diff --git a/src/app/features/schedule/schedule-week/schedule-external-drag.service.ts b/src/app/features/schedule/schedule-week/schedule-external-drag.service.ts
index 8467aa68b7..42af0eddbf 100644
--- a/src/app/features/schedule/schedule-week/schedule-external-drag.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/schedule/schedule-week/schedule-external-drag.service.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import { DragRef } from '@angular/cdk/drag-drop';
 @Injectable({ providedIn: 'root' })
 export class ScheduleExternalDragService {
   private readonly _activeTask = signal<TaskWithSubTasks | null>(null);
-  private readonly _subTaskDropCandidate = signal<TaskWithSubTasks | null>(null);
   private _activeDragRef: DragRef | null = null;
   private _cancelNextDrop: boolean = false;
 
@@ -25,14 +24,6 @@ export class ScheduleExternalDragService {
     return this._activeDragRef;
   }
 
-  subTaskDropCandidate(): TaskWithSubTasks | null {
-    return this._subTaskDropCandidate();
-  }
-
-  setSubTaskDropCandidate(task: TaskWithSubTasks | null): void {
-    this._subTaskDropCandidate.set(task);
-  }
-
   setActiveTask(task: TaskWithSubTasks | null, dragRef: DragRef | null = null): void {
     this._activeTask.set(task);
     this._activeDragRef = dragRef;
diff --git a/src/app/features/tasks/task-list/task-list.component.spec.ts b/src/app/features/tasks/task-list/task-list.component.spec.ts
index 6f0138e938..db6c881124 100644
--- a/src/app/features/tasks/task-list/task-list.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/tasks/task-list/task-list.component.spec.ts
@@ -87,8 +87,6 @@ describe('TaskListComponent', () => {
           useValue: {
             activeTask: () => null,
             setActiveTask: () => {},
-            subTaskDropCandidate: () => null,
-            setSubTaskDropCandidate: () => {},
             isCancelNextDrop: () => false,
             setCancelNextDrop: () => {},
           },
diff --git a/src/app/features/tasks/task-list/task-list.component.ts b/src/app/features/tasks/task-list/task-list.component.ts
index 25f617e750..f916c875f5 100644
--- a/src/app/features/tasks/task-list/task-list.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/tasks/task-list/task-list.component.ts
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ export class TaskListComponent implements OnDestroy, AfterViewInit {
   allTasksLength = computed(() => this.tasks()?.length ?? 0);
 
   readonly dropList = viewChild(CdkDropList);
-  private _clearSubTaskDropCandidate: (() => void) | undefined;
   private _clearDragPointerTracking: (() => void) | undefined;
 
   T: typeof T = T;
@@ -164,7 +163,6 @@ export class TaskListComponent implements OnDestroy, AfterViewInit {
   }
 
   ngOnDestroy(): void {
-    this._clearSubTaskDropCandidate?.();
     this._clearDragPointerTracking?.();
     this.dropListService.unregisterDropList(this.dropList()!);
     this._scheduleExternalDragService.setActiveTask(null);
@@ -176,28 +174,15 @@ export class TaskListComponent implements OnDestroy, AfterViewInit {
   }
 
   onDragPointerDown(task: TaskWithSubTasks, event: PointerEvent): void {
-    this._clearSubTaskDropCandidate?.();
+    // Seed the pointer position so subtask -> parent-list drags can hit-test
+    // the source subtask list before the first pointermove (see
+    // _isPointerOverSubTaskList).
     if (task.parentId) {
       this.dropListService.setActiveDragPointer({ x: event.clientX, y: event.clientY });
-      return;
     }
-    if (!canConvertTaskToSubTask(task)) {
-      return;
-    }
-    this._scheduleExternalDragService.setSubTaskDropCandidate(task);
-    const clearCandidate = (): void => {
-      this._scheduleExternalDragService.setSubTaskDropCandidate(null);
-      window.removeEventListener('pointerup', clearCandidate);
-      window.removeEventListener('pointercancel', clearCandidate);
-      this._clearSubTaskDropCandidate = undefined;
-    };
-    window.addEventListener('pointerup', clearCandidate);
-    window.addEventListener('pointercancel', clearCandidate);
-    this._clearSubTaskDropCandidate = clearCandidate;
   }
 
   onDragStarted(task: TaskWithSubTasks, event: CdkDragStart): void {
-    this._clearSubTaskDropCandidate?.();
     this._scheduleExternalDragService.setActiveTask(task, event.source._dragRef);
     if (task.parentId) {
       this._startDragPointerTracking();
@@ -205,7 +190,6 @@ export class TaskListComponent implements OnDestroy, AfterViewInit {
   }
 
   onDragEnded(): void {
-    this._clearSubTaskDropCandidate?.();
     this._clearDragPointerTracking?.();
     this._scheduleExternalDragService.setActiveTask(null);
     this.dropListService.setActiveDragPointer(null);
diff --git a/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.html b/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.html
index c99108deeb..6c82e36f14 100644
--- a/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.html
+++ b/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.html
@@ -253,42 +253,32 @@
         [progress]="progress()"
       ></progress-bar>
     }
-    @if (t.subTasks?.length || isEmptySubTaskDropTargetMounted()) {
-      <div
-        class="sub-tasks"
-        [class.is-empty-sub-task-drop-target]="!t.subTasks?.length"
-      >
-        @if (t.subTasks?.length) {
-          <button
-            (click)="toggleSubTaskMode()"
-            [title]="T.F.TASK.CMP.TOGGLE_SUB_TASK_VISIBILITY | translate"
-            class="toggle-sub-tasks-btn ico-btn mat-elevation-z2"
-            color=""
-            mat-mini-fab
-          >
-            @if (t._hideSubTasksMode === ShowSubTasksMode.HideAll) {
-              <mat-icon>add</mat-icon>
-            } @else {
-              <mat-icon
-                [class.isHideDoneTasks]="
-                  t._hideSubTasksMode === ShowSubTasksMode.HideDone
-                "
-                >remove
-              </mat-icon>
-            }
-          </button>
-        }
+    @if (t.subTasks?.length) {
+      <div class="sub-tasks">
+        <button
+          (click)="toggleSubTaskMode()"
+          [title]="T.F.TASK.CMP.TOGGLE_SUB_TASK_VISIBILITY | translate"
+          class="toggle-sub-tasks-btn ico-btn mat-elevation-z2"
+          color=""
+          mat-mini-fab
+        >
+          @if (t._hideSubTasksMode === ShowSubTasksMode.HideAll) {
+            <mat-icon>add</mat-icon>
+          } @else {
+            <mat-icon
+              [class.isHideDoneTasks]="t._hideSubTasksMode === ShowSubTasksMode.HideDone"
+              >remove
+            </mat-icon>
+          }
+        </button>
         <task-list
           [@expandInOnly]
-          [class.empty-sub-task-list]="!t.subTasks?.length"
-          [isHideAll]="!!t.subTasks?.length && !!t._hideSubTasksMode"
-          [isHideDone]="
-            !!t.subTasks?.length && t._hideSubTasksMode === ShowSubTasksMode.HideDone
-          "
+          [isHideAll]="!!t._hideSubTasksMode"
+          [isHideDone]="t._hideSubTasksMode === ShowSubTasksMode.HideDone"
           [isSubTaskList]="true"
           [listModelId]="t.id"
           [parentId]="t.id"
-          [tasks]="t.subTasks || []"
+          [tasks]="t.subTasks"
           listId="SUB"
         ></task-list>
       </div>
diff --git a/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.scss b/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.scss
index 043408c72a..72e95c72ce 100644
--- a/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.scss
+++ b/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.scss
@@ -14,30 +14,3 @@
     box-shadow: none;
   }
 }
-
-.sub-tasks.is-empty-sub-task-drop-target {
-  position: absolute;
-  left: var(--s3);
-  right: var(--s);
-  bottom: -7px;
-  z-index: 1;
-  height: 14px;
-  margin: 0;
-  opacity: 0.85;
-  pointer-events: auto;
-
-  task-list.empty-sub-task-list {
-    height: 14px;
-    min-height: 14px;
-    padding: 0;
-  }
-
-  task-list.empty-sub-task-list ::ng-deep .task-list-inner {
-    height: 14px;
-    min-height: 14px;
-    border: 1px dashed var(--palette-primary-400);
-    border-radius: var(--task-border-radius);
-    background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--palette-primary-400) 18%, transparent);
-    box-sizing: border-box;
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.ts b/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.ts
index 1d917ec6df..cd87f40ee3 100644
--- a/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/tasks/task/task.component.ts
@@ -89,8 +89,6 @@ import { LayoutService } from '../../../core-ui/layout/layout.service';
 import { TaskFocusService } from '../task-focus.service';
 import { selectTimeConflictTaskIds } from '../store/task.selectors';
 import { MatTooltip } from '@angular/material/tooltip';
-import { ScheduleExternalDragService } from '../../schedule/schedule-week/schedule-external-drag.service';
-import { canConvertTaskToSubTask } from '../util/can-convert-task-to-sub-task';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'task',
@@ -148,7 +146,6 @@ export class TaskComponent implements OnDestroy, AfterViewInit {
   private readonly _taskFocusService = inject(TaskFocusService);
   private readonly _dateService = inject(DateService);
   private readonly _destroyRef = inject(DestroyRef);
-  private readonly _scheduleExternalDragService = inject(ScheduleExternalDragService);
 
   readonly workContextService = inject(WorkContextService);
   readonly layoutService = inject(LayoutService);
@@ -276,21 +273,6 @@ export class TaskComponent implements OnDestroy, AfterViewInit {
     ),
   );
 
-  isEmptySubTaskDropTargetMounted = computed(() => {
-    const t = this.task();
-    const dragTask =
-      this._scheduleExternalDragService.activeTask() ??
-      this._scheduleExternalDragService.subTaskDropCandidate();
-    return (
-      !this.isInSubTaskList() &&
-      !t.parentId &&
-      !t.subTasks?.length &&
-      !!dragTask &&
-      dragTask.id !== t.id &&
-      canConvertTaskToSubTask(dragTask)
-    );
-  });
-
   hasDeadline = computed(() => {
     const t = this.task();
     return !!(t.deadlineDay || t.deadlineWithTime);