diff --git a/lib/ui2/screens/metric_detail.dart b/lib/ui2/screens/metric_detail.dart
index 4717d6ce0..b82a9d1e8 100644
--- a/lib/ui2/screens/metric_detail.dart
+++ b/lib/ui2/screens/metric_detail.dart
@@ -56,6 +56,18 @@ String nounInSentence(AppLocalizations? l, String name) {
   return '${name[0].toLowerCase()}${name.substring(1)}';
 }
 
+/// Metrics a day's wear produces, not a night's. Their empty state asks for
+/// the band through the day; "overnight" would send someone to bed to get a
+/// step count.
+const kDaytimeMetricKeys = {
+  'steps',
+  'calories',
+  'strain',
+  'trimp',
+  'active_min',
+  'wear',
+};
+
 /// What a metric key means on screen, and whether we are willing to draw it.
 class MetricSpec {
   /// The alias `getChart` / `getTrend` understand (`_trendKey` maps it on).
@@ -956,8 +968,11 @@ class _MetricDetailState extends State<MetricDetail> {
             // them to wear the band is a promise that cannot change anything —
             // they already did, and the days are one tab away.
             fix: all.isEmpty
-                ? (l?.metricDetailWearBandFix ??
-                    'Wear the band overnight to start the series')
+                ? (kDaytimeMetricKeys.contains(widget.metricKey)
+                    ? (l?.dayStrainWearBandFix ??
+                        'Wear the band through the day')
+                    : (l?.metricDetailWearBandFix ??
+                        'Wear the band overnight to start the series'))
                 : '',
             icon: spec.icon,
           ),
diff --git a/test/metric_detail_empty_hint_test.dart b/test/metric_detail_empty_hint_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e6fd613a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/metric_detail_empty_hint_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// A metric with no history at all tells the user what to do about it. Every
+// metric used to say "Wear the band overnight to start the series", which is
+// right for resting heart rate or sleep and wrong for a step count: steps,
+// energy, strain and wear come from the day. Those now say "Wear the band
+// through the day" (the strain screen's existing, translated hint).
+
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:openstrap_edge/ui2/screens/screens.dart';
+import 'package:openstrap_edge/ui2/ui2.dart';
+
+Future<void> _pump(WidgetTester t, String key) async {
+  t.view.physicalSize = const Size(390 * 3, 1600 * 3);
+  t.view.devicePixelRatio = 3;
+  addTearDown(t.view.reset);
+  await t.pumpWidget(MaterialApp(
+    theme: buildTheme(Brightness.light),
+    home: Scaffold(body: MetricDetail(key, data: MetricData())),
+  ));
+  await t.pumpAndSettle();
+}
+
+const _overnight = 'Wear the band overnight to start the series';
+const _daytime = 'Wear the band through the day';
+
+void main() {
+  for (final key in kDaytimeMetricKeys) {
+    testWidgets('$key, never recorded: wear it through the day', (t) async {
+      await _pump(t, key);
+      expect(find.text(_daytime), findsOneWidget);
+      expect(find.text(_overnight), findsNothing);
+    });
+  }
+
+  for (final key in ['resting_hr', 'hrv', 'sleep']) {
+    testWidgets('$key, never recorded: still overnight', (t) async {
+      await _pump(t, key);
+      expect(find.text(_overnight), findsOneWidget);
+      expect(find.text(_daytime), findsNothing);
+    });
+  }
+}