diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
index 0a9a5d33..e17cd9e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ jobs:
           node test-issue-1619-feed-detail-card-draggable.js
           node test-xss-escape-sinks.js
           node test-preflight-xss-gate.js
+          node test-traces.js
 
       - name: 🛡️ Preflight XSS gate — actual --diff check (PR only)
         # The fixture self-test above (test-preflight-xss-gate.js) only
diff --git a/public/traces.js b/public/traces.js
index d3c02416..e0221d43 100644
--- a/public/traces.js
+++ b/public/traces.js
@@ -147,12 +147,12 @@
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      ${allPaths.length > 0 ? renderPathGraph(allPaths, allPathsRaw) : ''}
+      ${allPaths.length > 0 ? renderPathGraph(allPaths, allPathsRaw, decoded) : ''}
       ${traceData.length > 0 ? renderTimeline(t0, spreadMs) : ''}
     `;
   }
 
-  function renderPathGraph(allPaths, allPathsRaw) {
+  function renderPathGraph(allPaths, allPathsRaw, decoded) {
     // Collect unique nodes and edges across all observed paths
     const nodeSet = new Set();
     const edgeMap = new Map(); // "from→to" => Set of observer labels
@@ -261,6 +261,29 @@
     }
 
     let nodesSvg = '';
+    // Per-hop SNR overlay: TRACE packets only, numeric labels at hop midpoints
+    // (Tufte: no double-encoding via color/thickness — number is the signal).
+    const snrValues = (decoded && decoded.type === 'TRACE' && Array.isArray(decoded.snrValues))
+      ? decoded.snrValues : null;
+    if (snrValues && snrValues.length > 0) {
+      // Build the hop chain from the first observed full path (Origin → hops → Dest).
+      const firstPath = allPaths[0];
+      if (firstPath && Array.isArray(firstPath.hops)) {
+        const chain = ['Origin', ...firstPath.hops, 'Dest'];
+        const hopCount = Math.min(snrValues.length, chain.length - 1);
+        for (let i = 0; i < hopCount; i++) {
+          const p1 = nodePos.get(chain[i]);
+          const p2 = nodePos.get(chain[i + 1]);
+          if (!p1 || !p2) continue;
+          const v = snrValues[i];
+          if (v == null || !Number.isFinite(Number(v))) continue;
+          const mx = (p1.x + p2.x) / 2;
+          const my = (p1.y + p2.y) / 2 - 6;
+          const label = Number(v).toFixed(1);
+          nodesSvg += `<text class="hop-snr" x="${mx}" y="${my}" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" font-weight="600" fill="var(--text, #111827)">${label}</text>`;
+        }
+      }
+    }
     for (const [node, pos] of nodePos) {
       const isEndpoint = node === 'Origin' || node === 'Dest';
       const r = isEndpoint ? 18 : 16;
@@ -335,7 +358,7 @@
   }
 
   if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
-    window.TracesHelpers = { dedupePrefixPaths };
+    window.TracesHelpers = { dedupePrefixPaths, renderPathGraph };
   }
 
   registerPage('traces', { init, destroy });
diff --git a/test-traces.js b/test-traces.js
index a5d36ff0..1809ec20 100644
--- a/test-traces.js
+++ b/test-traces.js
@@ -119,6 +119,45 @@ console.log('\n=== traces.js: dedupePrefixPaths ===');
   });
 }
 
+// ===== renderPathGraph: per-hop SNR overlay (#1004 Phase 2 of #979) =====
+console.log('\n=== traces.js: renderPathGraph hop-SNR overlay ===');
+{
+  const ctx = makeSandbox();
+  loadTracesJs(ctx);
+  const { renderPathGraph } = ctx.TracesHelpers;
+  assert.strictEqual(typeof renderPathGraph, 'function', 'renderPathGraph must be exported');
+
+  const paths = [{ hops: ['R1', 'R2'], observer: 'OBS' }];
+  const decodedTrace = { type: 'TRACE', snrValues: [-3.5, -7.0, -12.25] };
+  const decodedNonTrace = { type: 'CHAN', snrValues: [-3.5, -7.0] };
+
+  test('TRACE with snrValues emits <text class="hop-snr"> labels with values', () => {
+    const html = renderPathGraph(paths, paths, decodedTrace);
+    assert.ok(/class="hop-snr"/.test(html), 'expected <text class="hop-snr"> in output');
+    // Each numeric value should appear in a hop-snr label.
+    const labels = html.match(/<text[^>]*class="hop-snr"[^>]*>([^<]+)<\/text>/g) || [];
+    assert.ok(labels.length >= 1, 'expected at least one hop-snr label');
+    const joined = labels.join(' ');
+    assert.ok(/-3\.5/.test(joined), 'expected -3.5 in hop-snr label, got: ' + joined);
+    assert.ok(/-7(\.0)?/.test(joined), 'expected -7 in hop-snr label, got: ' + joined);
+  });
+
+  test('non-TRACE packet: hop-snr labels are ABSENT even when snrValues present', () => {
+    const html = renderPathGraph(paths, paths, decodedNonTrace);
+    assert.ok(!/class="hop-snr"/.test(html), 'hop-snr must not render for non-TRACE');
+  });
+
+  test('TRACE with empty snrValues: no hop-snr labels', () => {
+    const html = renderPathGraph(paths, paths, { type: 'TRACE', snrValues: [] });
+    assert.ok(!/class="hop-snr"/.test(html), 'hop-snr must not render when snrValues empty');
+  });
+
+  test('decoded omitted: no hop-snr labels (back-compat)', () => {
+    const html = renderPathGraph(paths, paths);
+    assert.ok(!/class="hop-snr"/.test(html), 'hop-snr must not render when decoded omitted');
+  });
+}
+
 // ===== SUMMARY =====
 console.log(`\n${'═'.repeat(40)}`);
 console.log(`  traces.js: ${passed} passed, ${failed} failed`);