diff --git a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/requests.go b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/requests.go
index 3384b064e..3b4a879db 100644
--- a/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/requests.go
+++ b/modules/nats/cmd/nats-tools/requests.go
@@ -111,21 +111,47 @@ func requestTools(rs requestStore) []stdio.Tool {
 			if err := rs.Put(r.ID, r); err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("the request cannot be handed to the keeper: %w", err)
 			}
-			// The keeper acts on its watch of requests at once; its end is read back for at most half a minute.
-			for wait := 100 * time.Millisecond; wait < 20*time.Second; wait *= 2 {
-				rs.Wait(wait)
-				if got, err := rs.Get(r.ID); err == nil && got != nil && !got.Done.IsZero() {
-					return got, nil
-				}
-			}
-			return map[string]any{"request": r.ID, "state": "handed to the keeper, not ended yet",
-				"read": fmt.Sprintf("nats_%s with request %s", verb, r.ID)}, nil
+			return awaitEnd(rs, r, "nats_"+verb), nil
 		}}
 	}
+	firstView := stdio.Tool{Name: "nats_first_view_again",
+		Description: "Ask the bus module's keeper to ask the indexer's indexer_bus_state, its first view of every accepted manifest's bus state, at once (design 25 § 12.2): by hand, beside its own backoff, recorded as a hand act; answers what the first view answered and its revision.",
+		Input:       map[string]any{"why": str("why, in plain words: kept with the act"), "request": str("a request made before: its end is read")},
+		Run: func(a map[string]any) (any, error) {
+			if id := arg(a, "request"); id != "" {
+				r, err := rs.Get(id)
+				if err != nil || r == nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("no request %s is held (%v)", id, err)
+				}
+				return r, nil
+			}
+			r := keeper.Request{Verb: keeper.VerbFirstViewAgain, Why: strings.TrimSpace(arg(a, "why")), Caller: stdio.CallerOf(a), At: rs.Now()}
+			if r.Why == "" {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("nats_first_view_again says why")
+			}
+			r.ID = requestID(r.At)
+			if err := rs.Put(r.ID, r); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("the request cannot be handed to the keeper: %w", err)
+			}
+			return awaitEnd(rs, r, "nats_first_view_again"), nil
+		}}
 	return []stdio.Tool{
+		firstView,
 		tool(keeper.VerbCreate, "Create one entry of a module's kept data on the bus now, as its accepted manifest asks for it (design 25 § 12.3): handed to the bus module's keeper, which alone may create, and recorded as a hand act."),
 		tool(keeper.VerbApply, "Apply what a module's manifest asks of one entry where the bus holds less (a larger cap, a longer age): only a difference that grows; handed to the keeper and recorded as a hand act."),
 		tool(keeper.VerbRecreate, "Rebuild one entry whose settings drifted in a way that does not grow: the operator is asked first, and the keeper acts only on their warrant, after a snapshot of the entry. Its data is lost from the bus (the snapshot keeps it). Dangerous."),
 		tool(keeper.VerbDrop, "Remove one orphan, an entry no accepted manifest asks for: the operator is asked first, and the keeper acts only on their warrant, after a snapshot of the entry. Dangerous."),
 	}
 }
+
+// awaitEnd reads a request's end back: the keeper acts on its watch of requests at once, so the end is read for at most
+// half a minute, and otherwise how to read it later is answered.
+func awaitEnd(rs requestStore, r keeper.Request, tool string) any {
+	for wait := 100 * time.Millisecond; wait < 20*time.Second; wait *= 2 {
+		rs.Wait(wait)
+		if got, err := rs.Get(r.ID); err == nil && got != nil && !got.Done.IsZero() {
+			return got
+		}
+	}
+	return map[string]any{"request": r.ID, "state": "handed to the keeper, not ended yet", "read": fmt.Sprintf("%s with request %s", tool, r.ID)}
+}
diff --git a/modules/nats/internal/keeper/keeper_test.go b/modules/nats/internal/keeper/keeper_test.go
index 88eafc6f3..f26ee9539 100644
--- a/modules/nats/internal/keeper/keeper_test.go
+++ b/modules/nats/internal/keeper/keeper_test.go
@@ -510,6 +510,25 @@ func TestTheKeeperMakesWhatAVerdictAsksForAndSaysIt(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Errorf("held %+v, said %v %v: rebuilt as asked, the drift cleared", bus.held["m_log"], out.events, out.conds)
 			}
 		}},
+		// CAT-N2b: nats_first_view_again asks the first view at once, by hand, recorded as a hand act.
+		{"the first view asked again by hand", func(t *testing.T, k *Keeper, bus *fakeBus, out *said) {
+			store := k.Store.(*memStore)
+			var acts []string
+			k.Act = func(what, why, cause string) error { acts = append(acts, cause+": "+what); return nil }
+			k.View = func() (FirstView, error) {
+				return FirstView{Revision: 8, Modules: []Accepted{{Module: "m", Revision: 8, BusState: []catalogue.BusStateEntry{drafts}}}}, nil
+			}
+			raw, _ := json.Marshal(Request{ID: "r9", Verb: VerbFirstViewAgain, Why: "a verdict thought missed", Caller: "person.jo"})
+			_, _ = store.Put(StateRequests, "r9", raw)
+			k.ActOnRequests()
+			raw, _, _, _ = store.Get(StateRequests, "r9")
+			var got Request
+			_ = json.Unmarshal(raw, &got)
+			if got.Outcome != "the first view answered at revision 8" || fmt.Sprint(bus.created) != "[KV_m_drafts]" ||
+				len(acts) != 1 || !strings.Contains(acts[0], "nats_first_view_again: asked mesh-delivery-indexer.indexer_bus_state again by hand") {
+				t.Errorf("ended %+v, created %v, recorded %v", got, bus.created, acts)
+			}
+		}},
 	} {
 		t.Run(row.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			k, bus, _, out := newKeeper(FirstView{Revision: 1})
diff --git a/modules/nats/internal/keeper/requests.go b/modules/nats/internal/keeper/requests.go
index a686c6bbe..b36900026 100644
--- a/modules/nats/internal/keeper/requests.go
+++ b/modules/nats/internal/keeper/requests.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/asks"
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ const (
 	VerbApply    = "apply"
 	VerbRecreate = "recreate"
 	VerbDrop     = "drop"
+	// VerbFirstViewAgain asks the indexer's first view at once, by hand (design 25 § 12.2), beside the backoff.
+	VerbFirstViewAgain = "first-view-again"
 )
 
 // Request is one person's request, the value of its key in StateRequests.
@@ -83,6 +86,15 @@ func (k *Keeper) ActOnRequests() {
 }
 
 func (k *Keeper) act(r *Request) (string, error) {
+	if r.Verb == VerbFirstViewAgain {
+		_, err := k.AskFirstView(0)
+		s := k.Status().FirstView
+		k.record(r, fmt.Sprintf("asked %s.%s again by hand: answered %v at revision %d", s.Owner, s.Verb, err == nil, s.Revision))
+		if err != nil {
+			return "asked, not answered", err
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("the first view answered at revision %d", s.Revision), nil
+	}
 	if !k.Viewed() {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: the keeper holds no first view yet, so it acts on nothing", ErrNoWarrant)
 	}
@@ -199,7 +211,7 @@ func (k *Keeper) record(r *Request, what string) {
 	if k.Act == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	if err := k.Act(what+", asked by "+r.Caller, r.Why, "nats_"+r.Verb); err != nil {
+	if err := k.Act(what+", asked by "+r.Caller, r.Why, "nats_"+strings.ReplaceAll(r.Verb, "-", "_")); err != nil {
 		k.logf("the hand act %q could not be recorded: %v", what, err)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/modules/nats/module.json b/modules/nats/module.json
index cb4e5f191..b704efbe9 100644
--- a/modules/nats/module.json
+++ b/modules/nats/module.json
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@
     "nats_apply",
     "nats_recreate",
     "nats_drop",
-    "nats_keeper_health"
+    "nats_keeper_health",
+    "nats_first_view_again"
   ],
   "guards": [
     8222