diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Calendar/WorkloadHeatmap.jsx b/frontend/src/components/Calendar/WorkloadHeatmap.jsx
index 1f6be5d..6ba61a2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Calendar/WorkloadHeatmap.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Calendar/WorkloadHeatmap.jsx
@@ -20,12 +20,43 @@ const STATUS_COLOR = {
   overdue:     'text-red-400',
 }
 
-function getCellClass(baseDensity, statusCounts) {
-  const total = Object.values(statusCounts).reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0)
-  if (total === 0) return 'bg-surface border-surface-border'
-  if (baseDensity === 1) return 'bg-gold/25 border-gold/40'
-  if (baseDensity === 2) return 'bg-gold/55 border-gold/70'
-  return 'bg-gold border-gold shadow-gold'
+// Cell colors per status, three density levels: low / mid / high
+const STATUS_CELL_COLORS = {
+  upcoming:    [
+    'bg-blue-400/20 border-blue-400/30',
+    'bg-blue-400/55 border-blue-400/70',
+    'bg-blue-400 border-blue-400 shadow-[0_0_4px_rgba(96,165,250,0.6)]',
+  ],
+  in_progress: [
+    'bg-amber-400/20 border-amber-400/30',
+    'bg-amber-400/55 border-amber-400/70',
+    'bg-amber-400 border-amber-400 shadow-[0_0_4px_rgba(251,191,36,0.6)]',
+  ],
+  completed:   [
+    'bg-green-400/20 border-green-400/30',
+    'bg-green-400/55 border-green-400/70',
+    'bg-green-400 border-green-400 shadow-[0_0_4px_rgba(74,222,128,0.6)]',
+  ],
+  overdue:     [
+    'bg-red-400/20 border-red-400/30',
+    'bg-red-400/55 border-red-400/70',
+    'bg-red-400 border-red-400 shadow-[0_0_4px_rgba(248,113,113,0.6)]',
+  ],
+}
+
+const STATUS_HOVER_RING = {
+  upcoming:    'hover:ring-1 hover:ring-blue-300/80',
+  in_progress: 'hover:ring-1 hover:ring-amber-300/80',
+  completed:   'hover:ring-1 hover:ring-green-300/80',
+  overdue:     'hover:ring-1 hover:ring-red-400/90',
+}
+
+function getCellClass(count, statusKey) {
+  if (count === 0) return 'bg-surface border-surface-border'
+  const colors = STATUS_CELL_COLORS[statusKey] || STATUS_CELL_COLORS.upcoming
+  if (count === 1) return colors[0]
+  if (count === 2) return colors[1]
+  return colors[2]
 }
 
 export default function WorkloadHeatmap() {
@@ -104,7 +135,7 @@ export default function WorkloadHeatmap() {
               <p className="text-text-muted text-xs mt-1">{STATUS_LABEL[statusKey]}</p>
             </div>
 
-            {/* Heatmap for this status */}
+            {/* Heatmap filtered to this status */}
             <div className="bg-surface-elevated/40 border border-surface-border rounded-xl p-3 flex-1 min-h-[160px] flex items-center justify-center">
               <div className="flex gap-2 overflow-x-auto pb-1 justify-center">
                 {/* Day labels */}
@@ -135,22 +166,15 @@ export default function WorkloadHeatmap() {
                     {weeks.map((week, wi) => (
                       <div key={wi} className="flex flex-col flex-shrink-0" style={{ gap: GAP }}>
                         {week.map(({ date, key, items, statusCounts }) => {
-                          const countForStatus = (statusCounts || {})[statusKey] || 0
-                          const baseDensity    = countForStatus
-                          const hoverRing =
-                            statusKey === 'upcoming'    ? 'hover:ring-blue-300/80 hover:shadow-[0_0_0_1px_rgba(147,197,253,0.8)]' :
-                            statusKey === 'in_progress' ? 'hover:ring-amber-300/80 hover:shadow-[0_0_0_1px_rgba(252,211,77,0.8)]' :
-                            statusKey === 'completed'   ? 'hover:ring-green-300/80 hover:shadow-[0_0_0_1px_rgba(74,222,128,0.8)]' :
-                            statusKey === 'overdue'     ? 'hover:ring-red-400/90 hover:shadow-[0_0_0_1px_rgba(248,113,113,0.9)]' :
-                                                          'hover:ring-white/60'
+                          const count = (statusCounts || {})[statusKey] || 0
                           return (
                             <div
                               key={key + statusKey}
                               style={{ width: CELL, height: CELL }}
                               className={`rounded-sm border cursor-pointer transition-transform duration-100 hover:scale-125 hover:z-10 relative
-                                ${getCellClass(baseDensity, statusCounts || {})}
+                                ${getCellClass(count, statusKey)}
                                 ${isToday(date) ? 'ring-1 ring-white/60' : ''}
-                                ${hoverRing}
+                                ${count > 0 ? STATUS_HOVER_RING[statusKey] : ''}
                               `}
                               onClick={() => {
                                 if (!items || !items.length) return
@@ -159,13 +183,13 @@ export default function WorkloadHeatmap() {
                               }}
                               onMouseEnter={(e) => {
                                 const filtered = (items || []).filter(({ deliverable }) => deliverable.status === statusKey)
-                                const showItems = filtered.length ? filtered : items || []
+                                if (!filtered.length) return
                                 setTooltip({
                                   x: e.clientX,
                                   y: e.clientY,
                                   date,
                                   statusKey,
-                                  items: showItems,
+                                  items: filtered,
                                 })
                               }}
                               onMouseLeave={() => setTooltip(null)}
@@ -191,7 +215,7 @@ export default function WorkloadHeatmap() {
           <p className={`text-xs font-bold mb-1.5 ${isToday(tooltip.date) ? 'text-gold' : 'text-text-primary'}`}>
             {isToday(tooltip.date) ? 'Today \u2014 ' : ''}{format(tooltip.date, 'EEE, MMM d, yyyy')}
           </p>
-          <p className="text-[10px] text-text-muted/60 mb-1.5">
+          <p className={`text-[10px] mb-1.5 ${STATUS_COLOR[tooltip.statusKey]}`}>
             {STATUS_LABEL[tooltip.statusKey]} \u00b7 {tooltip.items.length} task{tooltip.items.length !== 1 ? 's' : ''}
           </p>
           {tooltip.items.length === 0 ? (