diff --git a/src/lib/ai/coach/__tests__/clarify-tool.test.ts b/src/lib/ai/coach/__tests__/clarify-tool.test.ts
index af7c6f27e..136350387 100644
--- a/src/lib/ai/coach/__tests__/clarify-tool.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ai/coach/__tests__/clarify-tool.test.ts
@@ -229,6 +229,32 @@ describe("clarificationAllowed", () => {
     ).resolves.toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("counts the day in the person's zone, not from UTC midnight", async () => {
+    // 23:30 UTC on 1 March is already 2 March in Auckland and still 1 March
+    // in Los Angeles; each day starts at its own local midnight.
+    const now = new Date("2026-03-01T23:30:00.000Z");
+    await clarificationAllowed({
+      userId: "u1",
+      conversationId: "c1",
+      now,
+      tz: "Pacific/Auckland",
+    });
+    await clarificationAllowed({
+      userId: "u1",
+      conversationId: "c1",
+      now,
+      tz: "America/Los_Angeles",
+    });
+    const since = db.messageCount.mock.calls.map(
+      ([q]) =>
+        (q as { where: { createdAt: { gte: Date } } }).where.createdAt.gte,
+    );
+    expect(since).toEqual([
+      new Date("2026-03-01T11:00:00.000Z"),
+      new Date("2026-03-01T08:00:00.000Z"),
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("refuses when the count cannot be read", async () => {
     db.messageFindMany.mockRejectedValue(new Error("down"));
     await expect(
diff --git a/src/lib/ai/coach/clarify.ts b/src/lib/ai/coach/clarify.ts
index 3b12191c9..25ea236f0 100644
--- a/src/lib/ai/coach/clarify.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ai/coach/clarify.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ import {
   type LatestMessagesLoader,
 } from "@/lib/ai/coach/latest-messages";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
+import { startOfLocalDayKey } from "@/lib/tz/local-day";
+import { userDayKey } from "@/lib/tz/format";
+import { resolveUserTimezone } from "@/lib/tz/resolver";
 import { annotate } from "@/lib/logging/context";
 import type { Locale } from "@/lib/i18n/config";
 import { resolveIntlLocale } from "@/lib/format-locale";
@@ -704,6 +707,8 @@ export async function clarificationAllowed(args: {
   userId: string;
   conversationId: string;
   now?: Date;
+  /** The person's zone; resolved from the account when absent. */
+  tz?: string;
 }): Promise<boolean> {
   const now = args.now ?? new Date();
   try {
@@ -726,9 +731,11 @@ export async function clarificationAllowed(args: {
     ) {
       return false;
     }
-    const dayStart = new Date(
-      Date.UTC(now.getUTCFullYear(), now.getUTCMonth(), now.getUTCDate()),
-    );
+    // The person's day, not the server's: a limit that reset at UTC
+    // midnight reset at one or two in the morning in Berlin and in the
+    // afternoon in the Pacific.
+    const tz = args.tz ?? (await resolveUserTimezone(args.userId));
+    const dayStart = startOfLocalDayKey(userDayKey(now, tz), tz);
     const today = await prisma.coachMessage.count({
       where: {
         conversation: { userId: args.userId },