diff --git a/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/conditional-decision.test.tsx b/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/conditional-decision.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d063caee8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/conditional-decision.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import type { RunStreamItem } from "@qltysh/fabro-api-client";
+import TestRenderer, { act } from "react-test-renderer";
+import { MemoryRouter } from "react-router";
+
+import { findPetriEdgeForStage } from "../../lib/petri-stream";
+import { makeStage, setupReactTestEnv, textContent } from "../../lib/test-utils";
+import { ConditionalDecision } from "./conditional-decision";
+
+let teardown: () => void;
+let renderer: TestRenderer.ReactTestRenderer | undefined;
+beforeEach(() => { teardown = setupReactTestEnv(); });
+afterEach(() => {
+  if (renderer) act(() => renderer!.unmount());
+  renderer = undefined;
+  teardown();
+});
+
+// The reported decision: the false branch goes to a; the default goes to z.
+function route(edge = 2, visit = 1) {
+  return {
+    run_id: "run-1", stream_seq: visit, kind: "petri", id: String(visit), recorded_at: 1,
+    item: {
+      subject: {
+        node: {
+          name: "gate", kind: "noop",
+          meta: {
+            kind: "conditional",
+            edges: {
+              "1": { to: "a", label: "Special", condition: "never=true" },
+              "2": { to: "z", label: "Default" },
+            } as Record<string, unknown> | undefined,
+          },
+        },
+        visit,
+      },
+      record: { body: { event: "route.applied", kind: "edge", edge: edge as unknown } },
+      derived: { target: { name: edge === 1 ? "a" : "z" } },
+    },
+  } satisfies RunStreamItem;
+}
+
+function renderDecision(stream: RunStreamItem[], visit = 1) {
+  const stage = makeStage({ id: `gate@${visit}`, nodeId: "gate", handler: "conditional", visit });
+  const targets = ["a", "z"].map((nodeId) => makeStage({ id: `${nodeId}@1`, nodeId }));
+  act(() => {
+    renderer = TestRenderer.create(
+      <MemoryRouter>
+        <ConditionalDecision
+          stage={stage}
+          edge={findPetriEdgeForStage(stream, stage.id)}
+          allStages={targets}
+          runId="run-1"
+        />
+      </MemoryRouter>,
+    );
+  });
+  return {
+    details: renderer!.root.findAllByType("dd").map(textContent),
+    target: renderer!.root.findByType("a").props.href,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("Decision reason from the selected route", () => {
+  test.each([false, true])("an unconditional fallback is the default edge (replayed: %s)", (replay) => {
+    const stream = [route()];
+    expect(renderDecision(replay ? JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(stream)) : stream)).toEqual({
+      details: ["Default edge"], target: "/runs/run-1/stages/z%401",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("a matched condition keeps its expression and target", () => {
+    const item = route(1);
+    item.item.subject.node.meta.edges!["1"] = {
+      to: "a", label: "Special", condition: "outcome=succeeded",
+    };
+    expect(renderDecision([item])).toEqual({
+      details: ["Matched condition", "outcome=succeeded"], target: "/runs/run-1/stages/a%401",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test.each([
+    ["missing table", undefined],
+    ["missing selected edge", { "1": { to: "a", condition: "never=true" } }],
+    ["malformed selected edge", { "2": [] }],
+    ["missing target metadata", { "2": {} }],
+    ["mismatched target metadata", { "2": { to: "a" } }],
+    ["malformed condition", { "2": { to: "z", condition: false } }],
+  ])("%s keeps the target without inventing a reason", (_name, edges) => {
+    const item = route();
+    item.item.subject.node.meta.edges = edges;
+    expect(renderDecision([item])).toEqual({
+      details: ["Reason unavailable"], target: "/runs/run-1/stages/z%401",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("a missing edge id cannot identify the fallback", () => {
+    const item = route();
+    item.item.record.body.edge = undefined;
+    expect(renderDecision([item]).details).toEqual(["Reason unavailable"]);
+  });
+
+  test("a human choice without a condition is not called a default", () => {
+    const item = route();
+    item.item.subject.node.meta.kind = "human";
+    expect(renderDecision([item]).details).toEqual(["Reason unavailable"]);
+  });
+
+  test("the edge id distinguishes routes sharing a destination", () => {
+    const item = route();
+    item.item.subject.node.meta.edges!["1"] = { to: "z", condition: "never=true" };
+    expect(renderDecision([item]).details).toEqual(["Default edge"]);
+  });
+
+  test("a later visit does not replace the selected visit's reason", () => {
+    const first = route(2, 1);
+    const second = route(1, 2);
+    expect(renderDecision([first, second], 1).details).toEqual(["Default edge"]);
+    expect(findPetriEdgeForStage([first, second], "gate@2")).toMatchObject({
+      toNode: "a", reason: "condition", condition: "never=true",
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/conditional-decision.tsx b/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/conditional-decision.tsx
index 18a859b04..c2969a31d 100644
--- a/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/conditional-decision.tsx
+++ b/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/conditional-decision.tsx
@@ -10,13 +10,14 @@ import type { Stage } from "../stage-sidebar";
 import { StageMetaBar } from "./meta-bar";
 import type { EdgeSelection } from "./helpers";
 
-const REASON_LABEL: Record<string, string> = {
+const REASON_LABEL: Record<EdgeSelection["reason"], string> = {
   condition: "Matched condition",
   unconditional: "Default edge",
   preferred_label: "Preferred label",
+  unknown: "Reason unavailable",
 };
 
-function reasonLabel(reason: string): string {
+function reasonLabel(reason: EdgeSelection["reason"]): string {
   return REASON_LABEL[reason] ?? reason;
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/helpers.ts b/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/helpers.ts
index 3aa0d557e..bf9c02baa 100644
--- a/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/helpers.ts
+++ b/apps/fabro-web/app/components/stage-renderers/helpers.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export interface StageContextData {
 export interface EdgeSelection {
   fromNode: string;
   toNode: string;
-  reason: string;
+  reason: "condition" | "unconditional" | "preferred_label" | "unknown";
   condition: string | null;
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/fabro-web/app/lib/petri-stream.test.ts b/apps/fabro-web/app/lib/petri-stream.test.ts
index ea6d8b4ce..b5971a2ab 100644
--- a/apps/fabro-web/app/lib/petri-stream.test.ts
+++ b/apps/fabro-web/app/lib/petri-stream.test.ts
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ describe("stage renderers", () => {
     expect(findPetriEdgeForStage(gate.stream, "gate@1")).toEqual({
       fromNode: "gate",
       toNode: "no",
-      reason: "condition",
+      reason: "unknown",
       condition: null,
     });
     expect(findPetriEdgeForStage(gate.stream, "exit@1")).toBeNull();
diff --git a/apps/fabro-web/app/lib/petri-stream.ts b/apps/fabro-web/app/lib/petri-stream.ts
index 76e878ae8..526c91de1 100644
--- a/apps/fabro-web/app/lib/petri-stream.ts
+++ b/apps/fabro-web/app/lib/petri-stream.ts
@@ -462,11 +462,25 @@ export function findPetriEdgeForStage(
     if (petriStageLabel(item) !== stageLabel) continue;
     const target = getString(getObject(derived(item), "target"), "name");
     if (!target) continue;
+    const edge = selectedEdgeMetadata(item);
+    const condition = matchedCondition(item) ?? null;
+    let reason: EdgeSelection["reason"] = "unknown";
+    if (condition) {
+      reason = "condition";
+    } else if (
+      edge &&
+      getString(getObject(subjectNode(item), "meta"), "kind") === "conditional" &&
+      (edge.condition === undefined || edge.condition === "")
+    ) {
+      // Other handlers can select a conditionless edge by preferred label or
+      // suggested target. Only a conditional stage establishes this fallback.
+      reason = "unconditional";
+    }
     latest = {
       fromNode: getString(subjectNode(item), "name") ?? stageLabel,
       toNode: target,
-      reason: "condition",
-      condition: matchedCondition(item) ?? null,
+      reason,
+      condition,
     };
   }
   return latest;
@@ -600,10 +614,20 @@ export function agentEnvelopesOf(items: PetriStream): PetriAgentEnvelope[] {
  * the edge's `condition` when it has one (EVENTS.md "Source metadata").
  */
 export function matchedCondition(item: RunStreamItem): string | undefined {
-  const edge = getNumber(petriBody(item), "edge");
-  if (edge === undefined) return undefined;
+  const condition = getString(selectedEdgeMetadata(item), "condition");
+  return condition?.trim() ? condition : undefined;
+}
+
+/** Missing or inconsistent metadata does not establish an unconditional edge. */
+function selectedEdgeMetadata(item: RunStreamItem): UnknownRecord | undefined {
+  const body = petriBody(item);
+  if (getString(body, "kind") !== "edge") return undefined;
+  const edge = getNumber(body, "edge");
+  if (edge === undefined || !Number.isSafeInteger(edge) || edge < 0) return undefined;
   const edges = getObject(getObject(subjectNode(item), "meta"), "edges");
-  return getString(getObject(edges, String(edge)), "condition");
+  const selected = getObject(edges, String(edge));
+  const target = getString(getObject(derived(item), "target"), "name");
+  return target && getString(selected, "to") === target ? selected : undefined;
 }
 
 /**