diff --git a/apps/web/src/canvas/canvas-layout-engine.ts b/apps/web/src/canvas/canvas-layout-engine.ts
index 7d717f4c6..a465c4f1d 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/canvas/canvas-layout-engine.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/canvas/canvas-layout-engine.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export {
   normalizeTreeLayout,
   unwrapFakePhoneMockups,
   stripRedundantSectionFills,
+  stripNestedCardDecoration,
   clipCardImageCorners,
   injectMissingNavSurfaceFill,
   expandOverflowingFixedHeightCards,
diff --git a/apps/web/src/services/ai/design-canvas-ops.ts b/apps/web/src/services/ai/design-canvas-ops.ts
index 5bc2aac2d..cadb5c1ed 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/services/ai/design-canvas-ops.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/services/ai/design-canvas-ops.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   normalizeTreeLayout,
   unwrapFakePhoneMockups,
   stripRedundantSectionFills,
+  stripNestedCardDecoration,
   clipCardImageCorners,
   injectMissingNavSurfaceFill,
   expandOverflowingFixedHeightCards,
@@ -420,6 +421,12 @@ function finalizePageRootAfterApply(): void {
     if (stripRedundantSectionFills(node)) {
       anyChanged = true;
     }
+    // Run AFTER stripRedundantSectionFills so the fill heuristic gets
+    // first crack at fill decisions; then this pass cleans up nested
+    // card-style decoration (stroke / cornerRadius / shadow stack).
+    if (stripNestedCardDecoration(node)) {
+      anyChanged = true;
+    }
   }
   if (anyChanged) forcePageResync();
 }
@@ -755,6 +762,14 @@ export function applyPostStreamingTreeHeuristics(rootNodeId: string): void {
   const parentOfRoot = useDocumentStore.getState().getParentOf(rootNodeId);
   const pageRoot = parentOfRoot && parentOfRoot.type === 'frame' ? parentOfRoot : freshRoot;
   stripRedundantSectionFills(pageRoot);
+  // 2026-05-11 user-reported "Popular Restaurants" card-within-a-card —
+  // outer `role: card` carried stroke + cornerRadius + 2-shadow elevation
+  // and the inner `Card Info` frame ALSO had role: card with the same
+  // shadow stack and own cornerRadius. The doubled decoration rendered
+  // as a visible "border" / box-in-box. This pass strips the redundant
+  // inner stroke / cornerRadius / shadow when an ancestor already
+  // carries the same kind of decoration.
+  stripNestedCardDecoration(pageRoot);
   // Add a default surface fill on top-level navigation frames the
   // sub-agent left transparent — without this the bottom nav floats on
   // the cream root background with no surface to anchor it. See
diff --git a/packages/pen-core/src/__tests__/strip-nested-card-decoration.test.ts b/packages/pen-core/src/__tests__/strip-nested-card-decoration.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b8e91a0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/pen-core/src/__tests__/strip-nested-card-decoration.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import type { PenNode } from '@zseven-w/pen-types';
+import { stripNestedCardDecoration } from '../layout/strip-nested-card-decoration';
+
+const frame = (
+  props: Partial<PenNode> & { children?: PenNode[]; role?: string; cornerRadius?: unknown },
+): PenNode =>
+  ({
+    id: 'f',
+    type: 'frame',
+    ...props,
+  }) as PenNode;
+
+const shadow = () => [
+  { type: 'shadow' as const, offsetX: 0, offsetY: 1, blur: 3, spread: 0, color: '#0000001A' },
+];
+const stroke = () => ({ thickness: 1, fill: [{ type: 'solid' as const, color: '#E2E8F0' }] });
+
+describe('stripNestedCardDecoration', () => {
+  // 2026-05-11 user-reported "Popular Restaurants" — outer `role: card`
+  // had stroke + cornerRadius + 2-shadow stack, then nested an inner
+  // `Card Info` frame ALSO with role:card and the same decoration.
+  // Visual result: card-within-a-card "extra border".
+
+  it('strips stroke + cornerRadius + shadow on inner card-roled frame inside an outer card', () => {
+    const inner = frame({
+      id: 'inner',
+      role: 'card',
+      cornerRadius: 12,
+      stroke: stroke(),
+      effects: shadow(),
+    } as never);
+    const outer = frame({
+      id: 'outer',
+      role: 'card',
+      cornerRadius: 16,
+      stroke: stroke(),
+      effects: shadow(),
+      children: [inner],
+    } as never);
+
+    const changed = stripNestedCardDecoration(outer);
+
+    expect(changed).toBe(true);
+    expect((inner as PenNode & { stroke?: unknown }).stroke).toBeUndefined();
+    expect((inner as PenNode & { cornerRadius?: unknown }).cornerRadius).toBeUndefined();
+    expect((inner as PenNode & { effects?: unknown }).effects).toBeUndefined();
+    // Outer keeps its decoration.
+    expect((outer as PenNode & { stroke?: unknown }).stroke).toBeDefined();
+    expect((outer as PenNode & { cornerRadius?: unknown }).cornerRadius).toBe(16);
+    expect((outer as PenNode & { effects?: unknown }).effects).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('only strips the decoration types the ancestor actually has', () => {
+    // Outer has shadow only; inner has shadow + cornerRadius. Inner's
+    // shadow gets stripped (ancestor also has it) but cornerRadius
+    // stays (ancestor has none → not redundant).
+    const inner = frame({
+      id: 'inner',
+      role: 'card',
+      cornerRadius: 12,
+      effects: shadow(),
+    } as never);
+    const outer = frame({
+      id: 'outer',
+      role: 'card',
+      effects: shadow(),
+      children: [inner],
+    } as never);
+
+    stripNestedCardDecoration(outer);
+
+    expect((inner as PenNode & { effects?: unknown }).effects).toBeUndefined();
+    expect((inner as PenNode & { cornerRadius?: unknown }).cornerRadius).toBe(12);
+  });
+
+  it('does NOT strip top-level decoration (no decorated ancestor)', () => {
+    const card = frame({
+      id: 'card',
+      role: 'card',
+      cornerRadius: 16,
+      stroke: stroke(),
+      effects: shadow(),
+      children: [],
+    } as never);
+
+    const changed = stripNestedCardDecoration(card);
+
+    expect(changed).toBe(false);
+    expect((card as PenNode & { stroke?: unknown }).stroke).toBeDefined();
+    expect((card as PenNode & { cornerRadius?: unknown }).cornerRadius).toBe(16);
+    expect((card as PenNode & { effects?: unknown }).effects).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('preserves decoration on protected roles (button / chip / search-bar / input / badge / avatar)', () => {
+    // A button or input inside a card legitimately keeps its own
+    // affordance — the user expects the click target to be visually
+    // distinct from the card surface.
+    const protectedCases = ['button', 'chip', 'search-bar', 'input', 'badge', 'avatar', 'tag'];
+    for (const role of protectedCases) {
+      const inner = frame({
+        id: `inner-${role}`,
+        role,
+        cornerRadius: 8,
+        stroke: stroke(),
+      } as never);
+      const outer = frame({
+        id: 'outer',
+        role: 'card',
+        stroke: stroke(),
+        cornerRadius: 16,
+        children: [inner],
+      } as never);
+
+      stripNestedCardDecoration(outer);
+
+      expect(
+        (inner as PenNode & { stroke?: unknown }).stroke,
+        `${role} should retain its stroke`,
+      ).toBeDefined();
+      expect(
+        (inner as PenNode & { cornerRadius?: unknown }).cornerRadius,
+        `${role} should retain its cornerRadius`,
+      ).toBe(8);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('does NOT touch fills (stripRedundantSectionFills handles that)', () => {
+    const inner = frame({
+      id: 'inner',
+      role: 'card',
+      stroke: stroke(),
+      fill: [{ type: 'solid' as const, color: '#FFFFFF' }],
+    } as never);
+    const outer = frame({
+      id: 'outer',
+      role: 'card',
+      stroke: stroke(),
+      fill: [{ type: 'solid' as const, color: '#F1F5F9' }],
+      children: [inner],
+    } as never);
+
+    stripNestedCardDecoration(outer);
+
+    expect((inner as PenNode & { fill?: unknown }).fill).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('walks deep — strips on grandchild whose grandparent is decorated', () => {
+    const grandchild = frame({
+      id: 'gc',
+      role: 'card',
+      cornerRadius: 8,
+      effects: shadow(),
+    } as never);
+    const middle = frame({
+      id: 'mid',
+      children: [grandchild],
+    } as never);
+    const outer = frame({
+      id: 'outer',
+      role: 'card',
+      cornerRadius: 16,
+      effects: shadow(),
+      children: [middle],
+    } as never);
+
+    stripNestedCardDecoration(outer);
+
+    expect((grandchild as PenNode & { cornerRadius?: unknown }).cornerRadius).toBeUndefined();
+    expect((grandchild as PenNode & { effects?: unknown }).effects).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('handles cornerRadius arrays (asymmetric per-corner)', () => {
+    const inner = frame({
+      id: 'inner',
+      role: 'card',
+      cornerRadius: [12, 12, 0, 0],
+      stroke: stroke(),
+    } as never);
+    const outer = frame({
+      id: 'outer',
+      role: 'card',
+      cornerRadius: 16,
+      children: [inner],
+    } as never);
+
+    stripNestedCardDecoration(outer);
+
+    expect((inner as PenNode & { cornerRadius?: unknown }).cornerRadius).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('returns false when nothing was modified', () => {
+    const card = frame({
+      id: 'plain-card',
+      role: 'card',
+      stroke: stroke(),
+      cornerRadius: 8,
+      children: [
+        frame({ id: 'text-only', role: 'body', children: [] } as never), // no decoration
+      ],
+    } as never);
+
+    const changed = stripNestedCardDecoration(card);
+
+    expect(changed).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/pen-core/src/index.ts b/packages/pen-core/src/index.ts
index 018070680..3d866aedb 100644
--- a/packages/pen-core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/pen-core/src/index.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ export {
 export { normalizeTreeLayout } from './layout/normalize-tree.js';
 export { unwrapFakePhoneMockups } from './layout/unwrap-fake-phone-mockup.js';
 export { stripRedundantSectionFills } from './layout/strip-redundant-section-fills.js';
+export { stripNestedCardDecoration } from './layout/strip-nested-card-decoration.js';
 export { clipCardImageCorners } from './layout/clip-card-image-corners.js';
 export { injectMissingNavSurfaceFill } from './layout/inject-nav-surface-fill.js';
 export { expandOverflowingFixedHeightCards } from './layout/expand-overflowing-fixed-height-cards.js';
diff --git a/packages/pen-core/src/layout/strip-nested-card-decoration.ts b/packages/pen-core/src/layout/strip-nested-card-decoration.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03a0276e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/pen-core/src/layout/strip-nested-card-decoration.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+import type { PenNode } from '@zseven-w/pen-types';
+
+/**
+ * Strip redundant card-style decoration on a frame whose ancestor is
+ * already a decorated card.
+ *
+ * 2026-05-11 user-reported "popular restaurant" mobile design — the LLM
+ * built each restaurant row as `role: card` (outer) with cornerRadius +
+ * stroke + 2-shadow elevation, then nested an inner `Card Info` frame
+ * ALSO with `role: card` + cornerRadius + 2 shadows for the right-side
+ * text column. The inner decoration rendered as a visible "border" /
+ * card-within-a-card box that the outer card already provided.
+ *
+ * Element builders (N-tools) emit decoration deterministically without
+ * knowing their context — when an LLM places a v1 card builder inside
+ * another card, the inner stroke / cornerRadius / shadow stack on top
+ * of the outer's, producing the doubled box look. This pass walks the
+ * tree and removes the inner decoration when it's redundant with an
+ * ancestor's.
+ *
+ * Strip rule for a frame F:
+ *   - F has `stroke` OR `cornerRadius > 0` OR shadow effects, AND
+ *   - F's ancestor chain contains another frame with the same kind of
+ *     decoration (stroke / cornerRadius / shadow), AND
+ *   - F is not a role that legitimately wants decoration even nested
+ *     (button, tag, chip, input, search-bar, badge, avatar) — these
+ *     elements often live inside cards and need their own affordance
+ *
+ * Conservative: fills are NOT stripped. A child fill might be an
+ * intentional surface change (e.g. dark accent strip inside a white
+ * card). stripRedundantSectionFills handles the fill-redundancy
+ * heuristic separately.
+ */
+
+const KEEP_DECORATION_ROLES = new Set([
+  'button',
+  'icon-button',
+  'fab',
+  'tag',
+  'chip',
+  'badge',
+  'status-badge',
+  'pill',
+  'input',
+  'search-bar',
+  'form-field',
+  'textarea',
+  'select',
+  'combobox',
+  'avatar',
+  'avatar-stack',
+  'switch',
+  'checkbox',
+  'radio',
+  'toolbar',
+  'segmented-control',
+]);
+
+interface DecoFlags {
+  hasStroke: boolean;
+  hasCornerRadius: boolean;
+  hasShadow: boolean;
+}
+
+function readDecoration(node: PenNode): DecoFlags {
+  const n = node as PenNode & {
+    stroke?: { thickness?: number };
+    cornerRadius?: number | number[];
+    effects?: Array<{ type?: string }>;
+  };
+  const strokeThick = n.stroke?.thickness ?? 0;
+  const hasStroke = typeof strokeThick === 'number' && strokeThick > 0;
+  const cr = n.cornerRadius;
+  const hasCornerRadius =
+    typeof cr === 'number' ? cr > 0 : Array.isArray(cr) && cr.some((v) => Number(v) > 0);
+  const hasShadow = Array.isArray(n.effects) && n.effects.some((e) => e?.type === 'shadow');
+  return { hasStroke, hasCornerRadius, hasShadow };
+}
+
+function isRoleProtected(node: PenNode): boolean {
+  const role = ((node as { role?: string }).role ?? '').toLowerCase();
+  return KEEP_DECORATION_ROLES.has(role);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns true if any node was modified.
+ */
+export function stripNestedCardDecoration(root: PenNode): boolean {
+  let changed = false;
+  walk(root, []);
+  return changed;
+
+  function walk(node: PenNode, ancestors: PenNode[]): void {
+    if (node.type === 'frame') {
+      const ancestorDeco = ancestors
+        .filter((a) => a.type === 'frame')
+        .map(readDecoration)
+        .reduce(
+          (acc, d) => ({
+            hasStroke: acc.hasStroke || d.hasStroke,
+            hasCornerRadius: acc.hasCornerRadius || d.hasCornerRadius,
+            hasShadow: acc.hasShadow || d.hasShadow,
+          }),
+          { hasStroke: false, hasCornerRadius: false, hasShadow: false },
+        );
+      const own = readDecoration(node);
+      const isProtected = isRoleProtected(node);
+      if (!isProtected) {
+        const n = node as PenNode & {
+          stroke?: unknown;
+          cornerRadius?: unknown;
+          effects?: unknown;
+        };
+        if (own.hasStroke && ancestorDeco.hasStroke) {
+          delete n.stroke;
+          changed = true;
+        }
+        if (own.hasCornerRadius && ancestorDeco.hasCornerRadius) {
+          delete n.cornerRadius;
+          changed = true;
+        }
+        if (own.hasShadow && ancestorDeco.hasShadow) {
+          delete n.effects;
+          changed = true;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    if ('children' in node && Array.isArray(node.children)) {
+      const nextAncestors = ancestors.concat(node);
+      for (const child of node.children) walk(child, nextAncestors);
+    }
+  }
+}