diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/BehaviorJourney.test.tsx b/graph-ui/src/architecture/BehaviorJourney.test.tsx
index 4c36d762e..04d7c6740 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/BehaviorJourney.test.tsx
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/BehaviorJourney.test.tsx
@@ -122,6 +122,17 @@ describe('behavior journeys', () => {
         // Every page draws its calls and the start beside them.
         expect(container.querySelectorAll('[data-node]')).toHaveLength(3);
     });
+    it('names a start operation that calls itself instead of counting it as a callee or claiming a filter', async () => {
+        const data = fixture();
+        const callees = Array.from({ length: 6 }, (_, index) => symbol(index + 20));
+        data.paths = [...callees.map((target, index) => ({ entrypoint_id: 1, nodes: [data.entrypoints[0], target], edges: [{ id: 500 + index, source_id: 1, target_id: target.id, type: 'CALLS' }] })),
+            { entrypoint_id: 1, nodes: [data.entrypoints[0], data.entrypoints[0]], edges: [{ id: 599, source_id: 1, target_id: 1, type: 'CALLS' }] }];
+        await render(data);
+        expect(container.querySelector('.behavior-navigation span')?.textContent).toBe('6 direct callees with returned evidence · also calls itself');
+        const pages = container.querySelector('[aria-label="Direct call pages"]')?.textContent ?? '';
+        expect(pages).toContain('Calls 1 to 4 of 6');
+        expect(pages).not.toContain('matching the filter');
+    });
     it('shows the operation the journey opened with in the Start field, not "Choose an operation"', async () => {
         // Without a requested entry the journey falls back to the first entry point (Django: main in manage.py-tpl).
         await render(fixture(), { entryId: undefined });
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/BehaviorJourney.tsx b/graph-ui/src/architecture/BehaviorJourney.tsx
index 4b2f048df..8c88f72f6 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/BehaviorJourney.tsx
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/BehaviorJourney.tsx
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ export default function BehaviorJourney({ project, generation, data, entries, ta
         <div className="behavior-navigation"><button disabled={!history.length} onClick={() => { const previous = history.at(-1)!; setHistory(items => items.slice(0, -1)); request(previous.entry, previous.targetId, false); }}>← Back</button>
             {targetId !== undefined && <button onClick={() => request(entry)}>Immediate calls</button>}
             <span>{pending ? 'Updating this journey…' : path ? `${path.edges.length} call-chain hops · ${new Set(path.nodes.map(item => item.component_id)).size} components`
-                : `${journey?.counts.directChoices ?? 0} direct callees with returned evidence`}</span>
+                : text.directCallees(journey?.counts.directChoices ?? 0, journey?.counts.selfCalls ?? false)}</span>
             <span className="behavior-static-badge" title="Graph relationships describe possible calls. They do not prove execution order, path feasibility or actual runtime values.">Static evidence</span>
         </div>
         {error && <p role="alert">{error} <button onClick={onRefresh}>Try again</button></p>}
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ export default function BehaviorJourney({ project, generation, data, entries, ta
                     <span>{activeStep + 1} / {path.nodes.length}</span><button disabled={activeStep >= path.nodes.length - 1} onClick={() => selectStep(activeStep + 1)}>Next →</button></nav>}
                 {!path && journey.scene.nodes.length > 5 && <nav className="behavior-walk" aria-label="Direct call pages"><button disabled={branchPage === 0} onClick={() => { setBranchPage(page => page - 1); setSelection(undefined); }}>← Earlier calls</button>
                     <span>{text.callPage(branchPage * 4 + 1, Math.min(branchPage * 4 + 4, journey.scene.nodes.length - 1), journey.scene.nodes.length - 1,
-                        journey.counts.omittedNodes, journey.scene.nodes.length - 1 + journey.counts.omittedNodes < journey.counts.directChoices)}</span>
+                        journey.counts.omittedNodes, Boolean(filter.trim()) && journey.scene.nodes.length - 1 + journey.counts.omittedNodes < journey.counts.directChoices)}</span>
                     <button disabled={(branchPage + 1) * 4 >= journey.scene.nodes.length - 1} onClick={() => { setBranchPage(page => page + 1); setSelection(undefined); }}>More calls →</button></nav>}
             </div><aside className="behavior-inspector" aria-label="Behavior evidence inspector">
                 {caller ? <><span className="system-eyebrow">{call ? call.type.replaceAll('_', ' ') : path ? `Operation ${activeStep + 1}` : 'Starting operation'}</span>
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/behavior-journey-model.test.ts b/graph-ui/src/architecture/behavior-journey-model.test.ts
index 1e6fe3be1..90576cabd 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/behavior-journey-model.test.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/behavior-journey-model.test.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,18 @@ describe('focused Behavior journeys', () => {
         expect(result.choices.filter(choice => choice.direct)).toHaveLength(14);
     });
 
+    it('counts a start operation that calls itself apart from its callees, so the heading and the pages agree', () => {
+        const callees = Array.from({ length: 6 }, (_, index) => symbol(index + 2));
+        const data = projection({ behavior: behavior([symbol(1), ...callees], [...callees.map((target, index) => edge(300 + index, 1, target.id)), edge(399, 1, 1)]) });
+        const result = behaviorJourney(data);
+        // Six callees drawn beside the start, which is drawn once; the recursion is named, not counted as a seventh callee.
+        expect(result.counts.directChoices).toBe(6);
+        expect(result.counts.selfCalls).toBe(true);
+        expect(result.scene.nodes).toHaveLength(7);
+        expect(result.counts.omittedNodes).toBe(0);
+        expect(behaviorJourney(projection({ behavior: behavior([symbol(1), ...callees], callees.map((target, index) => edge(300 + index, 1, target.id))) })).counts.selfCalls).toBe(false);
+    });
+
     it('bounds a direct fan while reserving a real edge for every displayed callee', () => {
         const targets = Array.from({ length: 60 }, (_, index) => ({ ...symbol(index + 2), name: `target${String(index).padStart(2, '0')}` }));
         const edges = [...Array.from({ length: 130 }, (_, index) => edge(index, 1, 2)),
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/behavior-journey-model.ts b/graph-ui/src/architecture/behavior-journey-model.ts
index b0987c445..b469f67a9 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/behavior-journey-model.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/behavior-journey-model.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ export interface BehaviorJourney {
     counts: {
         directChoices: number; reachableTargets: number; validPaths: number; invalidPaths: number;
         filteredPaths: number; omittedChoices: number; omittedNodes: number; omittedEdges: number;
+        /** The start operation calls itself: named beside the callees, never counted as one of them. */
+        selfCalls: boolean;
     };
     limits: { maxChoices: number; maxNodes: number; maxEdges: number; hit: string[]; sampled: boolean };
 }
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ export function behaviorJourney(data: SystemProjection, options: BehaviorJourney
         paths: [], entry, mode: 'empty', choices: [],
         counts: { directChoices: 0, reachableTargets: scopedBehavior?.reachable_targets.length ?? 0,
             validPaths: 0, invalidPaths: scopedPaths.length - valid.length, filteredPaths: 0,
-            omittedChoices: 0, omittedNodes: 0, omittedEdges: 0 },
+            omittedChoices: 0, omittedNodes: 0, omittedEdges: 0, selfCalls: false },
         limits: { maxChoices: MAX_CHOICES, maxNodes: MAX_NODES, maxEdges: MAX_EDGES,
             hit: [], sampled: !data.complete || data.status === 'limited' || scopedBehavior?.complete === false
                 || scopedBehavior?.corridor_complete === false || (options.targetId === undefined && (sampledWitnesses || data.overview?.complete === false)) },
@@ -184,16 +186,18 @@ export function behaviorJourney(data: SystemProjection, options: BehaviorJourney
             callsite: witness.callsite, resolution: witness.resolution,
         });
     }
-    const callees = [...new Set([...direct.values()].map(edge => edge.target_id))].map(id => symbols.get(id)!)
+    // The start is drawn once; calling itself is not one more callee.
+    const callees = [...new Set([...direct.values()].map(edge => edge.target_id))].filter(id => id !== entry.id).map(id => symbols.get(id)!)
         .sort((a, b) => compareText(a.file_path ?? '', b.file_path ?? '') || compareText(a.name, b.name) || a.id - b.id);
     result.counts.directChoices = callees.length;
+    result.counts.selfCalls = [...direct.values()].some(edge => edge.target_id === entry.id);
     const candidates = callees.filter(symbol => matches(entry) || matches(symbol));
     const shown = candidates.slice(0, MAX_CHOICES), shownIds = new Set(shown.map(symbol => symbol.id));
     if (candidates.length > shown.length) hit.add('direct-choices');
     result.choices = shown.map(symbol => ({ ...symbol, distance: 1, direct: true }));
     const calleeIds = new Set(callees.map(symbol => symbol.id));
     const catalog = new Map<number, BehaviorJourneyChoice>();
-    for (const target of scopedBehavior?.reachable_targets ?? []) if (matches(target) && !calleeIds.has(target.id)) {
+    for (const target of scopedBehavior?.reachable_targets ?? []) if (matches(target) && target.id !== entry.id && !calleeIds.has(target.id)) {
         catalog.set(target.id, { ...target, direct: false });
     }
     // Older projections expose sampled paths without a separate destination catalog.
@@ -205,7 +209,7 @@ export function behaviorJourney(data: SystemProjection, options: BehaviorJourney
     result.choices.push(...[...catalog.values()].slice(0, MAX_NODES - result.choices.length));
     result.counts.omittedChoices = new Set([...candidates.map(symbol => symbol.id), ...catalog.keys()]).size - result.choices.length;
     if (result.counts.omittedChoices > 0) hit.add('target-choices');
-    const visible = [entry, ...shown.filter(symbol => symbol.id !== entry.id)];
+    const visible = [entry, ...shown];
     const nodes: SystemSceneNode[] = visible.map((symbol, index) => ({ id: `journey-choice:${symbol.id}`, label: symbol.name,
         symbol, detail: symbol.file_path ?? symbol.qualified_name, depth: index === 0 ? 0 : 1,
         size: [48, 18, 3], position: index === 0 ? [0, 0, 0] : [88, (index - 1 - (visible.length - 2) / 2) * 28, 0] }));
@@ -218,7 +222,7 @@ export function behaviorJourney(data: SystemProjection, options: BehaviorJourney
     const edges = eligibleEdges.filter(edge => admitted.has(edgeKey(edge))).map(edge => ({ id: `journey-choice-edge:${edgeKey(edge)}`,
         source: `journey-choice:${entry.id}`, target: `journey-choice:${edge.target_id}`, type: edge.type, count: 1,
         pathEdge: edge, depth: 1, handoff: symbols.get(edge.target_id)!.component_id !== entry.component_id }));
-    result.counts.omittedNodes = candidates.filter(symbol => symbol.id !== entry.id && !shownIds.has(symbol.id)).length;
+    result.counts.omittedNodes = candidates.filter(symbol => !shownIds.has(symbol.id)).length;
     result.counts.omittedEdges = [...direct.values()].filter(edge => matches(entry) || matches(symbols.get(edge.target_id)!)).length - edges.length;
     if (eligibleEdges.length > edges.length) hit.add('direct-edges');
     result.mode = 'choices';
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/strings.ts b/graph-ui/src/architecture/strings.ts
index f5c71ee37..c3c9e09b9 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/strings.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/strings.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ export const architectureText = {
         compareFailed: 'Could not read that project. Its index may be unavailable.',
     },
     showEndpoints: 'Show endpoints →',
+    /** Behavior: the callees of the start operation; a call to itself is named, not counted. */
+    directCallees: (count: number, selfCalls: boolean) => `${count.toLocaleString()} direct callees with returned evidence${selfCalls ? ' · also calls itself' : ''}`,
     /** Behavior: the page of direct calls, the same calls the "direct callees" count names. */
     callPage: (from: number, to: number, drawn: number, beyond: number, filtered: boolean) => `Calls ${from} to ${to} of ${drawn.toLocaleString()}${filtered ? ' matching the filter' : ''}${beyond ? ` · ${beyond.toLocaleString()} more beyond the display limit` : ''}`,
     openedArea: 'Opened area',