A computational instance of a remote network management platform includes a persistent storage that contains a plurality of CI records corresponding to a set of computing devices disposed within a managed network, a set of software applications configured to execute on the set of computing devices, and a network-based service that is provided by execution of the set of software applications. The computational instance also includes one or more server devices configured to: receive an indication of a change to a CI record of the plurality of CI records; add, to a flapper candidates table in the persistent storage, a new value for a field of the CI record; determine, using a flapper detection strategy, flapper strategy data based on the new value and at least one old value for the field; and determine, based on the flapper strategy data, whether to trigger a re-computation of the service model.