diff --git a/backend/src/lib/booking-flow.js b/backend/src/lib/booking-flow.js
index f0618b1..e02dd97 100644
--- a/backend/src/lib/booking-flow.js
+++ b/backend/src/lib/booking-flow.js
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ export function departingBookingForSite(bookings, siteId, viewDate) {
 
 // Classify a site's booking state for a given view date.
 // Returns a rich descriptor used to build the room card.
-// opts.future: viewDate is after the real today. A day-card represents that
-// night, so a morning-only departure doesn't occupy it — 'depart' is a live
-// operational state (checkout tracking) that only applies to today/past.
+// opts.past: viewDate is strictly before the real today. A day-card represents that
+// night, so a morning-only departure doesn't occupy it — 'depart' is a historical
+// record that only applies when reviewing past dates.
 export function classifyRoom(site, allBookings, viewDate, yesterday, tomorrow, opts = {}) {
   const siteId = String(site.site_id)
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ export function classifyRoom(site, allBookings, viewDate, yesterday, tomorrow, o
         flowType = 'stopover'
       }
     }
-  } else if (effectiveDeparting && !opts.future) {
+  } else if (effectiveDeparting && opts.past) {
     primaryBooking = effectiveDeparting
     flowType = 'depart'
   }
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/rooms.js b/backend/src/routes/rooms.js
index 3b5f79d..ad999ff 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/rooms.js
+++ b/backend/src/routes/rooms.js
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ export async function roomRoutes(app) {
 
     const siteBookings = bookings.filter(matchFn)
 
-    const future = viewDate > new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)
-    const classified = classifyRoom(site, bookings, viewDate, yesterday, tomorrow, { future })
+    const past = viewDate < new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)
+    const classified = classifyRoom(site, bookings, viewDate, yesterday, tomorrow, { past })
 
     return {
       view_date: viewDate, yesterday, tomorrow,
@@ -199,14 +199,15 @@ export async function roomRoutes(app) {
     }
 
     // Classify each site
-    const future = viewDate > new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)
+    const serverToday = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)
+    const past = viewDate < serverToday
     const rooms = []
     for (const site of sites) {
       const catId = String(site.site_category_id ?? site.category_id ?? site.category?.id ?? '')
       const isExcluded = excludedCategories.includes(catId)
       if (isExcluded && hideExcluded) continue
 
-      const classified = classifyRoom(site, bookings, viewDate, yesterday, tomorrow, { future })
+      const classified = classifyRoom(site, bookings, viewDate, yesterday, tomorrow, { past })
 
       // Override category_order with settings value if available
       const catOrderOverride = settingsCatOrder[catId]