diff --git a/crates/ml/src/cuda_pipeline/experience_kernels.cu b/crates/ml/src/cuda_pipeline/experience_kernels.cu
index e6fdc4d28..8365d05f9 100644
--- a/crates/ml/src/cuda_pipeline/experience_kernels.cu
+++ b/crates/ml/src/cuda_pipeline/experience_kernels.cu
@@ -1919,6 +1919,16 @@ extern "C" __global__ void experience_env_step(
         reward *= -1.0f;
     }
 
+    /* Plan conviction as reward scaling (always active, ISV-driven).
+     * The plan head receives ISV-gated h_s2 (temporal attention → feature gate → plan MLP).
+     * Its conviction output scales the reward → Q-value → C51 loss gradient path.
+     * No hardcoded constants — conviction IS the learned scaling factor.
+     * ISV modulates conviction indirectly through the attention-gated trunk. */
+    if (plan_params_ptr != NULL && fabsf(reward) > 1e-8f) {
+        float conviction = plan_params_ptr[i * 6 + 4];  /* [0, 1] */
+        reward *= conviction;  /* low conviction → dampened signal, high → amplified */
+    }
+
     out_rewards[out_off] = reward;
     out_dones[out_off] = (float)done;