diff --git a/pttodo/todo.go b/pttodo/todo.go
index 6144c09..fdc14b2 100644
--- a/pttodo/todo.go
+++ b/pttodo/todo.go
@@ -15,3 +15,13 @@ func (todo Todo) Triggered() bool {
 	next, err := todo.Schedule.Next(last.time())
 	return err == nil && time.Now().After(next)
 }
+
+func (todo *Todo) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
+	*todo = Todo{}
+	if err := unmarshal(&todo.Todo); err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	type Alt Todo
+	alt := (*Alt)(todo)
+	return unmarshal(alt)
+}
diff --git a/pttodo/todo_test.go b/pttodo/todo_test.go
index 6f579ba..e1631a5 100644
--- a/pttodo/todo_test.go
+++ b/pttodo/todo_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package pttodo
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"testing"
+
+	yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
 
 func TestJSONTodo(t *testing.T) {
@@ -41,3 +43,42 @@ func TestJSONTodo(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+func TestTodoUnmarshalYAML(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("just a string", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var littleRoot struct {
+			Todo Todo
+		}
+		if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(`
+todo: my full task here
+   `), &littleRoot); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if littleRoot.Todo.Todo != "my full task here" {
+			t.Fatal(littleRoot)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("full struct", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var littleRoot struct {
+			Todo Todo
+		}
+		if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(`
+todo:
+   todo: the todo part of my task
+   detail: whatever
+   schedule: "* * * * *"
+   `), &littleRoot); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if littleRoot.Todo.Todo != "the todo part of my task" {
+			t.Fatal(littleRoot)
+		}
+		if littleRoot.Todo.Detail != "whatever" {
+			t.Fatal(littleRoot)
+		}
+		if littleRoot.Todo.Schedule != "* * * * *" {
+			t.Fatal(littleRoot)
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/sample.yaml b/sample.yaml
index c4950a5..06fc26b 100644
--- a/sample.yaml
+++ b/sample.yaml
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ todo:
     todo: task that appeared when 'when'
     schedule: "* * * * *" # or ([0-9]*[a-z])+ for durations, or int for scheduled/deferred
     ts: 222
+  - todo: short 1
+  - todo: short 2
+  - todo: short 3
+  - todo: short 4
+  - todo: short 5
+  - and this teeny line which is just the line
 scheduled:
   -
     todo: task that will appear when 'when'