diff --git a/graphify/__main__.py b/graphify/__main__.py
index 584b02b5e..dfbddd5d1 100644
--- a/graphify/__main__.py
+++ b/graphify/__main__.py
@@ -1584,6 +1584,11 @@ def main() -> None:
         _raw = json.loads(gp.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
         if "links" not in _raw and "edges" in _raw:
             _raw = dict(_raw, links=_raw["edges"])
+        # Same fix as #849 for `graphify path`: the serialized link.source/link.target
+        # fields encode caller→callee direction regardless of the top-level "directed"
+        # flag the build wrote. Force directed interpretation on read so the renderer
+        # can distinguish outbound (-->) from inbound (<--) connections.
+        _raw = {**_raw, "directed": True}
         try:
             G = json_graph.node_link_graph(_raw, edges="links")
         except TypeError:
@@ -1600,17 +1605,26 @@ def main() -> None:
         print(f"  Type:      {d.get('file_type', '')}")
         print(f"  Community: {d.get('community', '')}")
         print(f"  Degree:    {G.degree(nid)}")
-        neighbors = list(G.neighbors(nid))
-        if neighbors:
-            from graphify.build import edge_data
-            print(f"\nConnections ({len(neighbors)}):")
-            for nb in sorted(neighbors, key=lambda n: G.degree(n), reverse=True)[:20]:
-                edata = edge_data(G, nid, nb)
+        # Collect outbound and inbound edges separately so we render each arrow
+        # in the actual stored direction. A neighbor that has both an inbound and
+        # an outbound edge (mutual references) is rendered twice — once per edge —
+        # which is the truthful representation in a directed graph.
+        from graphify.build import edge_data
+        connections: list[tuple[str, str, dict]] = []  # (direction, neighbor_id, edge_data)
+        for nb in G.successors(nid):
+            connections.append(("out", nb, edge_data(G, nid, nb)))
+        for nb in G.predecessors(nid):
+            connections.append(("in", nb, edge_data(G, nb, nid)))
+        if connections:
+            print(f"\nConnections ({len(connections)}):")
+            connections.sort(key=lambda c: G.degree(c[1]), reverse=True)
+            for direction, nb, edata in connections[:20]:
                 rel = edata.get("relation", "")
                 conf = edata.get("confidence", "")
-                print(f"  --> {G.nodes[nb].get('label', nb)} [{rel}] [{conf}]")
-            if len(neighbors) > 20:
-                print(f"  ... and {len(neighbors) - 20} more")
+                arrow = "-->" if direction == "out" else "<--"
+                print(f"  {arrow} {G.nodes[nb].get('label', nb)} [{rel}] [{conf}]")
+            if len(connections) > 20:
+                print(f"  ... and {len(connections) - 20} more")
 
     elif cmd == "add":
         if len(sys.argv) < 3:
diff --git a/tests/test_explain_cli.py b/tests/test_explain_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4408e24da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_explain_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+"""Tests for `graphify explain` arrow-direction rendering.
+
+Regression for the structural twin of #849 — the same undirected-graph blind spot
+that bit `graphify path` also bit `graphify explain`. Previously `explain` printed
+every neighbor as `--> X [relation]`, so for a queried node that is the *callee*,
+its callers were rendered as outbound calls, asserting a backwards graph.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+
+import graphify.__main__ as mainmod
+
+
+def _write_undirected_graph(tmp_path):
+    """Write graph.json with `directed: false` but link.source/link.target
+    encoding caller→callee in *write order*, matching what `graphify update`
+    serializes. Writing the JSON directly (rather than via `nx.Graph` +
+    `node_link_data`) is necessary because the latter emits links in
+    node-insertion order, not edge-argument order, so a small fixture can
+    silently encode the wrong direction.
+    """
+    graph_data = {
+        "directed": False,
+        "multigraph": False,
+        "graph": {},
+        "nodes": [
+            {"id": "validate", "label": "validateSanitySession()",
+             "source_file": "server/sanity-validate-session.ts",
+             "source_location": "L9", "community": 0},
+            {"id": "create_patch", "label": "createPatchHandler()",
+             "source_file": "server/create-patch-handler.ts",
+             "source_location": "L14", "community": 0},
+            {"id": "create_edit", "label": "createEditHandler()",
+             "source_file": "server/create-edit-handler.ts",
+             "source_location": "L18", "community": 0},
+            {"id": "stable_stringify", "label": "stableStringify()",
+             "source_file": "shared/stringify.ts",
+             "source_location": "L4", "community": 0},
+        ],
+        "links": [
+            # Two callers of validate (edges point INTO validate).
+            {"source": "create_patch", "target": "validate",
+             "relation": "calls", "confidence": "EXTRACTED"},
+            {"source": "create_edit", "target": "validate",
+             "relation": "calls", "confidence": "EXTRACTED"},
+            # One callee of validate (edge points OUT of validate).
+            {"source": "validate", "target": "stable_stringify",
+             "relation": "calls", "confidence": "EXTRACTED"},
+        ],
+    }
+    graph_path = tmp_path / "graph.json"
+    graph_path.write_text(json.dumps(graph_data))
+    return graph_path
+
+
+def _run_explain(monkeypatch, graph_path, label, capsys):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mainmod, "_check_skill_version", lambda _: None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        mainmod.sys,
+        "argv",
+        ["graphify", "explain", label, "--graph", str(graph_path)],
+    )
+    mainmod.main()
+    return capsys.readouterr().out
+
+
+def test_explain_renders_callers_as_inbound_and_callees_as_outbound(
+    monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys
+):
+    """A queried callee should show its callers as `<--` and its own callees as `-->`.
+    Before the fix every neighbor printed as `-->`, regardless of stored direction."""
+    graph_path = _write_undirected_graph(tmp_path)
+    out = _run_explain(monkeypatch, graph_path, "validateSanitySession", capsys)
+
+    # validateSanitySession is called BY createPatchHandler and createEditHandler.
+    # Those must render as inbound (`<--`), not outbound.
+    assert "<-- createPatchHandler() [calls]" in out
+    assert "<-- createEditHandler() [calls]" in out
+    # validateSanitySession itself calls stableStringify — that is outbound.
+    assert "--> stableStringify() [calls]" in out
+    # Critical guard: must NOT render callers as outbound (the pre-fix buggy output).
+    assert "--> createPatchHandler() [calls]" not in out
+    assert "--> createEditHandler() [calls]" not in out
+
+
+def test_explain_renders_pure_caller_as_outbound(monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys):
+    """Sanity check the converse — querying a caller should show its callee outbound."""
+    graph_path = _write_undirected_graph(tmp_path)
+    out = _run_explain(monkeypatch, graph_path, "createPatchHandler", capsys)
+    # createPatchHandler calls validateSanitySession.
+    assert "--> validateSanitySession() [calls]" in out
+    # And nothing calls createPatchHandler in this fixture, so no inbound rows.
+    assert "<-- " not in out