diff --git a/internal/award/award_test.go b/internal/award/award_test.go
index 3f1754b..7a96a5a 100644
--- a/internal/award/award_test.go
+++ b/internal/award/award_test.go
@@ -165,6 +165,49 @@ func TestComputeOrRuleFallback(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// The user's WAPC cascade: (1) province NAME in QTH, else (2) province NAME in
+// ADDRESS, else (3) match-by-pattern in QTH, which runs each reference's OWN
+// regex (city lists). Confirms the ordered fallback + that a match-by-pattern
+// rule with an empty rule-pattern triggers the per-reference regexes.
+func TestComputeProvinceCascade(t *testing.T) {
+	def := Def{Code: "WAPC", Type: TypeQSOFields, Field: "qth", MatchBy: "description",
+		DXCCFilter: []int{318}, Valid: true,
+		OrRules: []OrRule{
+			{Field: "address", MatchBy: "description"},
+			{Field: "qth", MatchBy: "pattern"}, // empty pattern → per-reference regexes
+		},
+	}
+	refMetas := map[string][]RefMeta{"WAPC": {
+		{Code: "JS", Name: "Jiangsu", Pattern: `\bJiangyin\b`, Valid: true},
+		{Code: "ZJ", Name: "Zhejiang", Pattern: `\bHangzhou\b`, Valid: true},
+	}}
+	worked := func(q qso.QSO) []string {
+		r := Compute([]Def{def}, []qso.QSO{q}, refMetas, nil)[0]
+		var out []string
+		for _, rf := range r.Refs {
+			if rf.Worked {
+				out = append(out, rf.Ref)
+			}
+		}
+		return out
+	}
+	cases := []struct {
+		name, qth, addr string
+		want            string
+	}{
+		{"name in qth", "Wuxi, Jiangsu", "", "JS"},
+		{"name in address", "Wuxi", "Jiangsu Province", "JS"},
+		{"city regex (Jiangyin) in qth", "Jiangyin", "", "JS"},
+		{"city regex (Hangzhou) in qth", "Hangzhou", "", "ZJ"},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		got := worked(qso.QSO{Callsign: "BA1A", DXCC: ip(318), QTH: c.qth, Address: c.addr})
+		if len(got) != 1 || got[0] != c.want {
+			t.Errorf("%s: got %v, want [%s]", c.name, got, c.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // A manually-assigned override (ManualRefsKey) must count in Compute — not just
 // MatchQSO — so a custom award like WAPC (matches ADDRESS by description, writes
 // no QSO field) sticks after the operator picks the province by hand. The engine
diff --git a/internal/cat/flex.go b/internal/cat/flex.go
index 85ba838..5bb6352 100644
--- a/internal/cat/flex.go
+++ b/internal/cat/flex.go
@@ -919,9 +919,11 @@ func (f *Flex) txSliceLocked() *flexSlice {
 // operatingLocked resolves the operator's slices: the MAIN (active) slice for the
 // mode/display, and — ONLY for a GENUINE split — the RX and TX slices. Split is
 // the tx-flagged slice PLUS a distinct in-use slice on the SAME band (different
-// freq) — detected from the pair itself, NOT from which slice is active (the TX
-// slice often steals focus right after "slice create", which must NOT read as
-// "no split"). A slice on another band is an independent receiver, ignored.
+// freq) AND the SAME split class (both PHONE, or both CW) — detected from the
+// pair itself, NOT from which slice is active (the TX slice often steals focus
+// right after "slice create", which must NOT read as "no split"). A slice on
+// another band is an independent receiver, ignored; so is a same-band slice in a
+// different mode (SSB + FT8) or a data mode (FT8/FT4/RTTY never split).
 // Caller holds f.mu.
 func (f *Flex) operatingLocked() (main, rx, tx *flexSlice) {
 	_, main = f.mainSliceLocked()
@@ -933,21 +935,31 @@ func (f *Flex) operatingLocked() (main, rx, tx *flexSlice) {
 	if bt == "" {
 		return main, nil, nil
 	}
-	// RX = the active slice when it's a distinct same-band slice, else the first
-	// other in-use same-band slice.
-	if main != nil && main != txS && main.freqHz != txS.freqHz && BandFromHz(main.freqHz) == bt {
+	// Split only applies to PHONE/CW; a data-mode TX slice never splits.
+	ct := flexSplitClass(txS.mode)
+	if ct == "" {
+		return main, nil, nil
+	}
+	// A split partner is an in-use, same-band slice at a different freq in the
+	// SAME split class (so SSB + FT8 on one band is NOT a split).
+	sameSplit := func(s *flexSlice) bool {
+		return s != nil && s.inUse && s != txS && s.freqHz != txS.freqHz &&
+			BandFromHz(s.freqHz) == bt && flexSplitClass(s.mode) == ct
+	}
+	// RX = the active slice when it qualifies, else the first other qualifying
+	// same-band slice.
+	if sameSplit(main) {
 		rx = main
 	} else {
 		for _, idx := range f.sortedSliceIdxLocked() {
-			s := f.slices[idx]
-			if s.inUse && s != txS && s.freqHz != txS.freqHz && BandFromHz(s.freqHz) == bt {
+			if s := f.slices[idx]; sameSplit(s) {
 				rx = s
 				break
 			}
 		}
 	}
 	if rx == nil {
-		return main, nil, nil // tx slice alone (simplex) → not split
+		return main, nil, nil // tx slice alone (simplex) or no same-mode partner → not split
 	}
 	return main, rx, txS
 }
@@ -1921,6 +1933,23 @@ func parseFloatDefault(s string, def float64) float64 {
 }
 
 // flexModeToADIF maps a Flex slice mode to a generic ADIF mode.
+// flexSplitClass groups a raw Flex slice mode into a split-capable class. A
+// genuine split (one RX freq, one TX freq, SAME mode) only makes sense for PHONE
+// and CW pileups. Data modes (FT8/FT4/RTTY all report as DIGU/DIGL/RTTY on a
+// Flex) and digital voice never operate split, so they return "" (not
+// split-capable). Two same-band slices whose classes differ (e.g. SSB + FT8) are
+// independent operations, not a split.
+func flexSplitClass(rawMode string) string {
+	switch flexModeToADIF(rawMode) {
+	case "SSB", "AM", "FM":
+		return "PHONE"
+	case "CW":
+		return "CW"
+	default: // DATA, RTTY, DIGITALVOICE, "" → never split
+		return ""
+	}
+}
+
 func flexModeToADIF(m string) string {
 	switch strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(m)) {
 	case "USB", "LSB":
diff --git a/internal/cat/flex_split_test.go b/internal/cat/flex_split_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4add7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cat/flex_split_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package cat
+
+import "testing"
+
+// A genuine split is two same-band slices in the SAME split class (both PHONE or
+// both CW). Two same-band slices in different modes (SSB + FT8), or in a data
+// mode (FT8/FT4/RTTY = DIGU/DIGL), must NOT read as split.
+func TestOperatingSplitMode(t *testing.T) {
+	mk := func(hz int64, mode string, active, tx bool) *flexSlice {
+		return &flexSlice{freqHz: hz, mode: mode, active: active, tx: tx, inUse: true}
+	}
+	cases := []struct {
+		name      string
+		slices    map[int]*flexSlice
+		wantSplit bool
+	}{
+		{"phone split (both USB)", map[int]*flexSlice{
+			0: mk(14_100_000, "USB", true, false),
+			1: mk(14_200_000, "USB", false, true),
+		}, true},
+		{"CW split (both CW)", map[int]*flexSlice{
+			0: mk(7_010_000, "CW", true, false),
+			1: mk(7_025_000, "CW", false, true),
+		}, true},
+		{"SSB + FT8 same band → not split", map[int]*flexSlice{
+			0: mk(14_100_000, "USB", true, false),
+			1: mk(14_074_000, "DIGU", false, true),
+		}, false},
+		{"both FT8 (DIGU) same band → not split", map[int]*flexSlice{
+			0: mk(14_074_000, "DIGU", true, false),
+			1: mk(14_080_000, "DIGU", false, true),
+		}, false},
+		{"different bands → not split", map[int]*flexSlice{
+			0: mk(14_100_000, "USB", true, false),
+			1: mk(7_100_000, "LSB", false, true),
+		}, false},
+		{"simplex (single slice) → not split", map[int]*flexSlice{
+			0: mk(14_100_000, "USB", true, true),
+		}, false},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		f := &Flex{slices: c.slices}
+		_, rx, tx := f.operatingLocked()
+		gotSplit := rx != nil && tx != nil
+		if gotSplit != c.wantSplit {
+			t.Errorf("%s: split=%v, want %v", c.name, gotSplit, c.wantSplit)
+		}
+	}
+}