diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/bus_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/bus_test.go
index 3a40582f9..bcbf1772a 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/bus_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/bus_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -56,6 +57,8 @@ type testBus struct {
 	// the teller's answers, as its tool teller_answers says them, and the delivery view's reach as view_reach says it.
 	mu      sync.Mutex
 	answers map[string][]byte
+	// the gate's ledger `records`, as the tool runner keeps it: it outlives one run of the gate, as the bus's does.
+	ledger *ledgerFake
 }
 
 func newTestBus(t *testing.T) *testBus {
@@ -119,8 +122,6 @@ type runtime struct {
 	next int
 	wait map[string]chan json.RawMessage
 
-	// the gate's ledger, as the tool runner keeps it.
-	ledger *ledgerFake
 	// what the bundle subscribed to, and asked of the mesh.
 	subs   []string
 	asked  []askedOfMesh
@@ -406,24 +407,24 @@ func (r *runtime) answer(m rpcMessage) {
 		switch m.Method {
 		case buscalls.LedgerApply, buscalls.LedgerGet:
 			// The gate's ledger `records` (W11.1), as the tool runner keeps it: the record test's ledger in memory.
-			r.mu.Lock()
-			defer r.mu.Unlock()
-			if r.ledger == nil {
-				r.ledger = newLedgerFake(r.t)
+			r.b.mu.Lock()
+			defer r.b.mu.Unlock()
+			if r.b.ledger == nil {
+				r.b.ledger = newLedgerFake(r.t)
 			}
 			if m.Method == buscalls.LedgerGet {
 				var in buscalls.InstanceRequest
 				if err := json.Unmarshal(m.Params, &in); err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
-				state, seq, err := r.ledger.Get(in.Instance)
+				state, seq, err := r.b.ledger.Get(in.Instance)
 				return buscalls.InstanceState{Instance: in.Instance, State: state, Sequence: seq}, err
 			}
 			var in buscalls.ApplyRequest
 			if err := json.Unmarshal(m.Params, &in); err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			seq, err := r.ledger.Apply(in.Instance, in.Operation, in.Body)
+			seq, err := r.b.ledger.Apply(in.Instance, in.Operation, in.Body)
 			return buscalls.Applied{Taken: err == nil, Sequence: seq}, err
 		}
 		kv := r.b.kvs[p.State]
@@ -656,6 +657,49 @@ func TestAPassingVerdictAsksTheApproveAndItsApproveMergesWithinSecondsOverARealB
 		return err == nil && json.Unmarshal(e.Value(), &d) == nil && d.State == Merged
 	})
 	rt.noControllerAsk()
+	// W11.16 (acceptance 34, 39): the delivery is traced in one record of the ledger, which says its fill; the gate is stopped
+	// and started again over the same bus and ledger: the record is whole and opened once, the merge is not handed again, and
+	// the ask of the Approve already given is not asked again.
+	recordsNow := func(r *runtime) map[string]any {
+		var said struct {
+			Result struct {
+				Content []struct{ Text string } `json:"content"`
+			} `json:"result"`
+		}
+		raw := r.call(t, "gate_records", map[string]any{})
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(raw), &said); err != nil || len(said.Result.Content) == 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("gate_records answered %s", raw)
+		}
+		var out map[string]any
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(said.Result.Content[0].Text), &out); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("gate_records says %s", said.Result.Content[0].Text)
+		}
+		return out
+	}
+	before := recordsNow(rt)
+	if kept, _ := before["kept"].(float64); kept != 1 || before["fill"] == nil || before["fill"] == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("one delivery is traced in %v records, fill %v", before["kept"], before["fill"])
+	}
+	merges := len(rt.mergesSaid())
+	_ = rt.in.Close()
+	_ = rt.cmd.Wait()
+	rt2 := b.start(t)
+	evctx2, cancel2 := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	defer cancel2()
+	rt2.deliverEvents(evctx2)
+	rt2.untilListening()
+	after := recordsNow(rt2)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(before["records"], after["records"]) || after["kept"] != before["kept"] {
+		t.Fatalf("the record changed over a restart: %v then %v", before["records"], after["records"])
+	}
+	rt2.until("the restarted gate to hold the delivery merged", eventWithin, func() bool {
+		e, err := b.kvs["deliveries"].Get(ctx, kvKey(IDOf("novox/app", head)))
+		var d Delivery
+		return err == nil && json.Unmarshal(e.Value(), &d) == nil && d.State == Merged
+	})
+	if n := len(rt2.mergesSaid()); n != 0 || len(onlyAskKeys(b)) > 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("the restarted gate said the merge %d more times (%d before), or asked again: %v", n, merges, onlyAskKeys(b))
+	}
 	// Quiet follows: nothing asks the forge or the controller again with no event to say so.
 	quiet := len(rt.asked)
 	time.Sleep(1500 * time.Millisecond)
@@ -667,6 +711,12 @@ func TestAPassingVerdictAsksTheApproveAndItsApproveMergesWithinSecondsOverARealB
 	}
 }
 
+// onlyAskKeys are the keys of every ask in the gate's bucket asks.
+func onlyAskKeys(b *testBus) []string {
+	keys, _ := b.kvs["asks"].Keys(context.Background())
+	return keys
+}
+
 // onlyAsk is the key of the one ask in the gate's bucket asks, or empty.
 func onlyAsk(b *testBus) string {
 	keys, err := b.kvs["asks"].Keys(context.Background())