diff --git a/appleApp/FTWKit/Sources/FTWKit/Format/Flow.swift b/appleApp/FTWKit/Sources/FTWKit/Format/Flow.swift
index f0f9ed53..87c45a9a 100644
--- a/appleApp/FTWKit/Sources/FTWKit/Format/Flow.swift
+++ b/appleApp/FTWKit/Sources/FTWKit/Format/Flow.swift
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ public enum Flow {
     }
 
     public struct Readings: Equatable, Sendable {
-        public var loadKw: Double
+        /// Core's qualified load, or nil when no load was sent.
+        public var loadKw: Double?
         public var nodes: [Node]
         public var selfPoweredPctToday: Double?
     }
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ public enum Flow {
         if let e = fields[Contract.FID.evW] {
             nodes.append(Node(id: "ev", role: .ev, corner: .bottomRight, title: "EV CHARGER", kw: e / 1000, toHub: false, tone: tone(.ev, e), sub: idle(e) ? "idle" : "charging", dailyParts: [], tappable: true))
         }
-        return Readings(loadKw: (fields[Contract.FID.loadW] ?? 0) / 1000, nodes: nodes, selfPoweredPctToday: nil)
+        return Readings(loadKw: fields[Contract.FID.loadW].map { $0 / 1000 }, nodes: nodes, selfPoweredPctToday: nil)
     }
 
     /// Nodes from GET /api/status: per-driver bubbles and energy today, the
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ public enum Flow {
             }
         }
         let selfPowered: Double? = loadTotal > 0.001 ? max(0, min(100, (1 - imp / loadTotal) * 100)) : nil
-        return Readings(loadKw: (status["load_w"]?.number ?? 0) / 1000, nodes: nodes, selfPoweredPctToday: selfPowered)
+        return Readings(loadKw: status["load_w"]?.number.map { $0 / 1000 }, nodes: nodes, selfPoweredPctToday: selfPowered)
     }
 
     /// Charger watts the box's HTTP API knows, summed.
@@ -125,14 +126,13 @@ public enum Flow {
         points.reduce(0) { $0 + ($1.powerW > idleW ? $1.powerW : 0) }
     }
 
-    /// Put the car on its own node when the 1 Hz stream folded it into the
-    /// house. A box that already sends field 10 is left alone.
+    /// Add the charger's reading when the stream has no active EV field.
+    /// Core owns the house load: keep it unchanged, including nil and zero.
     public static func withLoadpointEV(_ fields: [Int: Double], evW: Double) -> [Int: Double] {
         guard evW > idleW else { return fields }
         if let wire = fields[Contract.FID.evW], abs(wire) > idleW { return fields }
         var out = fields
         out[Contract.FID.evW] = evW.rounded()
-        out[Contract.FID.loadW] = max(0, (fields[Contract.FID.loadW] ?? 0) - evW)
         return out
     }
 
diff --git a/appleApp/FTWKit/Sources/FTWKit/State/NowFlow.swift b/appleApp/FTWKit/Sources/FTWKit/State/NowFlow.swift
index b54570a8..2685bbcd 100644
--- a/appleApp/FTWKit/Sources/FTWKit/State/NowFlow.swift
+++ b/appleApp/FTWKit/Sources/FTWKit/State/NowFlow.swift
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@ public struct NodeReading: Equatable, Sendable, Identifiable {
 }
 
 public enum NowFlow {
-    /// The nodes Now draws, in its order. The grid is always there, because
-    /// a home that cannot see its own meter should see that gap; any other
-    /// node the box sends no field for is left out rather than drawn at zero,
+    /// The nodes Now draws, in its order. Grid and home stay visible so
+    /// a missing meter or qualified load reads as unknown. Any other node
+    /// the box sends no field for is left out rather than drawn at zero,
     /// unless the home is `known` to have it.
     public static func nodes(fields: [Int: Double], hasCar: Bool, known: [EnergyNode] = []) -> [EnergyNode] {
         EnergyNode.allCases.filter { node in
-            node == .grid || fields[node.fid] != nil || (node == .car && hasCar) || known.contains(node)
+            node == .grid || node == .home || fields[node.fid] != nil || (node == .car && hasCar) || known.contains(node)
         }
     }
 
@@ -115,9 +115,8 @@ extension NowFlow {
         let chargeW = Flow.loadpointChargeW(points)
         var fields = site.session.fields
         let wire = fields[Contract.FID.evW]
-        // The car comes off the house only when both are as old: a fresh
-        // read beside the stream, or both from the cache. An old read never
-        // changes a live figure.
+        // The charger can supply its own display reading when fresh, or
+        // alongside a cached stream. It never changes Core's house load.
         if !loadpoints.stale || site.lastFrameAtMs == nil {
             fields = Flow.withLoadpointEV(fields, evW: chargeW)
         }
diff --git a/appleApp/FTWKit/Tests/FTWKitTests/CoreLoadPreservationTests.swift b/appleApp/FTWKit/Tests/FTWKitTests/CoreLoadPreservationTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a3041c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appleApp/FTWKit/Tests/FTWKitTests/CoreLoadPreservationTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import Foundation
+import Testing
+@testable import FTWKit
+
+@MainActor
+@Suite struct CoreLoadPreservationTests {
+    typealias F = Contract.FID
+
+    @Test func chargerDisplayKeepsTheCoreLoadUnchangedOrAbsent() {
+        for load: Double? in [nil, 0, 25.75, 9_000, -20] {
+            for wireEV: Double? in [nil, 0, 7_400] {
+                var original = [F.gridW: 3_700.0, F.pvW: -1_200]
+                original[F.loadW] = load
+                original[F.evW] = wireEV
+                let shown = Flow.withLoadpointEV(original, evW: 7_400)
+                #expect(shown[F.loadW] == load)
+                #expect(shown[F.evW] == 7_400)
+                #expect(shown[F.gridW] == original[F.gridW])
+                #expect(shown[F.pvW] == original[F.pvW])
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test func bothInputFormatsKeepUnknownDistinctFromARecordedZero() throws {
+        let missingStream: Double? = Flow.readings(fields: [:]).loadKw
+        let missingStatus: Double? = Flow.readings(status: try JSON(parsing: Array("{}".utf8))).loadKw
+        #expect(missingStream == nil)
+        #expect(missingStatus == nil)
+        let nullStatus: Double? = Flow.readings(status: try JSON(parsing: Array("{\"load_w\":null}".utf8))).loadKw
+        #expect(nullStatus == nil)
+        #expect(Flow.readings(fields: [F.loadW: 0]).loadKw == 0)
+        #expect(Flow.readings(status: try JSON(parsing: Array("{\"load_w\":0}".utf8))).loadKw == 0)
+        #expect(Flow.readings(fields: [F.loadW: 1_250]).loadKw == 1.25)
+    }
+
+    @Test func aHomeWithNoCoreLoadStillHasAnUnknownReading() throws {
+        let readings = NowFlow.readings(fields: [F.gridW: 3_700], freshness: { _ in
+            NodeFreshness(carrier: .relay, srcState: .never, ageMs: nil, sourceName: nil)
+        })
+        let home = try #require(readings.first { $0.node == .home })
+        #expect(home.watts == nil)
+        #expect(!home.flowing)
+        let watch = WatchShare.reading(home)
+        #expect(watch.watts == nil)
+        #expect(watch.way == .noReading)
+        #expect(!watch.live)
+    }
+
+    @Test func nowAndWatchKeepCoreZeroAndNeverSubtractTheCharger() throws {
+        for load: Double? in [nil, 0, 1_600] {
+            var fields = [F.gridW: 9_000.0]
+            fields[F.loadW] = load
+            fields = Flow.withLoadpointEV(fields, evW: 7_400)
+            let readings = NowFlow.readings(fields: fields, freshness: { fid in
+                NodeFreshness(carrier: .relay, srcState: fields[fid] == nil ? .never : .live, ageMs: 0, sourceName: nil)
+            }, hasCar: true)
+            let home = try #require(readings.first { $0.node == .home })
+            #expect(home.watts == load)
+            let watch = WatchShare.reading(home)
+            #expect(watch.watts == load)
+            #expect(watch.way == (load == nil ? .noReading : .using))
+            #expect(watch.live == (load != nil))
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/appleApp/FTWKit/Tests/FTWKitTests/FormatTests.swift b/appleApp/FTWKit/Tests/FTWKitTests/FormatTests.swift
index 007ebf32..dca6c31b 100644
--- a/appleApp/FTWKit/Tests/FTWKitTests/FormatTests.swift
+++ b/appleApp/FTWKit/Tests/FTWKitTests/FormatTests.swift
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ import Testing
         #expect(!r.nodes.contains { $0.role == .ev })
         let overlaid = Flow.withLoadpointEV([F.loadW: 9000, F.evW: 0], evW: 7400)
         #expect(overlaid[F.evW] == 7400)
-        #expect(overlaid[F.loadW] == 1600)
+        #expect(overlaid[F.loadW] == 9000)
     }
 
 }