diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 6f81cbe..2f955e2 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -530,9 +530,20 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
                     Some('!') =>
                         match tasks.get_position() {
-                            None => warn!("First select a task to set its state!"),
+                            None => {
+                                warn!("First select a task to set its state!");
+                                info!("Usage: ![(Open|Procedure|Pending|Done|Closed): ][Statename]");
+                            }
                             Some(id) => {
-                                tasks.set_state_for_with(id, arg_default);
+                                'block: {
+                                    if let Some((left, right)) = arg_default.split_once(": ") {
+                                        if let Ok(state) = left.try_into() {
+                                            tasks.set_state_for(id, right, state);
+                                            break 'block;
+                                        }
+                                    }
+                                    tasks.set_state_for_with(id, arg_default);
+                                }
                                 tasks.move_up();
                             }
                         }
diff --git a/src/task.rs b/src/task.rs
index 25f4b61..0e264ea 100644
--- a/src/task.rs
+++ b/src/task.rs
@@ -233,14 +233,17 @@ pub(crate) enum State {
     /// Actionable ordered task list
     Procedure = PROCEDURE_KIND as isize,
 }
-impl From<&str> for State {
-    fn from(value: &str) -> Self {
-        match value {
-            "Closed" => State::Closed,
-            "Done" => State::Done,
-            "Pending" => State::Pending,
-            "Proc" | "Procedure" | "List" => State::Procedure,
-            _ => State::Open,
+impl TryFrom<&str> for State {
+    type Error = ();
+
+    fn try_from(value: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        match value.to_ascii_lowercase().as_str() {
+            "closed" => Ok(State::Closed),
+            "done" => Ok(State::Done),
+            "pending" => Ok(State::Pending),
+            "proc" | "procedure" | "list" => Ok(State::Procedure),
+            "open" => Ok(State::Open),
+            _ => Err(()),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/tasks.rs b/src/tasks.rs
index 4ae1a1d..044ce74 100644
--- a/src/tasks.rs
+++ b/src/tasks.rs
@@ -856,7 +856,7 @@ impl Tasks {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn set_state_for_with(&mut self, id: EventId, comment: &str) {
-        self.set_state_for(id, comment, comment.into());
+        self.set_state_for(id, comment, comment.try_into().unwrap_or(State::Open));
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn set_state_for(&mut self, id: EventId, comment: &str, state: State) -> EventId {