diff --git a/src/components/GradientInput/index.tsx b/src/components/GradientInput/index.tsx
index bd225e93..d0755674 100644
--- a/src/components/GradientInput/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/GradientInput/index.tsx
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ const GradientInput = (props: GradientInputProps): JSX.Element => {
                         value={gradientStrengthData.uiValue}
                         step={0.01}
                         style={{ width: 100 }}
+                        tooltip={{ formatter: (value) => value?.toFixed(2) }}
                     />
                     <InputNumber
                         id={gradientStrengthData.displayName + " Input"}
diff --git a/src/test/gradient.test.ts b/src/test/gradient.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1bda792
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/gradient.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import { expect, test, describe } from 'vitest';
+import { toUi, toStore, round2 } from '../utils/gradient';
+
+describe('Gradient utilities', () => {
+    describe('toUi', () => {
+        test('converts decay_length to gradient strength using inverse relationship', () => {
+            expect(toUi(0.01)).toBe(100);
+            expect(toUi(0.02)).toBe(50);
+            expect(toUi(0.1)).toBe(10);
+            expect(toUi(1)).toBe(1);
+            expect(toUi(10)).toBe(0.1);
+            expect(toUi(100)).toBe(0.01);
+        });
+
+        test('rounds to 2 decimal places for display', () => {
+            expect(toUi(0.03)).toBe(33.33);
+            expect(toUi(0.07)).toBe(14.29);
+            expect(toUi(0.15)).toBe(6.67);
+        });
+
+        test('handles edge cases', () => {
+            expect(toUi(0)).toBe(100);
+            expect(toUi(-5)).toBe(100);
+        });
+    });
+
+    describe('toStore', () => {
+        test('converts gradient strength to decay_length using inverse relationship', () => {
+            expect(toStore(100)).toBe(0.01);
+            expect(toStore(50)).toBe(0.02);
+            expect(toStore(10)).toBe(0.1);
+            expect(toStore(1)).toBe(1);
+        });
+
+        test('maintains precision across full range', () => {
+            expect(toStore(60)).toBe(0.01666667);
+            expect(toStore(75)).toBe(0.01333333);
+            expect(toStore(80)).toBe(0.0125);
+            expect(toStore(90)).toBe(0.01111111);
+            expect(toStore(99)).toBe(0.01010101);
+        });
+
+        test('produces distinct values for different inputs', () => {
+            const values = [50, 51, 60, 75, 90, 100];
+            const storeValues = values.map(toStore);
+            const uniqueValues = new Set(storeValues);
+            expect(uniqueValues.size).toBe(values.length);
+        });
+
+        test('handles edge cases', () => {
+            expect(toStore(0)).toBe(100);
+            expect(toStore(-5)).toBe(100);
+        });
+    });
+
+    describe('round2', () => {
+        test('rounds numbers to 2 decimal places', () => {
+            expect(round2(1.234)).toBe(1.23);
+            expect(round2(5.678)).toBe(5.68);
+            expect(round2(9.999)).toBe(10);
+        });
+
+        test('handles integers', () => {
+            expect(round2(5)).toBe(5);
+            expect(round2(100)).toBe(100);
+        });
+
+        test('handles small values', () => {
+            expect(round2(0.001)).toBe(0);
+            expect(round2(0.005)).toBe(0.01);
+            expect(round2(0.999)).toBe(1);
+        });
+    });
+
+    describe('Conversion', () => {
+        test('UI -> Store -> UI maintains value', () => {
+            const uiValues = [0.01, 1, 10, 25, 50, 60, 100];
+            
+            uiValues.forEach(uiVal => {
+                const storeVal = toStore(uiVal);
+                const backToUi = toUi(storeVal);
+                expect(backToUi).toBeCloseTo(uiVal, 1);
+            });
+        });
+
+        test('Store -> UI -> Store maintains value', () => {
+            const storeValues = [0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 10];
+            
+            storeValues.forEach(storeVal => {
+                const uiVal = toUi(storeVal);
+                const backToStore = toStore(uiVal);
+                expect(backToStore).toBeCloseTo(storeVal, 4);
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
+    });
+
diff --git a/src/utils/gradient.ts b/src/utils/gradient.ts
index 857f9a09..62ab4ed9 100644
--- a/src/utils/gradient.ts
+++ b/src/utils/gradient.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,18 @@ interface GradientStrength {
 };
 
 // Helpers: store <-> UI mapping
-// Store: "smaller = stronger" (e.g., decay length). UI: "bigger = stronger" (0..1).
-export const toUi = (storeVal: number) => Number((1 - storeVal).toFixed(2));
-export const toStore = (uiVal: number) => Number((1 - uiVal).toFixed(2));
+// Store: "smaller = stronger" (e.g., decay length). UI: "bigger = stronger" (0.01-100). decay_length = 1 / gradient strength
+const MIN_DECAY_LENGTH = 0.01;
+const MAX_DECAY_LENGTH = 100;
+
+export const toUi = (storeVal: number) => {
+    if (storeVal <= 0) return 1 / MIN_DECAY_LENGTH; // the max UI value due to the inverse relationship—smaller decay length = stronger gradient = higher UI number. 
+    return Number((1 / storeVal).toFixed(2));
+};
+export const toStore = (uiVal: number) => {
+    if (uiVal <= 0) return MAX_DECAY_LENGTH;
+    return Number((1 / uiVal).toFixed(8));
+};
 export const round2 = (n: number) => Number(n.toFixed(2));
 
 
@@ -60,8 +69,8 @@ export function deriveGradientStrength(
 ): GradientStrength | undefined {
     if (!opt?.strength_path) return undefined;
 
-    const storeMin = opt.strength_min ?? 0;
-    const storeMax = opt.strength_max ?? 0.99;
+    const storeMin = opt.strength_min ?? MIN_DECAY_LENGTH;
+    const storeMax = opt.strength_max ?? MAX_DECAY_LENGTH;
 
     const uiMin = toUi(storeMax);
     const uiMax = toUi(storeMin);
@@ -71,7 +80,7 @@ export function deriveGradientStrength(
     const storeNum =
         typeof storeRaw === "number"
             ? storeRaw
-            : opt.strength_default ?? storeMin;
+            : opt.strength_default ?? MIN_DECAY_LENGTH;
     const uiValue = round2(clampUi(toUi(storeNum)));
 
     return {