diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/person/relationship/RelationshipServiceIntegrationTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/person/relationship/RelationshipServiceIntegrationTest.java
index a2d4a5f2..acbb3825 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/person/relationship/RelationshipServiceIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/person/relationship/RelationshipServiceIntegrationTest.java
@@ -144,10 +144,12 @@ class RelationshipServiceIntegrationTest {
 
     @Test
     void setFamilyMember_true_makes_person_appear_in_network() {
-        // charlie starts with familyMember = false. Add a PARENT_OF edge alice→charlie
-        // so the edge exists, then flip charlie's flag and verify he appears in nodes.
+        // addRelationship side-effects family_member=true on both endpoints for family-graph
+        // edges (PARENT_OF/SPOUSE_OF/SIBLING_OF). Reset charlie so the explicit
+        // setFamilyMember(true) call below is the thing under test, not the auto-flip.
         relationshipService.addRelationship(alice.getId(),
                 new CreateRelationshipRequest(charlie.getId(), RelationType.PARENT_OF, null, null, null));
+        relationshipService.setFamilyMember(charlie.getId(), false);
 
         NetworkDTO before = relationshipService.getFamilyNetwork();
         assertThat(before.nodes()).extracting("id").doesNotContain(charlie.getId());