diff --git a/modules/mesh-cli/cmd/mesh-cli/commands.go b/modules/mesh-cli/cmd/mesh-cli/commands.go
index 6513750b..93f56405 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-cli/cmd/mesh-cli/commands.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-cli/cmd/mesh-cli/commands.go
@@ -352,9 +352,11 @@ var commands = []command{
 			a["consumer"] = l.pos[0]
 			// The vault deletes only when confirm repeats the holder's name (mesh-vault retirement.go); without
 			// --confirm it answers what it would delete.
-			if l.has("confirm") {
-				a["confirm"] = l.pos[0]
+			if !l.has("confirm") {
+				// Without --confirm the vault deletes nothing and says so: no act is recorded for it.
+				return call{"mesh-vault.provisioner_delete", a}, nil
 			}
+			a["confirm"] = l.pos[0]
 			return warranted(call{"mesh-vault.provisioner_delete", a}, l.pos[0]), nil
 		}},
 	{words: []string{"cleanup"}, does: "every retired holder per provider", build: fixed("mesh-vault.provisioner_retirement")},
diff --git a/modules/mesh-cli/cmd/mesh-cli/main_test.go b/modules/mesh-cli/cmd/mesh-cli/main_test.go
index e22808e9..3caa0897 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-cli/cmd/mesh-cli/main_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-cli/cmd/mesh-cli/main_test.go
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ func TestEachLineCallsItsOwner(t *testing.T) {
 		{"settings clear zsh execute --node g14 --why test", "mesh-config.config", `{"action":"clear","key":"execute","module":"zsh","node":"g14","why":"test"}`},
 		{"config history --key k --limit 5", "mesh-config.config", `{"action":"history","key":"k","limit":5}`},
 		{"operator key show", "mesh-vault.vault_status", `{}`},
+		// A cleanup without --confirm deletes nothing, so no hand act is recorded for it (issue 1126 review 2).
+		{"cleanup delete ace.plex --why dry", "mesh-vault.provisioner_delete", `{"consumer":"ace.plex","why":"dry"}`},
 		{"collect --confirm --why space", "mesh-artifact-sweep.collect", `{"confirm":"true","why":"space"}`},
 		{"images ace", "mesh-artifact-sweep.images", `{"node":"ace"}`},
 		{"licence use g14 work", "anthropic-licence-manager.switch", `{"consumer":"g14","licence":"work"}`},
@@ -296,8 +298,6 @@ func TestASensitiveLineRecordsItsHandActAndNamesIt(t *testing.T) {
 			`{"act":"act-7","consumers":["c1","c2"],"why":"done"}`},
 		{"cleanup delete ace.plex --why done --confirm", "mesh-vault.provisioner_delete", "mesh-vault.provisioner_delete", "ace.plex",
 			`{"act":"act-7","confirm":"ace.plex","consumer":"ace.plex","why":"done"}`},
-		{"cleanup delete ace.plex --why dry", "mesh-vault.provisioner_delete", "mesh-vault.provisioner_delete", "ace.plex",
-			`{"act":"act-7","consumer":"ace.plex","why":"dry"}`},
 	} {
 		got := console(t, map[string]string{"mesh-hand-acts.hand-act": recorded})
 		code, _, errOut := runLine(strings.Fields(c.line)...)
diff --git a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/sensitive_test.go b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/sensitive_test.go
index e7b33417..89380d44 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/sensitive_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/sensitive_test.go
@@ -102,3 +102,17 @@ func TestNoxsRuntimeExportsWithItsHandActAndIsRefusedWithout(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("an export with nox's act: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// Review 2 of issue 1126: a delete without its confirm deletes nothing, so it is refused for that, never judged as an
+// act wanting a hand act; nox records none for it.
+func TestADeleteWithoutConfirmIsRefusedForItsConfirmAlone(t *testing.T) {
+	del := toolNamed(t, definitions(&Env{Custody: retiredC(t).Custody}), "provisioner_delete")
+	if _, err := del.runAs("shanks.node-tools", map[string]any{"consumer": "d-app", "why": "look"}); err == nil ||
+		!strings.Contains(err.Error(), "confirm must repeat") {
+		t.Errorf("an unconfirmed delete: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := del.runAs("shanks.node-tools", map[string]any{"consumer": "d-app", "confirm": "d-app", "why": "gone"}); err == nil ||
+		!strings.Contains(err.Error(), "named none") {
+		t.Errorf("a confirmed delete with no act: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/tools.go b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/tools.go
index 16dd07c5..9cdcff77 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/tools.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/tools.go
@@ -540,13 +540,17 @@ func definitions(env *Env) []toolDef {
 			Input: actInput(false, true),
 			run: func(caller string, a map[string]any) (any, error) {
 				consumer, _ := a["consumer"].(string)
-				if err := env.judge(caller, SensitiveDelete, a, consumer); err != nil {
-					return nil, err
+				confirm, _ := a["confirm"].(string)
+				// A delete without its confirm deletes nothing and is refused for that alone (Custody.Delete); one
+				// confirmed is judged.
+				if confirm != "" {
+					if err := env.judge(caller, SensitiveDelete, a, consumer); err != nil {
+						return nil, err
+					}
 				}
 				if env.Custody == nil {
 					return nil, errors.New("the vault has no custody ledger")
 				}
-				confirm, _ := a["confirm"].(string)
 				if err := env.Custody.Delete(consumer, confirm, actOf(caller, a)); err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}