diff --git a/frontend/src/components/timeline/PhotoThumbnail.tsx b/frontend/src/components/timeline/PhotoThumbnail.tsx
index 1a040fc..1cf0ca0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/timeline/PhotoThumbnail.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/timeline/PhotoThumbnail.tsx
@@ -74,6 +74,14 @@ interface PhotoThumbnailProps {
   /** True when the photo belongs to the currently active heap — drives
    *  the green tint overlay. */
   isInActiveHeap?: boolean
+  /** Suppress the desaturate/opacity treatment applied to discarded
+   *  photos. Set by the Timeline when the view is already filtered to
+   *  discarded only — every cell would otherwise carry the same tint. */
+  hideDiscardedTint?: boolean
+  /** Suppress the green "in active heap" tint overlay. Set when the
+   *  view is filtered to the active heap, where every cell would
+   *  otherwise be wash-green. */
+  hideActiveHeapTint?: boolean
   /** Active text-search query, passed in from Timeline rather than
    *  subscribed-to here so we don't have N thumbnails each running a
    *  per-keystroke selector. Empty string disables the highlight. */
@@ -91,6 +99,8 @@ function PhotoThumbnailImpl({
   fill = false,
   isSelected,
   isInActiveHeap = false,
+  hideDiscardedTint = false,
+  hideActiveHeapTint = false,
   searchQuery = '',
   onClick,
   onDoubleClick,
@@ -267,9 +277,11 @@ function PhotoThumbnailImpl({
             className={cn(
               'h-full w-full object-cover transition-opacity duration-200',
               imageLoaded ? 'opacity-100' : 'opacity-0',
-              // Discarded photos fade out + desaturate so the trash section
-              // reads as a trash section, not just another grid view.
-              photo.is_discarded && 'opacity-50 grayscale'
+              // Discarded photos fade out + desaturate so they read as
+              // trash when mixed into a normal timeline. Suppressed when
+              // the view is already filtered to discarded only (every
+              // cell would get the same tint — pure noise).
+              photo.is_discarded && !hideDiscardedTint && 'opacity-50 grayscale'
             )}
             onLoad={handleImageLoad}
             onError={handleImageError}
@@ -310,7 +322,7 @@ function PhotoThumbnailImpl({
        *  both selected AND in the active heap shows both tints. Never
        *  tinted on hover so the keyboard-driven selection stays
        *  distinguishable from the mouse-driven hover. */}
-      {isInActiveHeap && (
+      {isInActiveHeap && !hideActiveHeapTint && (
         <div className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 bg-emerald-500/40" />
       )}
       {isSelected && (
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/timeline/Timeline.tsx b/frontend/src/components/timeline/Timeline.tsx
index 6873133..ae29ded 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/timeline/Timeline.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/timeline/Timeline.tsx
@@ -173,6 +173,8 @@ export function Timeline() {
   const sortBy = useFilterStore((s) => s.sortBy)
   const groupBy = useFilterStore((s) => s.groupBy)
   const currentSection = useFilterStore((s) => s.currentSection)
+  const flag = useFilterStore((s) => s.flag)
+  const filterHeapId = useFilterStore((s) => s.heapId)
   // Subscribed once at this level and passed down to each
   // PhotoThumbnail as a prop. Previously every thumbnail had its own
   // subscription, multiplying keystroke renders by the row count.
@@ -231,7 +233,13 @@ export function Timeline() {
   // Membership in the active heap (drives the green tint on each
   // thumbnail). Subscribed once at this level so we don't have hundreds
   // of thumbnails each subscribing to the same query.
-  const { memberIds: activeHeapMembers } = useActiveHeapMembers()
+  const { activeHeap, memberIds: activeHeapMembers } = useActiveHeapMembers()
+  // When the view is already filtered to a specific attribute, every
+  // thumbnail would carry the same indicator — redundant visual noise.
+  // Pass these down so PhotoThumbnail can skip the tint in those cases.
+  const hideDiscardedTint = flag === 'discarded'
+  const hideActiveHeapTint =
+    filterHeapId != null && activeHeap != null && filterHeapId === activeHeap.id
 
   // Stable cell handlers. PhotoThumbnail is wrapped in React.memo so
   // identity-stable callbacks let it skip re-render on unrelated store
@@ -812,6 +820,8 @@ export function Timeline() {
                       fill
                       isSelected={selectedPhotos.includes(photo.id)}
                       isInActiveHeap={activeHeapMembers.has(photo.id)}
+                      hideDiscardedTint={hideDiscardedTint}
+                      hideActiveHeapTint={hideActiveHeapTint}
                       searchQuery={searchQuery}
                       onClick={handleCellClick}
                       onDoubleClick={handleCellDoubleClick}