diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b831616..b59d2f2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,12 +8,18 @@ Format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Fixed
+- Nisse no longer get stuck idle after depositing items at the stockpile
+- Working Nisse now reset to idle on game load (like walking ones), preventing stale AI state
+- Stale jobs with empty carry are now cleared after work completes, avoiding a false "haul to stockpile" loop
 - UI elements (stockpile panel, controls hint) now reposition correctly after window resize
 - Centered overlay panels (build menu, villager panel) close on resize so they reopen at the correct position
 - Mouse world coordinates now use `ptr.worldX`/`ptr.worldY` in BuildingSystem and FarmingSystem, fixing misalignment after resize or zoom
 
+### Changed
+- Villagers are now called **Nisse** throughout the UI (panel, controls hint, stockpile display, context menu, spawn message)
+
 ### Added
-- Right-click context menu: suppresses browser default, shows Build and Folks actions in the game world
+- Right-click context menu: suppresses browser default, shows Build and Nisse actions in the game world
 - Initial project setup: Phaser 3 + TypeScript + Vite
 - Core scenes: `BootScene`, `GameScene`, `UIScene`
 - Systems: `BuildingSystem`, `CameraSystem`, `FarmingSystem`, `PlayerSystem`,
diff --git a/src/StateManager.ts b/src/StateManager.ts
index 35211c3..f1fc7e6 100644
--- a/src/StateManager.ts
+++ b/src/StateManager.ts
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ class StateManager {
       if (!p.world.crops)    p.world.crops    = {}
       if (!p.world.villagers) p.world.villagers = {}
       if (!p.world.stockpile) p.world.stockpile = {}
-      // Reset walking villagers to idle on load
+      // Reset in-flight AI states to idle on load so runtime timers start fresh
       for (const v of Object.values(p.world.villagers)) {
-        if (v.aiState === 'walking') v.aiState = 'idle'
+        if (v.aiState === 'walking' || v.aiState === 'working') v.aiState = 'idle'
       }
       return p
     } catch (_) { return null }
diff --git a/src/scenes/UIScene.ts b/src/scenes/UIScene.ts
index 509dd9f..fa94dd0 100644
--- a/src/scenes/UIScene.ts
+++ b/src/scenes/UIScene.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export class UIScene extends Phaser.Scene {
       const t = this.add.text(x + 10, y + 26 + i * 22, `${ITEM_ICONS[item]} ${item}: 0`, { fontSize: '13px', color: '#88dd88', fontFamily: 'monospace' }).setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(101)
       this.stockpileTexts.set(item, t)
     })
-    this.popText = this.add.text(x + 10, y + 145, '👥 Pop: 0 / 0', { fontSize: '11px', color: '#aaaaaa', fontFamily: 'monospace' }).setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(101)
+    this.popText = this.add.text(x + 10, y + 145, '👥 Nisse: 0 / 0', { fontSize: '11px', color: '#aaaaaa', fontFamily: 'monospace' }).setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(101)
   }
 
   private updateStockpile(): void {
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ export class UIScene extends Phaser.Scene {
     const state = stateManager.getState()
     const beds    = Object.values(state.world.buildings).filter(b => b.kind === 'bed').length
     const current = Object.keys(state.world.villagers).length
-    this.popText?.setText(`👥 Pop: ${current} / ${beds}  [V] manage`)
+    this.popText?.setText(`👥 Nisse: ${current} / ${beds}  [V]`)
   }
 
   // ─── Hint ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -204,13 +204,13 @@ export class UIScene extends Phaser.Scene {
     this.villagerPanelGroup.add(bg)
 
     this.villagerPanelGroup.add(
-      this.add.text(px + panelW/2, py + 12, '👥 VILLAGERS  [V] close', { fontSize: '12px', color: '#aaaaaa', fontFamily: 'monospace' })
+      this.add.text(px + panelW/2, py + 12, '👥 NISSE  [V] close', { fontSize: '12px', color: '#aaaaaa', fontFamily: 'monospace' })
         .setOrigin(0.5, 0).setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(211)
     )
 
     if (villagers.length === 0) {
       this.villagerPanelGroup.add(
-        this.add.text(px + panelW/2, py + panelH/2, 'No villagers yet.\nBuild a 🛏 Bed first!', {
+        this.add.text(px + panelW/2, py + panelH/2, 'No Nisse yet.\nBuild a 🛏 Bed first!', {
           fontSize: '13px', color: '#666666', fontFamily: 'monospace', align: 'center'
         }).setOrigin(0.5).setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(211)
       )
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ export class UIScene extends Phaser.Scene {
 
   private createCoordsDisplay(): void {
     this.coordsText = this.add.text(10, this.scale.height - 24, '', { fontSize: '11px', color: '#666666', fontFamily: 'monospace' }).setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(100)
-    this.controlsHintText = this.add.text(10, this.scale.height - 42, '[WASD] Pan  [Scroll] Zoom  [F] Farm  [B] Build  [V] Villagers', {
+    this.controlsHintText = this.add.text(10, this.scale.height - 42, '[WASD] Pan  [Scroll] Zoom  [F] Farm  [B] Build  [V] Nisse', {
       fontSize: '10px', color: '#444444', fontFamily: 'monospace', backgroundColor: '#00000066', padding: { x: 4, y: 2 }
     }).setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(100)
   }
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ export class UIScene extends Phaser.Scene {
         action: () => { this.hideContextMenu(); this.scene.get('Game').events.emit('uiRequestBuildMenu') },
       },
       {
-        label: '👥  Folks',
+        label: '👥  Nisse',
         action: () => { this.hideContextMenu(); this.toggleVillagerPanel() },
       },
     ]
diff --git a/src/systems/VillagerSystem.ts b/src/systems/VillagerSystem.ts
index 4c3ebfd..f6eb302 100644
--- a/src/systems/VillagerSystem.ts
+++ b/src/systems/VillagerSystem.ts
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ export class VillagerSystem {
       case 'stockpile':
         this.adapter.send({ type: 'VILLAGER_DEPOSIT', villagerId: v.id })
         this.adapter.send({ type: 'VILLAGER_SET_AI', villagerId: v.id, aiState: 'idle' })
+        rt.idleScanTimer = 0  // scan for a new job immediately after deposit
         break
 
       case 'bed':
@@ -217,7 +218,13 @@ export class VillagerSystem {
       }
     }
 
-    // Back to idle so decideAction handles depositing
+    // If the harvest produced nothing (resource already gone), clear the stale job
+    // so tickIdle does not try to walk to a stockpile with nothing to deposit.
+    if (!v.job?.carrying || !Object.values(v.job.carrying).some(n => (n ?? 0) > 0)) {
+      this.adapter.send({ type: 'VILLAGER_SET_JOB', villagerId: v.id, job: null })
+    }
+
+    // Back to idle — tickIdle will handle hauling to stockpile if carrying items
     this.adapter.send({ type: 'VILLAGER_SET_AI', villagerId: v.id, aiState: 'idle' })
   }
 
@@ -342,7 +349,7 @@ export class VillagerSystem {
 
     this.adapter.send({ type: 'SPAWN_VILLAGER', villager })
     this.spawnSprite(villager)
-    this.onMessage?.(`${name} has joined the settlement! 🏘`)
+    this.onMessage?.(`${name} the Nisse has arrived! 🏘`)
   }
 
   // ─── Sprite management ────────────────────────────────────────────────────