diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5a0daf515..11fef2cfe 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ Full release notes with details on each version: [GitHub Releases](https://githu
 
 ## 0.9.63 (2026-09-16)
 
+- Feature: `god-nodes` now splits its ranking by in-degree and out-degree on a directed graph, not just total degree. High in-degree (many things depend on this node) and high out-degree (this node depends on many things) answer opposite questions, and collapsing them into one number ranked a heavily-relied-on module next to a config file with many outbound-only edges as though comparable. Every result carries both counts; the CLI's new `--by total|in|out` flag re-ranks by either one, and text output now flags when a printed label is shared by more than one node (#2488, thanks @luliaz0601).
+
 - Feature: Elixir `alias`/`import`/`require`/`use` targets now resolve onto the module's `defmodule` node across files, so the internal module dependency graph is no longer dropped as dangling. Only top-level modules are indexed (a nested `defmodule`, labeled with its bare inner name, cannot capture an unrelated `use <Name>` from another file), and a same-file reference is left unresolved so it cannot clobber the structural `contains` edge (#3603, thanks @ayushcodes10).
 - Feature: a Rust `self.method()` call now resolves to a method defined on the same type in another file (the common split-`impl`-block layout), pooling methods across every `impl` of one type and refusing to link when two unrelated types share a bare name (#3602, thanks @ayushcodes10).
 - Feature: a Ruby member call `obj.foo` on a known-type receiver now resolves to a method `foo` inherited from a superclass, including across files, using the same conservative promotion as the implicit-self resolver — a single owning class, matching method kind, and one unambiguous ancestry chain, or it stays dangling (#3585, thanks @oleksii-tumanov).
diff --git a/graphify/__main__.py b/graphify/__main__.py
index 4a68e7240..3f73c12df 100644
--- a/graphify/__main__.py
+++ b/graphify/__main__.py
@@ -590,6 +590,7 @@ def _run_cli() -> None:
         print("    --graph <path>          path to graph.json (default graphify-out/graph.json)")
         print("  god-nodes               list the most connected nodes (architectural hubs)")
         print("    --top N                 how many to show (default 10)")
+        print("    --by total|in|out       rank by total degree, in-degree, or out-degree (default total, directed graphs only)")
         print("    --graph <path>          path to graph.json (default graphify-out/graph.json)")
         print("    --json                  emit JSON instead of text")
         print("  prs                     PR dashboard: CI state, review status, worktree mapping")
diff --git a/graphify/analyze.py b/graphify/analyze.py
index df1c20661..d99502d60 100644
--- a/graphify/analyze.py
+++ b/graphify/analyze.py
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ def _is_json_key_node(G: nx.Graph, node_id: str) -> bool:
 
 
 def god_nodes(G: nx.Graph, top_n: int = 10,
-              exclude_hubs_percentile: float | None = None) -> list[dict]:
+              exclude_hubs_percentile: float | None = None,
+              sort_by: str = "total") -> list[dict]:
     """Return the top_n most-connected real entities - the core abstractions.
 
     File-level hub nodes are excluded: they accumulate import/contains edges
@@ -118,28 +119,52 @@ def god_nodes(G: nx.Graph, top_n: int = 10,
     threshold computation ``cluster()`` applies (#3205) - so the one setting
     suppresses utility hubs in the ranking AND in community resolution,
     instead of only the latter. ``None`` keeps the historical ranking.
+
+    ``sort_by`` picks the ranking metric: ``"total"`` (default, historical
+    behavior), ``"in"``, or ``"out"``. On a directed graph, total degree sums
+    in-degree (how many things depend on this node - break it and they break)
+    and out-degree (how many things this node depends on - it breaks easily),
+    which answer opposite questions; collapsing them ranks a heavily-depended-on
+    module next to a config file with many outbound-only edges as if
+    comparable (#2488). Every result carries ``in_degree``/``out_degree`` when
+    the graph is directed, regardless of ``sort_by``, so a caller can always
+    show the split. On an undirected graph in/out has no meaning; ``sort_by``
+    is ignored and results carry no ``in_degree``/``out_degree`` keys.
     """
-    degree = dict(G.degree())
+    directed = G.is_directed()
+    if directed:
+        in_degree = dict(G.in_degree())
+        out_degree = dict(G.out_degree())
+        degree = {n: in_degree[n] + out_degree[n] for n in G.nodes()}
+        sort_key = {"total": degree, "in": in_degree, "out": out_degree}.get(sort_by, degree)
+    else:
+        degree = dict(G.degree())
+        sort_key = degree
     hub_threshold: float | None = None
     if exclude_hubs_percentile is not None:
         degrees = sorted(degree.values())
         if degrees:
             idx = max(0, int(len(degrees) * exclude_hubs_percentile / 100) - 1)
             hub_threshold = degrees[idx]
-    sorted_nodes = sorted(degree.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
+    sorted_nodes = sorted(sort_key.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
     result = []
-    for node_id, deg in sorted_nodes:
+    for node_id, _rank_deg in sorted_nodes:
+        deg = degree[node_id]
         if hub_threshold is not None and deg > hub_threshold:
             continue
         if _is_file_node(G, node_id) or _is_concept_node(G, node_id) or _is_json_key_node(G, node_id):
             continue
         if G.nodes[node_id].get("label", "") in _BUILTIN_NOISE_LABELS:
             continue
-        result.append({
+        entry = {
             "id": node_id,
             "label": G.nodes[node_id].get("label", node_id),
             "degree": deg,
-        })
+        }
+        if directed:
+            entry["in_degree"] = in_degree[node_id]
+            entry["out_degree"] = out_degree[node_id]
+        result.append(entry)
         if len(result) >= top_n:
             break
     return result
diff --git a/graphify/cli.py b/graphify/cli.py
index 5503a9185..59cfb10bb 100644
--- a/graphify/cli.py
+++ b/graphify/cli.py
@@ -1399,6 +1399,7 @@ def dispatch_command(cmd: str) -> None:
         graph_path = _default_graph_path()
         top_n = 10
         gn_exclude_hubs: float | None = None
+        gn_sort_by = "total"
         as_json = "--json" in sys.argv
         args = sys.argv[2:]
         i = 0
@@ -1437,8 +1438,17 @@ def dispatch_command(cmd: str) -> None:
                     print("error: --exclude-hubs must be a number (percentile 0-100)", file=sys.stderr)
                     sys.exit(1)
                 i += 1
+            elif args[i] == "--by" and i + 1 < len(args):
+                gn_sort_by = args[i + 1]
+                i += 2
+            elif args[i].startswith("--by="):
+                gn_sort_by = args[i].split("=", 1)[1]
+                i += 1
             else:
                 i += 1
+        if gn_sort_by not in ("total", "in", "out"):
+            print(f"error: --by must be one of total, in, out (got {gn_sort_by!r})", file=sys.stderr)
+            sys.exit(1)
         gp = Path(graph_path).resolve()
         if not gp.exists():
             print(f"error: graph file not found: {gp}", file=sys.stderr)
@@ -1451,13 +1461,25 @@ def dispatch_command(cmd: str) -> None:
         except Exception as exc:
             print(f"error: could not load graph: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
             sys.exit(1)
-        gods = _god_nodes(G, top_n=top_n, exclude_hubs_percentile=gn_exclude_hubs)
+        gods = _god_nodes(G, top_n=top_n, exclude_hubs_percentile=gn_exclude_hubs, sort_by=gn_sort_by)
         if as_json:
             print(json.dumps(gods, indent=2))
         else:
+            # #2488: a label shared by multiple nodes ranks as one indistinguishable
+            # line, so a per-label count of REAL (in-graph) nodes flags the ambiguity
+            # rather than letting the output look actionable when it is not.
+            label_counts: dict[str, int] = {}
+            for node_id, data in G.nodes(data=True):
+                label_counts[str(data.get("label", node_id))] = label_counts.get(str(data.get("label", node_id)), 0) + 1
             print("God nodes (most connected):")
             for rank, n in enumerate(gods, 1):
-                print(f"  {rank}. {_sanitize_label(str(n['label']))} - {n['degree']} edges")
+                label = _sanitize_label(str(n["label"]))
+                suffix = ""
+                if "in_degree" in n:
+                    suffix = f" ({n['in_degree']} in / {n['out_degree']} out)"
+                count = label_counts.get(str(n["label"]), 1)
+                ambiguity = f"  [{count} nodes share this label]" if count > 1 else ""
+                print(f"  {rank}. {label} - {n['degree']} edges{suffix}{ambiguity}")
     elif cmd == "save-result":
         # graphify save-result --question Q --answer A [--type T] [--nodes N1 N2 ...]
         #                      [--outcome useful|dead_end|corrected] [--correction TEXT]
diff --git a/tests/test_analyze.py b/tests/test_analyze.py
index 7bff432cf..c702c8311 100644
--- a/tests/test_analyze.py
+++ b/tests/test_analyze.py
@@ -37,6 +37,82 @@ def test_god_nodes_have_required_keys():
     assert "degree" in result[0]
 
 
+def _make_directed_god_graph():
+    """A small directed graph shaped like #2488's repro: one node with many
+    inbound edges (a widely-depended-on abstraction) and one with many
+    outbound edges (a config-shaped node that depends on many things), so
+    they rank as neighbors under total degree despite being opposites."""
+    G = nx.DiGraph()
+    G.add_node("hub", label="hub()", file_type="code", source_file="auth.py")
+    G.add_node("config", label="config", file_type="code", source_file="tsconfig.json")
+    for i in range(4):
+        caller = f"caller{i}"
+        G.add_node(caller, label=f"caller{i}()", file_type="code", source_file=f"c{i}.py")
+        G.add_edge(caller, "hub")  # 4 inbound edges to hub
+    for i in range(4):
+        dep = f"dep{i}"
+        G.add_node(dep, label=f"dep{i}", file_type="code", source_file="tsconfig.json")
+        G.add_edge("config", dep)  # 4 outbound edges from config
+    return G
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_directed_graph_carries_in_out_degree():
+    """#2488: a directed graph's results must carry in_degree/out_degree
+    alongside total degree, so a caller can tell "many things depend on this"
+    from "this depends on many things" without re-deriving it."""
+    G = _make_directed_god_graph()
+    result = god_nodes(G, top_n=10)
+    by_id = {r["id"]: r for r in result}
+    assert by_id["hub"]["in_degree"] == 4
+    assert by_id["hub"]["out_degree"] == 0
+    assert by_id["hub"]["degree"] == 4
+    assert by_id["config"]["in_degree"] == 0
+    assert by_id["config"]["out_degree"] == 4
+    assert by_id["config"]["degree"] == 4
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_undirected_graph_has_no_in_out_degree():
+    """An undirected graph has no in/out distinction, so results must not
+    carry in_degree/out_degree keys at all rather than a meaningless value."""
+    G = make_graph()
+    result = god_nodes(G, top_n=3)
+    for r in result:
+        assert "in_degree" not in r
+        assert "out_degree" not in r
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_sort_by_in_ranks_by_inbound_only():
+    G = _make_directed_god_graph()
+    # 8 more callers into hub so its in-degree clearly exceeds config's total.
+    for i in range(4, 8):
+        caller = f"caller{i}"
+        G.add_node(caller, label=f"caller{i}()", file_type="code", source_file=f"c{i}.py")
+        G.add_edge(caller, "hub")
+    result = god_nodes(G, top_n=1, sort_by="in")
+    assert result[0]["id"] == "hub"
+    assert result[0]["in_degree"] == 8
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_sort_by_out_ranks_by_outbound_only():
+    G = _make_directed_god_graph()
+    for i in range(4, 8):
+        dep = f"dep{i}"
+        G.add_node(dep, label=f"dep{i}", file_type="code", source_file="tsconfig.json")
+        G.add_edge("config", dep)
+    result = god_nodes(G, top_n=1, sort_by="out")
+    assert result[0]["id"] == "config"
+    assert result[0]["out_degree"] == 8
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_sort_by_unknown_falls_back_to_total():
+    """An unrecognized sort_by must not raise -- it degrades to the
+    historical total-degree ranking rather than crashing a caller."""
+    G = _make_directed_god_graph()
+    result = god_nodes(G, top_n=10, sort_by="bogus")
+    degrees = [r["degree"] for r in result]
+    assert degrees == sorted(degrees, reverse=True)
+
+
 def test_surprising_connections_cross_source_multi_file():
     """Multi-file graph: should find cross-file edges between real entities."""
     G = make_graph()
diff --git a/tests/test_god_nodes_cli.py b/tests/test_god_nodes_cli.py
index 28bacc9b1..9f79a2fdf 100644
--- a/tests/test_god_nodes_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_god_nodes_cli.py
@@ -74,3 +74,47 @@ def test_god_nodes_cli_missing_graph_errors(monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys):
         _run(monkeypatch, ["graphify", "god-nodes", "--graph", str(tmp_path / "nope.json")])
     assert exc.value.code == 1
     assert "graph file not found" in capsys.readouterr().err
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_cli_text_output_shows_in_out_split(monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys):
+    """#2488: text output on a directed graph must show the in/out split, not
+    just total degree, so a heavily-depended-on node is distinguishable from
+    one that merely depends on many things."""
+    gp = _write_graph(tmp_path)
+    _run(monkeypatch, ["graphify", "god-nodes", "--graph", str(gp)])
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "(5 in / 0 out)" in out  # hub: 4 callers + the file's contains edge, 0 outbound
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_cli_by_in(monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys):
+    gp = _write_graph(tmp_path)
+    _run(monkeypatch, ["graphify", "god-nodes", "--graph", str(gp), "--by", "in", "--top", "1"])
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "Auth" in out
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_cli_by_invalid_errors(monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys):
+    gp = _write_graph(tmp_path)
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        _run(monkeypatch, ["graphify", "god-nodes", "--graph", str(gp), "--by", "bogus"])
+    assert exc.value.code == 1
+    assert "--by must be one of total, in, out" in capsys.readouterr().err
+
+
+def test_god_nodes_cli_flags_ambiguous_shared_labels(monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys):
+    """#2488: two distinct nodes sharing one label must be flagged in the
+    text output, since the ranking otherwise looks safe to act on when the
+    printed label doesn't identify a single node."""
+    g = nx.DiGraph()
+    g.add_node("hub", label="Auth", file_type="code", source_file="auth.py", source_location="L1")
+    g.add_node("hub2", label="Auth", file_type="code", source_file="other.py", source_location="L1")
+    for i in range(4):
+        g.add_node(f"caller{i}", label=f"c{i}()", file_type="code", source_file=f"m{i}.py", source_location="L1")
+        g.add_edge(f"caller{i}", "hub", relation="calls", confidence="EXTRACTED")
+    g.add_edge("caller0", "hub2", relation="calls", confidence="EXTRACTED")
+    gp = tmp_path / "graph.json"
+    gp.write_text(json.dumps(json_graph.node_link_data(g, edges="links")), encoding="utf-8")
+
+    _run(monkeypatch, ["graphify", "god-nodes", "--graph", str(gp)])
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "2 nodes share this label" in out