diff --git a/src/Task.cpp b/src/Task.cpp
index 434cd49b3..ec81251de 100644
--- a/src/Task.cpp
+++ b/src/Task.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
 
 #define APPROACHING_INFINITY 1000   // Close enough.  This isn't rocket surgery.
 
-extern Task& contextTask;
+extern Task* contextTask;
 
 static const float epsilon = 0.000001;
 #endif
@@ -2271,6 +2271,10 @@ void Task::modify (modType type, bool text_required /* = false */)
 {
   std::string label = "  MODIFICATION ";
 
+  // while reading the parse tree, consider DOM references in the context of
+  // this task
+  contextTask = this;
+
   // Need this for later comparison.
   auto originalStatus = getStatus ();
 
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdAdd.cpp b/src/commands/CmdAdd.cpp
index dd3ba23b4..21d5475a9 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdAdd.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdAdd.cpp
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@
 #include <format.h>
 #include <main.h>
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdAdd::CmdAdd ()
 {
@@ -56,7 +54,6 @@ int CmdAdd::execute (std::string& output)
 
   // the task is empty, but DOM references can refer to earlier parts of the
   // command line, e.g., `task add due:20110101 wait:due`.
-  contextTask = &task;
   task.modify (Task::modReplace, true);
   Context::getContext ().tdb2.add (task);
 
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdAnnotate.cpp b/src/commands/CmdAnnotate.cpp
index 9812874a2..4a3a17a83 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdAnnotate.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdAnnotate.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@
 #include <shared.h>
 #include <format.h>
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdAnnotate::CmdAnnotate ()
 {
@@ -84,7 +82,6 @@ int CmdAnnotate::execute (std::string&)
                                    task.identifier (true),
                                    task.get ("description"));
 
-    contextTask = &task;
     task.modify (Task::modAnnotate, true);
 
     if (permission (before.diff (task) + question, filtered.size ()))
@@ -105,7 +102,6 @@ int CmdAnnotate::execute (std::string&)
           auto siblings = Context::getContext ().tdb2.siblings (task);
           for (auto& sibling : siblings)
           {
-            contextTask = &sibling;
             sibling.modify (Task::modAnnotate, true);
             Context::getContext ().tdb2.modify (sibling);
             ++count;
@@ -115,7 +111,6 @@ int CmdAnnotate::execute (std::string&)
           // Annotate the parent
           Task parent;
           Context::getContext ().tdb2.get (task.get ("parent"), parent);
-          contextTask = &parent;
           parent.modify (Task::modAnnotate, true);
           Context::getContext ().tdb2.modify (parent);
         }
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdAppend.cpp b/src/commands/CmdAppend.cpp
index 39906e789..1ce75447b 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdAppend.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdAppend.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@
 #include <format.h>
 #include <main.h>
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdAppend::CmdAppend ()
 {
@@ -84,7 +82,6 @@ int CmdAppend::execute (std::string&)
                             task.identifier (true),
                             task.get ("description"));
 
-    contextTask = &task;
     task.modify (Task::modAppend, true);
 
     if (permission (before.diff (task) + question, filtered.size ()))
@@ -105,7 +102,6 @@ int CmdAppend::execute (std::string&)
           std::vector <Task> siblings = Context::getContext ().tdb2.siblings (task);
           for (auto& sibling : siblings)
           {
-            contextTask = &sibling;
             sibling.modify (Task::modAppend, true);
             Context::getContext ().tdb2.modify (sibling);
             ++count;
@@ -115,7 +111,6 @@ int CmdAppend::execute (std::string&)
           // Append to the parent
           Task parent;
           Context::getContext ().tdb2.get (task.get ("parent"), parent);
-          contextTask = &parent;
           parent.modify (Task::modAppend, true);
           Context::getContext ().tdb2.modify (parent);
         }
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdDelete.cpp b/src/commands/CmdDelete.cpp
index 4e4f78c29..8bedab285 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdDelete.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdDelete.cpp
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_DELETE_TASK_R     "Deleting recurring task {1} '{2}'."
 #define STRING_CMD_DELETE_CONFIRM_R  "This is a recurring task.  Do you want to delete all pending recurrences of this same task?"
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdDelete::CmdDelete ()
 {
@@ -89,7 +87,6 @@ int CmdDelete::execute (std::string&)
                          task.identifier (true),
                          task.get ("description"));
 
-      contextTask = &task;
       task.modify (Task::modAnnotate);
       task.setStatus (Task::deleted);
       if (! task.has ("end"))
@@ -116,7 +113,6 @@ int CmdDelete::execute (std::string&)
             std::vector <Task> siblings = Context::getContext ().tdb2.siblings (task);
             for (auto& sibling : siblings)
             {
-              contextTask = &sibling;
               sibling.modify (Task::modAnnotate);
               sibling.setStatus (Task::deleted);
               if (! sibling.has ("end"))
@@ -151,7 +147,6 @@ int CmdDelete::execute (std::string&)
           {
             for (auto& child : children)
             {
-              contextTask = &child;
               child.modify (Task::modAnnotate);
               child.setStatus (Task::deleted);
               if (! child.has ("end"))
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdDone.cpp b/src/commands/CmdDone.cpp
index dd2e64333..f579364ac 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdDone.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdDone.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@
 #include <format.h>
 #include <main.h>
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdDone::CmdDone ()
 {
@@ -87,7 +85,6 @@ int CmdDone::execute (std::string&)
                                      task.identifier (true),
                                      task.get ("description"));
 
-      contextTask = &task;
       task.modify (Task::modAnnotate);
       task.setStatus (Task::completed);
       if (! task.has ("end"))
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdDuplicate.cpp b/src/commands/CmdDuplicate.cpp
index 8ed3aa5d5..46f1070e3 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdDuplicate.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdDuplicate.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@
 #include <util.h>
 #include <main.h>
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdDuplicate::CmdDuplicate ()
 {
@@ -102,7 +100,6 @@ int CmdDuplicate::execute (std::string&)
     dup.setStatus (Task::pending); // Does not inherit status.
                                    // Must occur after Task::recurring check.
 
-    contextTask = &dup;
     dup.modify (Task::modAnnotate);
 
     if (permission (format ("Duplicate task {1} '{2}'?",
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdModify.cpp b/src/commands/CmdModify.cpp
index 236b45fa8..cb407367d 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdModify.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdModify.cpp
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@
 #define STRING_CMD_MODIFY_TASK_R     "Modifying recurring task {1} '{2}'."
 #define STRING_CMD_MODIFY_RECUR      "This is a recurring task.  Do you want to modify all pending recurrences of this same task?"
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdModify::CmdModify ()
 {
@@ -79,7 +77,6 @@ int CmdModify::execute (std::string&)
   for (auto& task : filtered)
   {
     Task before (task);
-    contextTask = &task;
     task.modify (Task::modReplace);
 
     if (before != task)
@@ -177,7 +174,6 @@ int CmdModify::modifyRecurrenceSiblings (
     for (auto& sibling : siblings)
     {
       Task alternate (sibling);
-      contextTask = &sibling;
       sibling.modify (Task::modReplace);
       updateRecurrenceMask (sibling);
       ++count;
@@ -191,7 +187,6 @@ int CmdModify::modifyRecurrenceSiblings (
     // Modify the parent
     Task parent;
     Context::getContext ().tdb2.get (task.get ("parent"), parent);
-    contextTask = &parent;
     parent.modify (Task::modReplace);
     Context::getContext ().tdb2.modify (parent);
   }
@@ -215,7 +210,6 @@ int CmdModify::modifyRecurrenceParent (
     for (auto& child : children)
     {
       Task alternate (child);
-      contextTask = &child;
       child.modify (Task::modReplace);
       updateRecurrenceMask (child);
       Context::getContext ().tdb2.modify (child);
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdPrepend.cpp b/src/commands/CmdPrepend.cpp
index 847fef5d7..0e59d5a30 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdPrepend.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdPrepend.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@
 #include <format.h>
 #include <main.h>
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdPrepend::CmdPrepend ()
 {
@@ -84,7 +82,6 @@ int CmdPrepend::execute (std::string&)
                                    task.identifier (true),
                                    task.get ("description"));
 
-    contextTask = &task;
     task.modify (Task::modPrepend, true);
 
     if (permission (before.diff (task) + question, filtered.size ()))
@@ -105,7 +102,6 @@ int CmdPrepend::execute (std::string&)
           std::vector <Task> siblings = Context::getContext ().tdb2.siblings (task);
           for (auto& sibling : siblings)
           {
-            contextTask = &sibling;
             sibling.modify (Task::modPrepend, true);
             Context::getContext ().tdb2.modify (sibling);
             ++count;
@@ -115,7 +111,6 @@ int CmdPrepend::execute (std::string&)
           // Prepend to the parent
           Task parent;
           Context::getContext ().tdb2.get (task.get ("parent"), parent);
-          contextTask = &parent;
           parent.modify (Task::modPrepend, true);
           Context::getContext ().tdb2.modify (parent);
         }
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdStart.cpp b/src/commands/CmdStart.cpp
index b6636dc50..6329c8129 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdStart.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdStart.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@
 #include <format.h>
 #include <util.h>
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdStart::CmdStart ()
 {
@@ -85,7 +83,6 @@ int CmdStart::execute (std::string&)
       std::string question = format ("Start task {1} '{2}'?",
                                      task.identifier (true),
                                      task.get ("description"));
-      contextTask = &task;
       task.modify (Task::modAnnotate);
       task.setAsNow ("start");
 
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdStop.cpp b/src/commands/CmdStop.cpp
index 020757230..f9d1cec6d 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdStop.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdStop.cpp
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@
 #include <main.h>
 #include <format.h>
 
-extern Task* contextTask;
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 CmdStop::CmdStop ()
 {
@@ -83,7 +81,6 @@ int CmdStop::execute (std::string&)
                                      task.identifier (true),
                                      task.get ("description"));
 
-      contextTask = &task;
       task.modify (Task::modAnnotate);
       task.remove ("start");