diff --git a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/main.go b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/main.go
index bafecedd..f2e0f6d2 100644
--- a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/main.go
+++ b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/main.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func limitOf(a map[string]any, fallback int) int {
 	return fallback
 }
 
-func tools(monitor Monitor, users func(context.Context) ([]byte, error)) []stdio.Tool {
+func tools(monitor Monitor, users func(context.Context) ([]byte, error), written func(context.Context) (time.Time, error)) []stdio.Tool {
 	get := func(path string) ([]byte, error) {
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
@@ -123,20 +123,28 @@ func tools(monitor Monitor, users func(context.Context) ([]byte, error)) []stdio
 				return Users(c, arg(a, "user")), nil
 			}},
 		{Name: "nats_user_can",
-			Description: "Whether a bus user may publish or subscribe to a subject, and the grant that allows it — the question behind a request that timed out because the bus refused it.",
+			Description: "Whether a bus user may publish or subscribe to a subject, and the grant that allows it — the question behind a request that timed out because the bus refused it. Also whether the running server holds it: `in_force` is true only when the user list on the machine allows it and the server reloaded its configuration after that list was written (novox/hq issue 353: a list sent is not a list the bus enforces until it reloads).",
 			Input:       map[string]any{"user": str("the user exactly, e.g. g14.node-tools"), "action": str("publish or subscribe"), "subject": str("a concrete subject, e.g. $KV.claude-code_servers.all.x")},
 			Run: func(a map[string]any) (any, error) {
 				c, err := conf()
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
-				return UserCan(c, arg(a, "user"), arg(a, "action"), arg(a, "subject"))
+				answer, err := UserCan(c, arg(a, "user"), arg(a, "action"), arg(a, "subject"))
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+				ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
+				defer cancel()
+				at, werr := written(ctx)
+				varz, verr := get("/varz")
+				return InForce(answer, at, werr, varz, verr), nil
 			}},
 	}
 }
 
 func main() {
-	if err := stdio.Serve("", tools(LiveMonitor(), ReadUsers)); err != nil {
+	if err := stdio.Serve("", tools(LiveMonitor(), ReadUsers, UsersWritten)); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
diff --git a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/monitor.go b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/monitor.go
index a1b07075..191e7b16 100644
--- a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/monitor.go
+++ b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/monitor.go
@@ -65,3 +65,24 @@ func ReadUsers(ctx context.Context) ([]byte, error) {
 	}
 	return out, nil
 }
+
+// UsersWritten is when the composed user list the server includes was last written, read in the container
+// to the nanosecond (`stat -c %y`): what the server's last reload must come after for the list to be in force.
+func UsersWritten(ctx context.Context) (time.Time, error) {
+	container := env("MESH_NATS_CONTAINER", "mesh-broker-nats")
+	path := env("MESH_NATS_USERS_FILE", "/etc/nats/accounts.conf")
+	out, err := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "docker", "exec", container, "stat", "-c", "%y", path).Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return time.Time{}, fmt.Errorf("when the bus's user list was written could not be read inside %s: %w", container, err)
+	}
+	return ParseWritten(string(out))
+}
+
+// ParseWritten reads `stat -c %y`: "2026-10-09 17:38:13.422211788 +0000".
+func ParseWritten(s string) (time.Time, error) {
+	t, err := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.999999999 -0700", strings.TrimSpace(s))
+	if err != nil {
+		return time.Time{}, fmt.Errorf("when the bus's user list was written is not a time: %q", strings.TrimSpace(s))
+	}
+	return t, nil
+}
diff --git a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/tools.go b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/tools.go
index af0c725a..e725a070 100644
--- a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/tools.go
+++ b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/tools.go
@@ -536,3 +536,39 @@ func UserCan(conf []byte, user, action, subject string) (map[string]any, error)
 	}
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("the bus has no user %q; nats_users lists them", user)
 }
+
+// InForce adds to a UserCan answer whether the running server holds what the file says (novox/hq issue 353):
+// `in_force` only when the grant is allowed in the file and the server's last configuration load
+// (`config_load_time` of /varz) came after the file was last written. Anything not known is not in force, said
+// in `why`: an asker waiting for its grant must not take a list sent for a list the bus enforces.
+func InForce(answer map[string]any, written time.Time, writtenErr error, varz []byte, varzErr error) map[string]any {
+	answer["in_force"] = false
+	switch {
+	case writtenErr != nil:
+		answer["why"] = writtenErr.Error()
+		return answer
+	case varzErr != nil:
+		answer["why"] = "the server's last configuration load could not be read: " + varzErr.Error()
+		return answer
+	}
+	var v struct {
+		ConfigLoadTime time.Time `json:"config_load_time"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(varz, &v); err != nil || v.ConfigLoadTime.IsZero() {
+		answer["why"] = "the server does not say when it last loaded its configuration"
+		return answer
+	}
+	answer["file_written"] = written.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339Nano)
+	answer["server_loaded"] = v.ConfigLoadTime.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339Nano)
+	loaded := !v.ConfigLoadTime.Before(written)
+	allowed, _ := answer["allowed"].(bool)
+	switch {
+	case !allowed:
+		answer["why"] = "the user list on the machine does not allow it"
+	case !loaded:
+		answer["why"] = "the user list on the machine allows it, and the server has not reloaded since it was written"
+	default:
+		answer["in_force"] = true
+	}
+	return answer
+}
diff --git a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/tools_test.go b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/tools_test.go
index 786487cc..bd0e7d0f 100644
--- a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/tools_test.go
+++ b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/tools_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -170,3 +172,39 @@ func TestClosedConnectionsArePerUserAndNameAndSayWhichWereDropped(t *testing.T)
 		t.Errorf("narrowed: %+v", got)
 	}
 }
+
+// novox/hq issue 353: a grant written to the user list is in force only once the server reloaded after the
+// write; anything not known is not in force.
+func TestAGrantIsInForceOnlyWhenTheServerReloadedAfterTheListWasWritten(t *testing.T) {
+	written, err := ParseWritten("2026-10-09 17:55:56.422211788 +0200\n")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	varz := func(at string) []byte { return []byte(`{"config_load_time":"` + at + `"}`) }
+	allowed := func() map[string]any { return map[string]any{"allowed": true} }
+	cases := []struct {
+		name   string
+		answer map[string]any
+		werr   error
+		varz   []byte
+		verr   error
+		want   bool
+		says   string
+	}{
+		{"reloaded after the write", allowed(), nil, varz("2026-10-09T15:56:05.1Z"), nil, true, ""},
+		{"reloaded before the write", allowed(), nil, varz("2026-10-09T15:55:56.4Z"), nil, false, "has not reloaded"},
+		{"not allowed in the file", map[string]any{"allowed": false}, nil, varz("2026-10-09T15:56:05Z"), nil, false, "does not allow"},
+		{"the write time unknown", allowed(), errors.New("no container"), varz("2026-10-09T15:56:05Z"), nil, false, "no container"},
+		{"the server unknown", allowed(), nil, nil, errors.New("refused"), false, "could not be read"},
+		{"a server that says no load time", allowed(), nil, []byte(`{}`), nil, false, "does not say"},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		got := InForce(c.answer, written, c.werr, c.varz, c.verr)
+		if got["in_force"] != c.want || (c.says != "" && !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprint(got["why"]), c.says)) {
+			t.Errorf("%s: %v", c.name, got)
+		}
+	}
+	if _, err := ParseWritten("yesterday"); err == nil {
+		t.Error("a write time that is not one was read")
+	}
+}