diff --git a/date-wizard/Sources/DateWizard/MenuBarDays.swift b/date-wizard/Sources/DateWizard/MenuBarDays.swift
index 2e5766f487..3e42f0d97a 100644
--- a/date-wizard/Sources/DateWizard/MenuBarDays.swift
+++ b/date-wizard/Sources/DateWizard/MenuBarDays.swift
@@ -104,14 +104,18 @@ final class MenuBarDays {
         if (date != nil) != had { fit?.updateRungs(fitRungs(hasNext: date != nil)) }
     }
 
-    /// Live H:MM:SS countdown to the next appointment ("now" at zero). Far-off
-    /// events (100h+) collapse to whole days, where ticking seconds are noise.
+    /// Short, unit-labeled countdown to the next appointment: the two most
+    /// significant non-zero units ("2d3h", "20h41m", "5m30s", "45s"), "now" at
+    /// zero. Seconds tick live once the event is under an hour away.
     private func countdownText() -> String? {
         guard let d = nextEventDate else { return nil }
         let secs = Int(d.timeIntervalSinceNow)
         if secs <= 0 { return "now" }
-        if secs >= 100 * 3600 { return "\(secs / 86400)d" }
-        return String(format: "%d:%02d:%02d", secs / 3600, (secs % 3600) / 60, secs % 60)
+        let days = secs / 86400, h = (secs % 86400) / 3600, m = (secs % 3600) / 60, s = secs % 60
+        if days > 0 { return "\(days)d\(h)h" }
+        if h > 0 { return "\(h)h\(m)m" }
+        if m > 0 { return "\(m)m\(s)s" }
+        return "\(s)s"
     }
 
     // Re-render the badge every second so the H:MM:SS readout ticks live. It's a
diff --git a/date-wizard/Sources/DateWizard/WizardRoster.swift b/date-wizard/Sources/DateWizard/WizardRoster.swift
index dd2d89eace..d4dab7dbc4 100644
--- a/date-wizard/Sources/DateWizard/WizardRoster.swift
+++ b/date-wizard/Sources/DateWizard/WizardRoster.swift
@@ -102,19 +102,21 @@ func wandGlyph(pointSize: CGFloat = 15, badge: String? = nil, dot: Bool = false,
     }
     let badge = badge!
 
-    // Countdown rung: small accent-colored text, left of the wand and raised to
-    // its tip (top-aligned), no pill/outline.
+    // Countdown rung: small white text to the RIGHT of the wand, raised toward
+    // its tip (top-aligned), no pill/outline. (Plain white/black — not accent —
+    // reads cleaner at this size; the accent stays on the presence dot.)
     let font = NSFont.systemFont(ofSize: 7.5, weight: .bold)
-    let textAttrs: [NSAttributedString.Key: Any] = [.font: font, .foregroundColor: accent]
+    let textColor = dark ? NSColor.white : NSColor.black
+    let textAttrs: [NSAttributedString.Key: Any] = [.font: font, .foregroundColor: textColor]
     let textSize = (badge as NSString).size(withAttributes: textAttrs)
-    let size = NSSize(width: textSize.width + gap + tinted.size.width,
+    let size = NSSize(width: tinted.size.width + gap + textSize.width,
                       height: max(tinted.size.height, textSize.height))
     let out = NSImage(size: size)
     out.lockFocus()
-    (badge as NSString).draw(at: NSPoint(x: 0, y: size.height - textSize.height),
-                             withAttributes: textAttrs)
-    tinted.draw(at: NSPoint(x: textSize.width + gap, y: (size.height - tinted.size.height) / 2),
+    tinted.draw(at: NSPoint(x: 0, y: (size.height - tinted.size.height) / 2),
                 from: .zero, operation: .sourceOver, fraction: 1)
+    (badge as NSString).draw(at: NSPoint(x: tinted.size.width + gap, y: size.height - textSize.height),
+                             withAttributes: textAttrs)
     out.unlockFocus()
     out.isTemplate = false
     return out