diff --git a/src/controller/cluster.c b/src/controller/cluster.c
index 28db54bb..809954ca 100644
--- a/src/controller/cluster.c
+++ b/src/controller/cluster.c
@@ -508,12 +508,12 @@ static int myreq_handler(vtask_t* task)
                 /* Distinguish the denial reason for operator diagnosis
                  * (Req 7.2).  raft_on_pre_vote_request denies on (a) stale term
                  * — cand_term < raft.term — or (b) the shared eligibility gate
-                 * (raft_cb_vote_eligible): PRIMARY-deny, fresh-heartbeat
-                 * stickiness, or catch-up.  We re-derive which fired WITHOUT
-                 * calling the file-static heartbeat-fresh predicate: when the
-                 * role is STANDBY and the node is neither catching up nor at a
-                 * stale term, the only remaining eligibility denial is fresh
-                 * heartbeat (a stale heartbeat would have passed the gate). */
+                 * (raft_cb_vote_eligible).  Mirror that gate's exact predicate
+                 * ORDER so the logged reason cannot disagree with the actual
+                 * denial: stale-term, then PRIMARY, then fresh-heartbeat on a
+                 * STANDBY, then catch-up.  ha_heartbeat_is_fresh is a pure read
+                 * exposed for this purpose, so the fresh-heartbeat-vs-catch-up
+                 * overlap is reported exactly as the gate decided it. */
                 uint64_t my_raft_term = c->ha.raft.term;
                 if (cand_term < my_raft_term) {
                     deny_reason = "stale_term";
@@ -522,11 +522,12 @@ static int myreq_handler(vtask_t* task)
                         &c->ha.role, memory_order_acquire);
                     if (role == CTRL_PRIMARY)
                         deny_reason = "primary";
+                    else if (role == CTRL_STANDBY &&
+                             ha_heartbeat_is_fresh(&c->ha))
+                        deny_reason = "fresh_heartbeat";
                     else if (atomic_load_explicit(&c->ha.in_catch_up,
                                                   memory_order_acquire))
                         deny_reason = "catch_up";
-                    else if (role == CTRL_STANDBY)
-                        deny_reason = "fresh_heartbeat";
                     else
                         deny_reason = "eligibility";
                 }
diff --git a/src/controller/ha.c b/src/controller/ha.c
index 49f0d231..13e4cd04 100644
--- a/src/controller/ha.c
+++ b/src/controller/ha.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static int  vote_ep_err_handler(void *ep_raw);
  * PRIMARY registers the persist hooks and arms the own-term gate. */
 static void ha_register_persist_hooks(cluster_t *c);
 static void ha_arm_own_term_gate(cluster_t *c);
-static int  ha_heartbeat_is_fresh(ha_state_t *ha);
+int         ha_heartbeat_is_fresh(ha_state_t *ha);  /* exposed for PreVote denial-reason logging (cluster.c) */
 static int  primary_heartbeat_fn(void *arg);
 static void on_standby_connected(endpoint_t *ep);
 
@@ -2093,7 +2093,7 @@ int ha_restore_term(ha_state_t *ha, const char *workdir)
  * Uses CLOCK_MONOTONIC seconds to avoid wall-clock skew; whole-second
  * granularity is sufficient for the 10 s default timeout.
  */
-static int ha_heartbeat_is_fresh(ha_state_t *ha)
+int ha_heartbeat_is_fresh(ha_state_t *ha)
 {
     time_t last = ha->last_activity;   /* time_t load is atomic on LP64 */
     if (last == 0)
diff --git a/src/controller/ha.h b/src/controller/ha.h
index e751527c..0af6ecd0 100644
--- a/src/controller/ha.h
+++ b/src/controller/ha.h
@@ -763,6 +763,11 @@ void ha_discover_primary(ha_state_t *ha, cluster_t *c);
 /* ha_on_heartbeat_received: reset the heartbeat deadline (Req 6.3). */
 void ha_on_heartbeat_received(ha_state_t *ha);
 
+/* ha_heartbeat_is_fresh: 1 if a primary message arrived within
+ * heartbeat_timeout_ms (leader-stickiness predicate). Exposed for PreVote
+ * denial-reason logging in cluster.c; pure read, no state change. */
+int ha_heartbeat_is_fresh(ha_state_t *ha);
+
 /* ha_disarm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask: stop the heartbeat watchdog thread. */
 void ha_disarm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask(ha_state_t *ha);