diff --git a/src/routes/journals/JournalEntry_Editor.svelte b/src/routes/journals/JournalEntry_Editor.svelte
index 4eb41fca..51f050df 100644
--- a/src/routes/journals/JournalEntry_Editor.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/journals/JournalEntry_Editor.svelte
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
      * Extracted 2026-01-08 to modularize the massive Journal Entry view.
      * Handles: CodeMirror vs Plain vs Rendered HTML for both View and Edit modes.
      */
-    import { LockKeyhole, Save } from '@lucide/svelte';
+    import { LockKeyhole, Save, RefreshCcw } from '@lucide/svelte';
     import { ae_loc } from '$lib/stores/ae_stores';
     import { journals_loc, journals_sess } from '$lib/ae_journals/ae_journals_stores';
     import E_app_codemirror_v5 from '$lib/app_components/e_app_codemirror_v5.svelte';
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
         has_changed: boolean;
         updated_idb: boolean;
         onSave: () => void;
+        onForceReset?: () => void;
     }
 
     let { 
@@ -27,7 +28,8 @@
         editorView = $bindable(),
         has_changed,
         updated_idb,
-        onSave
+        onSave,
+        onForceReset
     }: Props = $props();
 
     const is_editing = $derived($journals_loc.entry.edit_kv[entry.journal_entry_id] === 'current');
@@ -35,49 +37,35 @@
 
 <div class="journal-entry-editor-wrapper grow w-full flex flex-col items-center">
     {#if !is_editing}
-        <!-- VIEW MODE -->
-        {#if journal?.cfg_json?.pref_viewer == 'codemirror'}
-            <E_app_codemirror_v5
-                editable={false}
-                readonly={true}
-                content={tmp_entry_obj?.content ?? ''}
-                bind:new_content={tmp_entry_obj.content}
-                theme_mode={$ae_loc.theme_mode}
-                placeholder="No content..."
-                class="p-2 preset-outlined-success-400-600 shadow-lg rounded-lg w-full max-w-6xl"
-            />
-        {:else if journal?.cfg_json?.pref_viewer == 'plain'}
-            <pre class="grow w-full max-w-6xl p-2 font-mono text-wrap bg-surface-100 dark:bg-surface-900 shadow-md rounded-lg border border-surface-500/20">
-                {tmp_entry_obj.content || '-- No Content --'}
-            </pre>
-        {:else}
-            <!-- Rendered HTML -->
-            <article
-                class="grow w-full max-w-6xl p-4 bg-surface-50 dark:bg-surface-900 shadow-md rounded-lg border border-surface-500/20 prose dark:prose-invert prose-h1:underline"
-                id="rendered_journal_entry_content_{entry.journal_entry_id}"
-            >
-                {#if tmp_entry_obj?.content_md_html}
-                    {@html tmp_entry_obj.content_md_html}
-                {:else if tmp_entry_obj?.content_encrypted && entry.private}
-                    <div class="text-sm text-surface-500 italic flex items-center gap-2">
-                        <LockKeyhole size="1.25em" class="text-success-500" />
-                        Private encrypted content (Decrypt to view)
-                    </div>
-                {/if}
-            </article>
-        {/if}
+        <!-- VIEW MODE (unchanged) -->
+        ...
     {:else}
         <!-- EDIT MODE -->
         {#if !tmp_entry_obj?.content && tmp_entry_obj?.content_encrypted}
             <!-- Decryption Required Message -->
-            <div class="w-full max-w-6xl p-4 bg-error-100 dark:bg-error-900/30 text-error-900 dark:text-error-100 rounded-lg border border-error-500 flex flex-col gap-2">
-                <div class="font-bold flex items-center gap-2">
-                    <LockKeyhole size="1.25em" />
-                    Decryption Required
+            <div class="w-full max-w-6xl p-4 bg-error-100 dark:bg-error-900/30 text-error-900 dark:text-error-100 rounded-lg border border-error-500 flex flex-col gap-4">
+                <div class="space-y-2">
+                    <div class="font-bold flex items-center gap-2">
+                        <LockKeyhole size="1.25em" />
+                        Decryption Required
+                    </div>
+                    <p class="text-sm">This entry must be decrypted before it can be edited.</p>
+                    {#if tmp_entry_obj?.content === false}
+                        <p class="text-xs font-bold text-error-500 uppercase tracking-widest">Decryption failed. Incorrect passcode.</p>
+                    {/if}
                 </div>
-                <p class="text-sm">This entry must be decrypted before it can be edited.</p>
-                {#if tmp_entry_obj?.content === false}
-                    <p class="text-xs opacity-80">Decryption failed. Please check your journal passcodes.</p>
+
+                {#if $ae_loc.edit_mode && onForceReset}
+                    <div class="pt-4 border-t border-error-500/20">
+                        <p class="text-xs mb-2 opacity-70 italic">Passcode lost? You can force a reset to plain text, but all currently encrypted data will be permanently deleted.</p>
+                        <button 
+                            type="button"
+                            class="btn btn-sm variant-filled-error font-bold"
+                            onclick={onForceReset}
+                        >
+                            <RefreshCcw size="1.1em" class="mr-2" /> Force Reset to Plain Text
+                        </button>
+                    </div>
                 {/if}
             </div>
         {:else}
diff --git a/src/routes/journals/ae_comp__journal_entry_obj_id_view.svelte b/src/routes/journals/ae_comp__journal_entry_obj_id_view.svelte
index fbc01411..dbb1f5c1 100644
--- a/src/routes/journals/ae_comp__journal_entry_obj_id_view.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/journals/ae_comp__journal_entry_obj_id_view.svelte
@@ -324,6 +324,31 @@
         goto(`/journals/${tmp_entry_obj.journal_id}`);
     }
 
+    async function handle_force_reset() {
+        if (!confirm('WARNING: This will permanently DELETE the encrypted content and history for this entry and reset it to plain text. This cannot be undone. Proceed?')) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        is_processing = true;
+        tmp_entry_obj.private = false;
+        tmp_entry_obj.content = "";
+        tmp_entry_obj.content_encrypted = null;
+        tmp_entry_obj.history = "";
+        tmp_entry_obj.history_encrypted = null;
+        
+        // Sync orig to match the "cleared" state
+        if (orig_entry_obj) {
+            orig_entry_obj.private = false;
+            orig_entry_obj.content = "";
+            orig_entry_obj.content_encrypted = null;
+            orig_entry_obj.history = "";
+            orig_entry_obj.history_encrypted = null;
+        }
+
+        await update_journal_entry();
+        is_processing = false;
+    }
+
     let show_append_modal = $state(false);
     let modal_mode: 'append' | 'prepend' | 'auto' = $state('auto');
 </script>
@@ -379,6 +404,7 @@
                 has_changed={has_unsaved_changes}
                 updated_idb={false}
                 onSave={update_journal_entry}
+                onForceReset={handle_force_reset}
             />
         </section>