diff --git a/modules/mssql/module.json b/modules/mssql/module.json
index 20fca53..b362154 100644
--- a/modules/mssql/module.json
+++ b/modules/mssql/module.json
@@ -21,23 +21,23 @@
   "listens": [
     {
       "name": "database",
-      "port": 4848,
+      "port": 1433,
       "protocol": "tcp",
       "from": "mesh",
-      "why": "modules on any machine that were granted a database. 4848, not 1433: the machine this replaces has served it there since it was installed, and every consumer was handed that number"
+      "why": "modules on any machine that were granted a database, and the people who were given its address; the machine port is the assignment's to pin"
     }
   ],
   "serves": {
     "mssql-database": {}
   },
   "receives": {
-    "mssql-database": "/var/lib/mssql/grants/mesh.json"
+    "mssql-database": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
   },
   "grants": {
-    "mssql-database": "/var/lib/mssql/grants"
+    "mssql-database": "${dir:grants}"
   },
   "own-secrets": {
-    "sa": "/var/lib/mssql/sa.secret",
+    "sa": "${dir:state}/sa.secret",
     "broker": "/var/lib/mesh/mssql/broker"
   },
   "resources": [
@@ -50,19 +50,18 @@
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
-      "path": "/var/lib/mssql",
-      "mode": "0700"
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "."
     },
     {
       "id": "grants",
       "type": "directory",
-      "path": "/var/lib/mssql/grants",
       "mode": "0700"
     },
     {
       "id": "sa-env",
       "type": "file",
-      "path": "/var/lib/mssql/sa.env",
+      "path": "${dir:state}/sa.env",
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "ACCEPT_EULA=Y\nMSSQL_SA_PASSWORD=${secret:sa}\n"
     },
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@
       "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server@sha256:4402d880dd4c34bfa7d8705e56a86cd6c88da80a1f6bbbe741f999e76264a090",
       "network": "mssql",
       "env-file": [
-        "/var/lib/mssql/sa.env"
+        "${dir:state}/sa.env"
       ],
       "ports": [
         "1433"
@@ -101,8 +100,8 @@
       "network": "mssql",
       "volumes": [
         "/var/lib/mesh/mssql/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
-        "/var/lib/mssql/grants:/var/lib/mssql/grants:ro",
-        "/var/lib/mssql/sa.secret:/run/secrets/sa:ro"
+        "${dir:grants}:/var/lib/mssql/grants:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/sa.secret:/run/secrets/sa:ro"
       ],
       "env": {
         "MESH_PROVISION_MSSQL": "mssql://sa@mssql:1433/master",