diff --git a/backend/app/main.py b/backend/app/main.py
index 13fdaed..0faaf88 100644
--- a/backend/app/main.py
+++ b/backend/app/main.py
@@ -228,9 +228,15 @@ def db_health():
     except Exception:
         chroma_status = "down"
 
-    overall_status = "ok" if db_status == "up" and chroma_status == "up" else "degraded"
-    return{
-        "status": db_status,
+    if db_status == "up" and chroma_status == "up":
+        overall_status = "healthy"
+    elif db_status == "down" and chroma_status == "down":
+        overall_status = "unhealthy"
+    else:
+        overall_status = "degraded"
+
+    return {
+        "status": overall_status,
         "chroma": chroma_status,
         "db": db_status
     }
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_api.py b/backend/tests/test_api.py
index 2a2a409..68d769e 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_api.py
@@ -13,3 +13,74 @@ async def test_health_check_route():
 
     assert response.status_code == 200
     # Add more assertions based on expected JSON response
+
+
+async def test_health_check_db_healthy_chroma_healthy(monkeypatch):
+    # Case 1: DB healthy, Chroma healthy -> status = healthy
+    # Both are healthy by default in test env (get_db yields test db, get_chroma_client works)
+    async with AsyncClient(transport=ASGITransport(app=app), base_url="http://testserver") as ac:
+        response = await ac.get("/health")
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    data = response.json()
+    assert data["status"] == "healthy"
+    assert data["db"] == "up"
+    assert data["chroma"] == "up"
+
+
+async def test_health_check_db_healthy_chroma_unhealthy(monkeypatch):
+    # Case 2: DB healthy, Chroma unhealthy -> status = degraded
+    def mock_get_chroma_client_down():
+        raise Exception("Chroma connection refused")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("app.main.get_chroma_client", mock_get_chroma_client_down)
+
+    async with AsyncClient(transport=ASGITransport(app=app), base_url="http://testserver") as ac:
+        response = await ac.get("/health")
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    data = response.json()
+    assert data["status"] == "degraded"
+    assert data["db"] == "up"
+    assert data["chroma"] == "down"
+
+
+async def test_health_check_db_unhealthy_chroma_healthy(monkeypatch):
+    # Case 3: DB unhealthy, Chroma healthy -> status = degraded
+    from sqlalchemy.exc import SQLAlchemyError
+
+    def mock_get_db_down():
+        raise SQLAlchemyError("DB Connection refused")
+        yield
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("app.main.get_db", mock_get_db_down)
+
+    async with AsyncClient(transport=ASGITransport(app=app), base_url="http://testserver") as ac:
+        response = await ac.get("/health")
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    data = response.json()
+    assert data["status"] == "degraded"
+    assert data["db"] == "down"
+    assert data["chroma"] == "up"
+
+
+async def test_health_check_db_unhealthy_chroma_unhealthy(monkeypatch):
+    # Case 4: DB unhealthy, Chroma unhealthy -> status = unhealthy
+    from sqlalchemy.exc import SQLAlchemyError
+
+    def mock_get_db_down():
+        raise SQLAlchemyError("DB Connection refused")
+        yield
+
+    def mock_get_chroma_client_down():
+        raise Exception("Chroma connection refused")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("app.main.get_db", mock_get_db_down)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("app.main.get_chroma_client", mock_get_chroma_client_down)
+
+    async with AsyncClient(transport=ASGITransport(app=app), base_url="http://testserver") as ac:
+        response = await ac.get("/health")
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    data = response.json()
+    assert data["status"] == "unhealthy"
+    assert data["db"] == "down"
+    assert data["chroma"] == "down"
+