diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban_diagnostics.py b/hermes_cli/kanban_diagnostics.py
index 8acd6dd932..bed5a6ebcc 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban_diagnostics.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban_diagnostics.py
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ import time
 SEVERITY_ORDER = ("warning", "error", "critical")
 
 
+def severity_at_or_above(severity: Optional[str], threshold: Optional[str]) -> bool:
+    """Return True when ``severity`` meets or exceeds ``threshold``."""
+    if threshold is None:
+        return True
+    if severity not in SEVERITY_ORDER or threshold not in SEVERITY_ORDER:
+        return False
+    return SEVERITY_ORDER.index(severity) >= SEVERITY_ORDER.index(threshold)
+
+
 @dataclass
 class DiagnosticAction:
     """A single recovery action attached to a diagnostic.
diff --git a/plugins/kanban/dashboard/plugin_api.py b/plugins/kanban/dashboard/plugin_api.py
index f13755dfb7..44bb33960c 100644
--- a/plugins/kanban/dashboard/plugin_api.py
+++ b/plugins/kanban/dashboard/plugin_api.py
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ from fastapi import APIRouter, HTTPException, Query, WebSocket, WebSocketDisconn
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 
 from hermes_cli import kanban_db
+from hermes_cli import kanban_diagnostics as kd
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -1001,7 +1002,7 @@ def list_diagnostics(
         if severity:
             filtered: dict[str, list[dict]] = {}
             for tid, dl in diags_by_task.items():
-                keep = [d for d in dl if d.get("severity") == severity]
+                keep = [d for d in dl if kd.severity_at_or_above(d.get("severity"), severity)]
                 if keep:
                     filtered[tid] = keep
             diags_by_task = filtered
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_diagnostics.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_diagnostics.py
index 6329825ce1..2de4933dc6 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_diagnostics.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_diagnostics.py
@@ -737,3 +737,14 @@ def test_config_from_runtime_config_carries_aux_and_model():
 def test_config_from_runtime_config_handles_empty_input():
     assert kd.config_from_runtime_config(None) == {}
     assert kd.config_from_runtime_config({}) == {}
+
+
+def test_severity_at_or_above_uses_threshold_semantics():
+    assert kd.severity_at_or_above("warning", "warning") is True
+    assert kd.severity_at_or_above("error", "warning") is True
+    assert kd.severity_at_or_above("critical", "warning") is True
+    assert kd.severity_at_or_above("critical", "error") is True
+    assert kd.severity_at_or_above("warning", "error") is False
+    assert kd.severity_at_or_above("error", "critical") is False
+    assert kd.severity_at_or_above("mystery", "warning") is False
+    assert kd.severity_at_or_above("warning", None) is True