diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/com/recipeapp/planning/PlanningService.java b/backend/src/main/java/com/recipeapp/planning/PlanningService.java
index ab13e33..aeff635 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/com/recipeapp/planning/PlanningService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/com/recipeapp/planning/PlanningService.java
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class PlanningService {
                     double simulatedScore = simulateVarietyScore(
                             plan, candidate, slotDate, config, recentlyCookedIds);
                     double scoreDelta = simulatedScore - currentScore;
-                    boolean hasConflict = scoreDelta <= 0;
+                    boolean hasConflict = scoreDelta < 0;
                     return new SuggestionResponse.SuggestionItem(toSlotRecipe(candidate), scoreDelta, hasConflict);
                 })
                 .sorted((a, b) -> Double.compare(b.scoreDelta(), a.scoreDelta()))
diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/com/recipeapp/planning/SuggestionsTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/com/recipeapp/planning/SuggestionsTest.java
index da4c673..e86ff86 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/java/com/recipeapp/planning/SuggestionsTest.java
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/com/recipeapp/planning/SuggestionsTest.java
@@ -180,10 +180,10 @@ class SuggestionsTest {
 
             assertThat(result.suggestions()).hasSize(3);
             // Empty plan → currentScore = 10.0; no penalties → scoreDelta = 0.0 for all
-            // hasConflict = (scoreDelta <= 0) = true even for neutral recipes
+            // hasConflict = (scoreDelta < 0) = false for neutral recipes
             assertThat(result.suggestions()).allSatisfy(s -> {
                 assertThat(s.scoreDelta()).isEqualTo(0.0);
-                assertThat(s.hasConflict()).isTrue();
+                assertThat(s.hasConflict()).isFalse();
             });
         }
 
@@ -255,9 +255,9 @@ class SuggestionsTest {
     class ScoreDeltaAndHasConflict {
 
         @Test
-        void recipeWithNoConflictsOnEmptyPlanShouldHaveZeroDeltaAndHasConflict() {
+        void recipeWithZeroDeltaOnEmptyPlanShouldNotHaveConflict() {
             // Empty plan → currentScore = 10.0. Clean recipe → simulatedScore = 10.0.
-            // scoreDelta = 0.0, hasConflict = (0.0 <= 0) = true
+            // scoreDelta = 0.0. No worsening → hasConflict = false.
             var plan = createPlan();
             var recipe = createRecipe("Clean Recipe");
             stubPlan(plan);
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ class SuggestionsTest {
             assertThat(result.suggestions()).hasSize(1);
             var item = result.suggestions().getFirst();
             assertThat(item.scoreDelta()).isEqualTo(0.0);
-            assertThat(item.hasConflict()).isTrue();
+            assertThat(item.hasConflict()).isFalse();
         }
 
         @Test