diff --git a/src/pinky_memory/store.py b/src/pinky_memory/store.py
index 7f329aec..15e95f5d 100644
--- a/src/pinky_memory/store.py
+++ b/src/pinky_memory/store.py
@@ -1512,6 +1512,32 @@ def _timeframe_cutoff(timeframe: str) -> datetime:
 
     # ── Helpers ──
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _coerce_salience(raw: object) -> int:
+        """Coerce a stored salience value onto the 1-5 integer scale.
+
+        Early builds stored salience as a 0-1 float; the Reflection model
+        now requires an int in [1, 5], so a single legacy row raises a
+        pydantic ValidationError and poisons every recall()/query that
+        touches it. Map 0-1 FLOATS onto 1-5, round anything else numeric,
+        clamp to bounds, and fall back to the default (3) for garbage.
+
+        The legacy x5 mapping applies only to genuine floats: SQLite
+        preserves column affinity per value, so legacy rows hydrate as
+        Python floats while modern rows hydrate as ints. A modern,
+        perfectly valid salience of int 1 must stay 1 — not be mistaken
+        for legacy 1.0 and inflated to 5.
+        """
+        if isinstance(raw, bool):  # bool is an int subclass; treat as garbage
+            return 3
+        if isinstance(raw, float) and 0 <= raw <= 1:
+            raw = raw * 5
+        try:
+            val = float(raw)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+        except (TypeError, ValueError):
+            return 3
+        return max(1, min(5, round(val)))
+
     @staticmethod
     def _row_to_reflection(row: sqlite3.Row) -> Reflection:
         # Handle optional columns that may not exist in older schemas
@@ -1533,7 +1559,7 @@ def _row_to_reflection(row: sqlite3.Row) -> Reflection:
             content=row["content"],
             context=row["context"],
             project=row["project"],
-            salience=row["salience"],
+            salience=ReflectionStore._coerce_salience(row["salience"]),
             active=bool(row["active"]),
             no_recall=no_recall,
             supersedes=row["supersedes"],
diff --git a/tests/test_memory_store.py b/tests/test_memory_store.py
index dda4c5dd..31266a4d 100644
--- a/tests/test_memory_store.py
+++ b/tests/test_memory_store.py
@@ -1229,3 +1229,54 @@ def test_consolidate_deactivated_ref_cannot_win(self, tmp_path):
         assert store.get(ref.id).superseded_by == winner.id
         # ...and must not have gone on to archive the weaker active memory
         assert store.get(weak.id).active is True
+
+
+class TestLegacySalienceCoercion:
+    """Rows written by early builds carry 0-1 float salience; hydration must
+    coerce them onto the 1-5 int scale instead of raising ValidationError
+    and poisoning every recall()/query that touches the row (#834)."""
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "raw,expected",
+        [
+            (0.7, 4),     # legacy 0-1 scale -> x5, rounded
+            (0.9, 4),     # round-half-even: 4.5 -> 4
+            (1.0, 5),     # FLOAT 1.0 is legacy-scale boundary -> maps high
+            (1, 1),       # INT 1 is a valid modern salience -> passes through
+            (0.0, 1),     # legacy float 0.0 clamps to lower bound
+            (0, 1),       # int 0 is not legacy-mapped; just clamps to 1
+            (3, 3),       # modern ints pass through
+            (4.4, 4),     # stray float on modern scale just rounds
+            (99, 5),      # clamped to upper bound
+            (None, 3),    # garbage falls back to default
+            (True, 3),    # bool is an int subclass but is garbage here
+            ("high", 3),  # garbage falls back to default
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_coerce_salience(self, raw, expected):
+        assert ReflectionStore._coerce_salience(raw) == expected
+
+    def test_recall_survives_legacy_float_salience_row(self, tmp_path):
+        store = _store(tmp_path)
+        r = store.insert(_fact("legacy row", salience=3))
+        # Corrupt the row the way early builds wrote it: 0-1 float scale
+        with store._lock:
+            store._conn.execute(
+                "UPDATE reflections SET salience = 0.7 WHERE id = ?", (r.id,)
+            )
+            store._conn.commit()
+        got = store.get(r.id)
+        assert got is not None
+        assert got.salience == 4
+
+    def test_modern_salience_one_is_not_inflated(self, tmp_path):
+        """A valid modern salience of 1 (stored as INTEGER) must hydrate as 1.
+
+        Regression guard: the legacy 0-1 x5 mapping must key off the value
+        being a float, or int 1 gets mistaken for legacy 1.0 and read back
+        as 5 on every hydration."""
+        store = _store(tmp_path)
+        r = store.insert(_fact("low-salience row", salience=1))
+        got = store.get(r.id)
+        assert got is not None
+        assert got.salience == 1