email"]',
-            process.env.E2E_EMAIL || 'test@tududi.com'
-        );
-        await page.fill(
-            'input[type="password"]',
-            process.env.E2E_PASSWORD || 'password123'
-        );
-        await page.click('button[type="submit"]');
+        await page
+            .getByTestId('login-email')
+            .fill(process.env.E2E_EMAIL || 'test@tududi.com');
+        await page
+            .getByTestId('login-password')
+            .fill(process.env.E2E_PASSWORD || 'password123');
+        await page.getByTestId('login-submit').click();
 
         // Wait for redirect to dashboard or today page
         await page.waitForURL(/\/(dashboard|today)/, { timeout: 10000 });
     }
 
-    test('should only show tasks with today flag in Planned section', async ({
+    test('Planned: only today=true tasks', async ({
         page,
         context,
         baseURL,
@@ -62,11 +60,10 @@ test.describe.serial('Today View', () => {
             }
         }
 
-        // Navigate to today page and wait for metrics to load
+        // Navigate to today page
         await page.goto(`${appUrl}/today`);
-        await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
 
-        // Check if Planned section exists using data-testid
+        // Wait for Planned section to appear (indicates page loaded)
         const plannedSection = page.getByTestId('planned-section');
         await expect(plannedSection).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10000 });
 
@@ -88,7 +85,7 @@ test.describe.serial('Today View', () => {
         }
     });
 
-    test('should show overdue tasks in Overdue section', async ({
+    test('Overdue: shows overdue tasks', async ({
         page,
         context,
         baseURL,
@@ -122,10 +119,6 @@ test.describe.serial('Today View', () => {
 
         // Navigate to today page
         await page.goto(`${appUrl}/today`);
-        await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
-
-        // Wait a bit for React to render the sections
-        await page.waitForTimeout(2000);
 
         // Check if Overdue section exists using data-testid
         const overdueSection = page.getByTestId('overdue-section');
@@ -153,7 +146,7 @@ test.describe.serial('Today View', () => {
         }
     });
 
-    test('should show tasks due today in Due Today section', async ({
+    test('Due Today: shows tasks', async ({
         page,
         context,
         baseURL,
@@ -187,10 +180,6 @@ test.describe.serial('Today View', () => {
 
         // Navigate to today page
         await page.goto(`${appUrl}/today`);
-        await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
-
-        // Wait a bit for React to render the sections
-        await page.waitForTimeout(2000);
 
         // Check if Due Today section exists using data-testid
         const dueTodaySection = page.getByTestId('due-today-section');
@@ -217,7 +206,7 @@ test.describe.serial('Today View', () => {
         }
     });
 
-    test('should allow collapsing and expanding sections', async ({
+    test('Collapse/expand sections', async ({
         page,
         baseURL,
     }) => {
@@ -227,7 +216,6 @@ test.describe.serial('Today View', () => {
         const appUrl =
             baseURL ?? process.env.APP_URL ?? 'http://localhost:8080';
         await page.goto(`${appUrl}/today`);
-        await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
 
         // Test Planned section collapse/expand if it exists using data-testid
         const plannedHeader = page.getByTestId('planned-section-header');
diff --git a/frontend/components/Login.tsx b/frontend/components/Login.tsx
index 63e1537..0d4c7ca 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Login.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/Login.tsx
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ const Login: React.FC = () => {
                                             setEmail(e.target.value)
                                         }
                                         className="w-full px-4 py-2 border dark:border-gray-600 rounded-lg focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 bg-white dark:bg-gray-700 text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100"
+                                        data-testid="login-email"
                                         required
                                     />
                                 </div>
@@ -202,12 +203,14 @@ const Login: React.FC = () => {
                                             setPassword(e.target.value)
                                         }
                                         className="w-full px-4 py-2 border dark:border-gray-600 rounded-lg focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 bg-white dark:bg-gray-700 text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100"
+                                        data-testid="login-password"
                                         required
                                     />
                                 </div>
                                 <button
                                     type="submit"
                                     className="w-full bg-blue-500 text-white py-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-blue-600 transition-colors"
+                                    data-testid="login-submit"
                                 >
                                     {t('auth.login', 'Login')}
                                 </button>
diff --git a/public/locales/el/translation.json b/public/locales/el/translation.json
index 287d42a..1227ccb 100644
--- a/public/locales/el/translation.json
+++ b/public/locales/el/translation.json
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@
     "unknownProject": "Άγνωστο έργο",
     "tasks": "εργασίες",
     "showingItems": "Εμφάνιση {{current}} από {{total}} στοιχεία",
-    "overdue": "Υπερβολικό",
+    "overdue": "Εκπρόθεσμο",
     "planned": "Προγραμματισμένο",
     "open": "Άνοιγμα",
     "completed": "Ολοκληρώθηκε"