diff --git a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/bus_test.go b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/bus_test.go
index 03c87498e..9102337fb 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/bus_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/bus_test.go
@@ -107,9 +107,12 @@ func newBusWorld(t *testing.T) *busWorld {
 		return map[string]any{"folders": f, "documents": d}, err
 	})
 	answer("records.records_read", func(body json.RawMessage) (any, error) {
-		var a struct{ Path string }
+		var a struct {
+			Path string
+			Head int
+		}
 		_ = json.Unmarshal(body, &a)
-		c, commit, err := records.Read(a.Path)
+		c, commit, err := records.ReadHead(a.Path, a.Head)
 		return map[string]any{"content": c, "commit": commit}, err
 	})
 	j := &judge{}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/design.go b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/design.go
index ff65eb194..4f1159386 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/design.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/design.go
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ type Design struct {
 	Unread string
 }
 
+// unreadWarnings says each design whose head was not read, so none drops out of an answer silently.
+func unreadWarnings(ds []*Design) []string {
+	var out []string
+	for _, d := range ds {
+		if d.Unread != "" {
+			out = append(out, d.Unread)
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
 // DesignHeadBytes is how much of a design is read: its frontmatter and its title lead it, and its milestones are the
 // tracker's records, so the rest is never needed.
 const DesignHeadBytes = 16 << 10
@@ -58,12 +69,13 @@ func parseDesign(path, content string) *Design {
 		d.Number, _ = strconv.Atoi(m[1])
 	}
 	lines := strings.Split(content, "\n")
-	body := 0
+	body, closed := 0, false
 	if len(lines) > 0 && strings.TrimSpace(lines[0]) == "---" {
 		for i := 1; i < len(lines); i++ {
 			l := lines[i]
 			if strings.TrimSpace(l) == "---" {
 				body = i + 1
+				closed = true
 				break
 			}
 			if v, ok := strings.CutPrefix(l, "status:"); ok {
@@ -74,6 +86,9 @@ func parseDesign(path, content string) *Design {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	if len(lines) > 0 && strings.TrimSpace(lines[0]) == "---" && !closed {
+		d.Unread = fmt.Sprintf("the frontmatter of %s does not close in the part read: its state and decisions are not known here", path)
+	}
 	for i := body; i < len(lines) && d.Title == ""; i++ {
 		if m := titleLine.FindStringSubmatch(strings.TrimSpace(lines[i])); m != nil {
 			d.Title = strings.TrimSpace(m[1])
@@ -171,7 +186,9 @@ func (k *KB) designs(all bool, number int) ([]*Design, string, error) {
 			} else {
 				d = parseDesign(p, content)
 			}
-			c.byPath[p] = d
+			if d.Unread == "" {
+				c.byPath[p] = d
+			}
 			k.progReads++
 		}
 		out = append(out, d)
diff --git a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/progress.go b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/progress.go
index bbb200b23..0f510275c 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/progress.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/progress.go
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ func (k *KB) progressMesh(p *Progress) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	p.Source = fmt.Sprintf("the issue tracker's milestone records, and the designs in %s at hq %s", DesignsFolder, short(commit))
+	p.Warnings = append(p.Warnings, unreadWarnings(ds)...)
 	var with []*Design
 	var without []string
 	for _, d := range ds {
@@ -520,6 +521,7 @@ func (k *KB) progressRecord(p *Progress, kind string, n int) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	p.Source = fmt.Sprintf("the knowledge base, the designs at hq %s and the issue tracker's links", short(commit))
+	p.Warnings = append(p.Warnings, unreadWarnings(ds)...)
 	var designs []string
 	for _, d := range ds {
 		for _, dn := range d.Decisions {
diff --git a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/progress_test.go b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/progress_test.go
index 5446d88ca..4511bc1ab 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/progress_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/progress_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,15 @@ func (w withDesigns) Read(path string) (string, string, error) {
 	return c, commit, err
 }
 
+func (w withDesigns) ReadHead(path string, n int) (string, string, error) {
+	if c, commit, err := w.base.ReadHead(path, n); err == nil {
+		return c, commit, nil
+	}
+	c, _, err := w.designs.ReadHead(path, n)
+	commit, _ := w.base.Standing()
+	return c, commit, err
+}
+
 // seatsWorld plays the issue tracker and mesh-delivery from the captured answers, and counts what it is asked.
 type seatsWorld struct {
 	mu     sync.Mutex
@@ -335,6 +344,12 @@ func TestProgressOfADesignMinimalAndDetailed(t *testing.T) {
 		!strings.Contains(bp.Tree, "design 47") || !strings.Contains(bp.Tree, "R6") {
 		t.Fatalf("an unreadable design: %v %+v", err, bp)
 	}
+	if mp, err := kb.Progress(ProgressAsk{Of: "mesh"}); err != nil || !strings.Contains(strings.Join(mp.Warnings, "\n"), "does not read") {
+		t.Fatalf("the mesh level drops an unread design silently: %v %v", err, mp.Warnings)
+	}
+	if d := parseDesign(DesignsFolder+"/47-x.md", "---\nstatus: in-progress\n"); d.Unread == "" {
+		t.Errorf("a frontmatter cut before its close is not said")
+	}
 	lines := strings.Split(p.Tree, "\n")
 	if !strings.HasPrefix(lines[0], "✗ design 47 · Delivery: from a commit to delivered — ") {
 		t.Fatalf("first line %q", lines[0])
diff --git a/modules/records/cmd/records/main.go b/modules/records/cmd/records/main.go
index 9be7e5161..718120d66 100644
--- a/modules/records/cmd/records/main.go
+++ b/modules/records/cmd/records/main.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func tools(r *Records) []stdio.Tool {
 				return r.Search(strArg(a, "query"), limit)
 			}},
 		{Name: "records_read",
-			Description: "One document, whole, by its path in the repository — a decision record, a design document, an issue report.",
+			Description: "One document by its path (whole, or its first part with head) in the repository — a decision record, a design document, an issue report.",
 			Input: map[string]any{"path": str("the document's path, e.g. 02-DECISIONS/0025-....md"),
 				"head": map[string]any{"type": "number", "description": "only the first this many bytes, cut at a line end (optional); the answer says partial"}},
 			Run: func(a map[string]any) (any, error) {
diff --git a/modules/records/cmd/records/records.go b/modules/records/cmd/records/records.go
index defd9e9e2..f18ed958d 100644
--- a/modules/records/cmd/records/records.go
+++ b/modules/records/cmd/records/records.go
@@ -343,6 +343,7 @@ func (r *Records) ReadHead(p string, head int) (Document, error) {
 		return Document{}, fmt.Errorf("the repository holds no %s — `records_list` says what it holds", clean)
 	}
 	d := Document{Path: clean, Content: string(raw), Commit: r.Standing().Commit}
+	head = min(head, MostBytes)
 	if head > 0 && head < len(d.Content) {
 		cut := d.Content[:head]
 		if i := strings.LastIndex(cut, "\n"); i > 0 {