diff --git a/frontend/src/viewers/SchemaLinkingViewer.test.tsx b/frontend/src/viewers/SchemaLinkingViewer.test.tsx
index 9ae5c0d3..8a706196 100644
--- a/frontend/src/viewers/SchemaLinkingViewer.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/viewers/SchemaLinkingViewer.test.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { render, screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
-import { SchemaLinkingViewer } from "./SchemaLinkingViewer";
+import { SchemaLinkingViewer, buildErDiagram } from "./SchemaLinkingViewer";
 
 vi.mock("./mermaid", () => ({
   renderMermaid: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('<svg data-testid="mm"></svg>'),
@@ -82,3 +82,18 @@ test("(d) ~10 promoted + ~50 excluded does NOT cap; graph is available", async (
   // Grafico (mermaid) view is the default and renders the mocked svg.
   await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByTestId("mm")).toBeInTheDocument());
 });
+
+test("(e) buildErDiagram emits entities, attributes and a relation", () => {
+  const def = buildErDiagram(
+    [
+      { kind: "table", name: "orders", decision: "promoted" },
+      { kind: "column", name: "orders.id", decision: "promoted" },
+      { kind: "table", name: "customers", decision: "promoted" },
+    ],
+    [{ from: "orders.customer_id", to: "customers.id" }],
+  );
+  expect(def.startsWith("erDiagram")).toBe(true);
+  expect(def).toContain("orders {");
+  expect(def).toContain("col id");
+  expect(def).toContain("orders }o--o{ customers : join");
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/viewers/SchemaLinkingViewer.tsx b/frontend/src/viewers/SchemaLinkingViewer.tsx
index 32b3fc57..cc9c6b1c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/viewers/SchemaLinkingViewer.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/viewers/SchemaLinkingViewer.tsx
@@ -33,24 +33,37 @@ function reasonFor(c: Candidate): string {
   return "";
 }
 
-function buildFlowchart(promoted: Candidate[], joins: Join[]): string {
-  const nodeId = (name: string) => name.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/g, "_");
+export function buildErDiagram(promoted: Candidate[], joins: Join[]): string {
+  const sanitize = (name: string) => name.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/g, "_");
+  const tables = promoted.filter((c) => c.kind === "table");
+  const tableNames = new Set(tables.map((t) => t.name));
+  const columns = promoted.filter((c) => c.kind === "column");
 
-  const lines: string[] = ["flowchart TB"];
+  const lines: string[] = ["erDiagram"];
 
-  for (const c of promoted) {
-    const id = nodeId(c.name);
-    const reason = reasonFor(c);
-    const tooltip = reason ? ` %% ${reason}` : "";
-    const shape = c.kind === "table" ? `[${c.name}]` : `(${c.name})`;
-    lines.push(`  ${id}${shape}${tooltip}`);
+  for (const t of tables) {
+    const id = sanitize(t.name);
+    const cols = columns.filter((col) => col.name.startsWith(t.name + "."));
+    lines.push(`  ${id} {`);
+    for (const col of cols) {
+      lines.push(`    col ${sanitize(col.name.slice(t.name.length + 1))}`);
+    }
+    lines.push(`  }`);
   }
 
-  const promotedNames = new Set(promoted.map((c) => c.name));
+  // A join endpoint may be "table" or "table.column"; resolve to its owning table.
+  // Draw a relationship only between two DISTINCT promoted tables, once per pair.
+  const owningTable = (ref: string) =>
+    ref.includes(".") ? ref.slice(0, ref.indexOf(".")) : ref;
+  const seen = new Set<string>();
   for (const j of joins) {
-    if (promotedNames.has(j.from) && promotedNames.has(j.to)) {
-      lines.push(`  ${nodeId(j.from)} --> ${nodeId(j.to)}`);
-    }
+    const a = owningTable(j.from);
+    const b = owningTable(j.to);
+    if (a === b || !tableNames.has(a) || !tableNames.has(b)) continue;
+    const key = [a, b].sort().join("::");
+    if (seen.has(key)) continue;
+    seen.add(key);
+    lines.push(`  ${sanitize(a)} }o--o{ ${sanitize(b)} : join`);
   }
 
   return lines.join("\n");
@@ -89,7 +102,7 @@ export function SchemaLinkingViewer({ linking }: { linking: SchemaLinking }) {
   useEffect(() => {
     if (view !== "chart" || oversized) return;
     let cancelled = false;
-    const def = buildFlowchart(promoted, linking.joins);
+    const def = buildErDiagram(promoted, linking.joins);
     renderMermaid(def).then((s) => {
       if (!cancelled) setSvg(s);
     });