diff --git a/modules/mesh-vault/README.md b/modules/mesh-vault/README.md
index a64d59c1..102a21dc 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-vault/README.md
+++ b/modules/mesh-vault/README.md
@@ -218,7 +218,9 @@ The replaced value is kept sealed as the record's `previous` (dropped by any lat
 `secret-changed` and `own-replaced` are said, and the act is in `secret_handed` (`own-replaced`, `own-same`,
 `own-take-refused`). A covered bus account so replaced has its hash written again. `own_drift` lists, from every
 node's latest shadow answer (`<node>.node` in `node-engine.have`), each own secret whose node says another value,
-with what the vault holds and whether the node's ask would be taken now.
+with what the vault holds and whether the node's ask would be taken now. **The switch** is the vault's: a person
+switches every machine's asks off or on with `own_take_switch` (`on`, `why`), kept in the vault's store over a
+restart; it is on until switched off, and `own_drift` shows it.
 
 ## Events
 
diff --git a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/move_test.go b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/move_test.go
index 5e41e511..9edc92fa 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/move_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/move_test.go
@@ -415,6 +415,18 @@ func TestANodeEngineHandsTheVaultWhatRunsOnItsOwnMachine(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := take("node.anchor", pg, "a-value-older-than-the-vaults"); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "less than") {
 		t.Errorf("a running value over one the vault just took: %v", err)
 	}
+	// Switched off by a person, every ask is refused, saying who and why; on again, taken again.
+	later += time.Hour
+	if _, err := v.SwitchOwnTake("jochen", false, "the test"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := take("node.anchor", pg, "after-the-switch"); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "switched off (by jochen") {
+		t.Errorf("an ask while switched off: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := v.SwitchOwnTake("jochen", true, "the test"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	later -= time.Hour
 	// own_drift reads it from the node's latest shadow answer, mesh-wide.
 	answer := delivery.CandidateAnswer{Head: "h", Verdict: delivery.CandidateDiffers, Differs: []delivery.ModuleDiffers{{
 		Module: "postgres", Why: "the resource differs", Bodies: []delivery.ResourceBodies{{ID: "needs-superuser-password",
diff --git a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/owntake.go b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/owntake.go
index c05ab440..9c59b3b2 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/owntake.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/owntake.go
@@ -22,8 +22,11 @@ package main
 // (accounts.go), so the bus-accounts key is of the value the bus runs.
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -125,10 +128,12 @@ func (v *Vault) OwnTakeOpen(caller string, of OwnTakeOf) (Opened, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return Opened{}, err
 	}
-	refused := ""
-	if !held {
+	refused := v.ownTakeOff()
+	switch {
+	case refused != "":
+	case !held:
 		refused = fmt.Sprintf("the vault holds no secret named %s, so there is nothing to replace; nothing is taken", secret)
-	} else {
+	default:
 		refused = ownTakeRefusal(rec, v.Now())
 	}
 	if refused != "" {
@@ -237,9 +242,10 @@ type DriftNode struct {
 
 // Drift is own_drift's answer.
 type Drift struct {
-	Secrets []DriftRow  `json:"secrets"`
-	Nodes   []DriftNode `json:"nodes"`
-	Note    string      `json:"note"`
+	Switch  OwnTakeSwitch `json:"switch"`
+	Secrets []DriftRow    `json:"secrets"`
+	Nodes   []DriftNode   `json:"nodes"`
+	Note    string        `json:"note"`
 }
 
 // OwnDrift reads every node's own have key (`<node>.node`) and lists, from its latest answers to the placement
@@ -303,6 +309,10 @@ func (v *Vault) OwnDrift() (Drift, error) {
 		names = append(names, n)
 	}
 	sort.Strings(names)
+	if out.Switch, err = v.Store.OwnTakeSwitch(); err != nil {
+		return Drift{}, err
+	}
+	off := v.ownTakeOff()
 	for _, n := range names {
 		r := rows[n]
 		sort.Strings(r.Groups)
@@ -318,9 +328,70 @@ func (v *Vault) OwnDrift() (Drift, error) {
 				r.Previous = rec.Previous.Generation
 			}
 			r.Refused = ownTakeRefusal(rec, v.Now())
+			if off != "" {
+				r.Refused = off
+			}
 			r.Takeable = r.Refused == ""
 		}
 		out.Secrets = append(out.Secrets, *r)
 	}
 	return out, nil
 }
+
+// ---- own_take_switch ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// OwnTakeSwitch is whether own-take-running takes values, who switched it last, when and why. On until a person
+// switches it off; kept in the vault's own store, so it holds over a restart.
+type OwnTakeSwitch struct {
+	On  bool      `json:"on"`
+	By  string    `json:"by,omitempty"`
+	At  time.Time `json:"at,omitzero"`
+	Why string    `json:"why,omitempty"`
+}
+
+func (s *Store) ownTakeSwitchPath() string { return filepath.Join(s.dir, "own-take-running.json") }
+
+// OwnTakeSwitch is the switch as kept: on when nothing was ever switched.
+func (s *Store) OwnTakeSwitch() (OwnTakeSwitch, error) {
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile(s.ownTakeSwitchPath())
+	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		return OwnTakeSwitch{On: true}, nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return OwnTakeSwitch{}, err
+	}
+	var sw OwnTakeSwitch
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &sw); err != nil {
+		return OwnTakeSwitch{}, fmt.Errorf("the switch of %s is not readable: %w", OwnTakeRunningVerb, err)
+	}
+	return sw, nil
+}
+
+// SwitchOwnTake switches own-take-running on or off, a person's act with why; the caller is recorded as the bus
+// proved it.
+func (v *Vault) SwitchOwnTake(caller string, on bool, why string) (OwnTakeSwitch, error) {
+	why = strings.TrimSpace(why)
+	if why == "" || len(why) > 300 || strings.ContainsAny(why, "\r\n\x00") {
+		return OwnTakeSwitch{}, errors.New("say why in one short line; nothing was switched")
+	}
+	sw := OwnTakeSwitch{On: on, By: someoneOr(caller, stdio.Unproven), At: v.Now().UTC(), Why: why}
+	raw, _ := json.MarshalIndent(sw, "", "  ")
+	if err := writeWhole(v.Store.ownTakeSwitchPath(), append(raw, '\n')); err != nil {
+		return OwnTakeSwitch{}, err
+	}
+	v.log("%s is switched %s by %s: %s", OwnTakeRunningVerb, map[bool]string{true: "on", false: "off"}[on], sw.By, why)
+	return sw, nil
+}
+
+// ownTakeOff says why own-take-running takes nothing now, or "".
+func (v *Vault) ownTakeOff() string {
+	sw, err := v.Store.OwnTakeSwitch()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err.Error() + "; nothing is taken"
+	}
+	if !sw.On {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s is switched off (by %s at %s: %s); nothing is taken", OwnTakeRunningVerb, sw.By,
+			sw.At.Format(time.RFC3339), sw.Why)
+	}
+	return ""
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/tools.go b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/tools.go
index f1397ceb..e7ff1b4f 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/tools.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/tools.go
@@ -218,6 +218,24 @@ func definitions(env *Env) []toolDef {
 				return v.OwnTakeOpen(caller, OwnTakeOf{Node: arg(a, "node"), Module: arg(a, "module"), Name: arg(a, "name"),
 					Secret: arg(a, "secret"), Why: arg(a, "why")})
 			}},
+		{Name: "own_take_switch",
+			Description: "Switch own-take-running on or off for every machine, a person's act with why (on until " +
+				"switched off; kept over a restart). While off, every machine's ask is refused, saying who switched it " +
+				"off and why. own_drift shows the switch.",
+			Input: map[string]any{"type": "object", "required": []string{"on", "why"}, "properties": map[string]any{
+				"on":  map[string]any{"type": "boolean", "description": "true takes running values, false takes none"},
+				"why": str("why, in one line")}},
+			run: func(caller string, a map[string]any) (any, error) {
+				v, err := env.ready()
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+				on, ok := a["on"].(bool)
+				if !ok {
+					return nil, errors.New("say on: true or false; nothing was switched")
+				}
+				return v.SwitchOwnTake(caller, on, arg(a, "why"))
+			}},
 		{Name: "own_drift",
 			Description: "Every own secret whose node's latest shadow answer says the vault holds another value than runs " +
 				"there (the masked word \"another value\", issue 1126), for all nodes in one call: the secret, the " +
diff --git a/modules/mesh-vault/module.json b/modules/mesh-vault/module.json
index 6872935d..12a50350 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-vault/module.json
+++ b/modules/mesh-vault/module.json
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@
     "provisioner_delete",
     "vault_status",
     "vault_health",
-    "own_drift"
+    "own_drift",
+    "own_take_switch"
   ],
   "claims": [
     {