diff --git a/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/main.go b/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/main.go
index 4225eead..6d3d53f8 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/main.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/main.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ func (runtimeStore) Keys(state string) ([]string, error) { return stdio.State(st
 // NewChecker is the self-check over the runtime.
 func NewChecker() *Checker {
 	return &Checker{Store: runtimeStore{}, Registry: Registry(), Now: time.Now, Logf: logf, Host: os.Getenv("MESH_NODE"),
+		Enabled: enabledProbes,
 		Ask:     func(key string, body any) (json.RawMessage, error) { return stdio.Ask(key, body) },
 		Publish: stdio.SeatPublish}
 }
@@ -55,3 +56,19 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
+
+// enabledProbes is the setting `probes`, read at each run so a change applies at the next; with it unreadable, the
+// default list.
+func enabledProbes() []string {
+	raw, err := stdio.Config("probes")
+	if err != nil {
+		logf("the setting probes cannot be read (%v); the default list runs", err)
+		return DefaultProbes
+	}
+	var list []string
+	if json.Unmarshal(raw, &list) != nil {
+		logf("the setting probes is not a list of probe ids (%s); the default list runs", raw)
+		return DefaultProbes
+	}
+	return list
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/selfcheck.go b/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/selfcheck.go
index fad756df..174ff884 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/selfcheck.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/selfcheck.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"slices"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -63,6 +64,17 @@ type Store interface {
 	Keys(state string) ([]string, error)
 }
 
+// On says whether the setting lists the probe.
+func (c *Checker) On(id string) bool {
+	if c.Enabled == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	return slices.Contains(c.Enabled(), id)
+}
+
+// DefaultProbes are the probes that run unless the setting says otherwise.
+var DefaultProbes = []string{"D13", "D-fill"}
+
 // Probe is one live invariant: its id, what it asserts, the kind it raises, and the run; or why it waits.
 type Probe struct {
 	ID      string
@@ -87,7 +99,10 @@ type (
 // Checker is the self-check: the registry and what its probes reach.
 type Checker struct {
 	Store Store
-	Ask   func(key string, body any) (json.RawMessage, error)
+	// Enabled is the setting `probes`: the ids of the probes that run. Nil runs every probe in the registry; one not
+	// listed runs nothing and raises nothing (the operator, 2026-10-30).
+	Enabled func() []string
+	Ask     func(key string, body any) (json.RawMessage, error)
 	// Publish says a seat event on its subject, de-duplicated by id (stdio.SeatPublish).
 	Publish  func(subject string, body any, id string) error
 	Now      func() time.Time
@@ -137,7 +152,7 @@ func (c *Checker) RunOnce(ctx context.Context, why string) Run {
 	results := make([]result, len(c.Registry))
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	for i, p := range c.Registry {
-		if p.Run == nil {
+		if p.Run == nil || !c.On(p.ID) {
 			continue
 		}
 		wg.Add(1)
@@ -154,6 +169,12 @@ func (c *Checker) RunOnce(ctx context.Context, why string) Run {
 	ran := map[string]bool{}         // the sources whose findings this run judged whole
 	var blind []Observation
 	for i, p := range c.Registry {
+		if !c.On(p.ID) {
+			// Off by the setting: it ran nothing and sees nothing, so what it raised before is cleared, and it has no
+			// verdict in the run.
+			ran[p.ID] = true
+			continue
+		}
 		v := ProbeVerdict{ID: p.ID}
 		r := results[i]
 		switch {
diff --git a/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/selfcheck_test.go b/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/selfcheck_test.go
index e79bb78f..50557340 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/selfcheck_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/selfcheck_test.go
@@ -253,3 +253,43 @@ func TestTheVerbsAndReads(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("probes answered %v", p)
 	}
 }
+
+// Only the probes the setting `probes` lists run: one not listed runs nothing, has no verdict, clears what it raised before,
+// and is reported by the verb as off by setting; the default list is D13 and D-fill (the operator, 2026-10-30).
+func TestOnlyTheProbesTheSettingListsRun(t *testing.T) {
+	ran := map[string]int{}
+	finds := Observation{Token: "stream-missing", Severity: Urgent, Subject: Subject{Scope: ScopeBus, ID: "EVENTS"}, Summary: "gone"}
+	probe := func(id string) Probe {
+		return Probe{ID: id, Kind: "stream-wrong", Run: func(context.Context, *Checker) ([]Observation, error) {
+			ran[id]++
+			return []Observation{finds}, nil
+		}}
+	}
+	store := newStore()
+	c, _ := checker(store, probe("D7"), probe("D13"))
+	c.Enabled = func() []string { return []string{"D7", "D13"} }
+	run := c.RunOnce(context.Background(), "test")
+	if ran["D7"] != 1 || ran["D13"] != 1 || len(run.Probes) != 2 || len(store.findingKeys()) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("both listed: ran %v, %d verdicts, findings %v", ran, len(run.Probes), store.findingKeys())
+	}
+	c.Enabled = func() []string { return []string{"D13"} }
+	run = c.RunOnce(context.Background(), "test")
+	if ran["D7"] != 1 || ran["D13"] != 2 || len(run.Probes) != 1 || run.Probes[0].ID != "D13" {
+		t.Fatalf("D7 unlisted: ran %v, verdicts %+v", ran, run.Probes)
+	}
+	// What the unlisted probe raised stays only as long as another listed probe sees the same key (D13 raises the same
+	// key here); an unlisted probe alone clears its findings.
+	c.Enabled = func() []string { return nil }
+	c.RunOnce(context.Background(), "test")
+	if len(store.findingKeys()) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("with nothing listed, findings are %v", store.findingKeys())
+	}
+	rows, _ := c.Probes()["probes"].([]map[string]any)
+	if len(rows) != 2 || rows[0]["off"] != "off by setting" || rows[1]["off"] != "off by setting" {
+		t.Fatalf("the verb says %v", rows)
+	}
+	c.Enabled = nil
+	if !c.On("anything") || !slices.Equal(DefaultProbes, []string{"D13", "D-fill"}) {
+		t.Fatal("no setting runs every probe, and the default list is D13 and D-fill")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/tools.go b/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/tools.go
index 1c1df753..a4377b73 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/tools.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-self-check/cmd/mesh-self-check/tools.go
@@ -115,7 +115,9 @@ func (c *Checker) Probes() map[string]any {
 		if len(p.Raises) > 0 {
 			row["raises"] = p.Raises
 		}
-		if p.Run == nil {
+		if !c.On(p.ID) {
+			row["off"] = "off by setting"
+		} else if p.Run == nil {
 			row["deferred"] = p.Deferred
 		}
 		out = append(out, row)
diff --git a/modules/mesh-self-check/module.json b/modules/mesh-self-check/module.json
index a1a892ea..4c06ef33 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-self-check/module.json
+++ b/modules/mesh-self-check/module.json
@@ -71,5 +71,16 @@
         ]
       }
     ]
+  },
+  "config": {
+    "probes": {
+      "type": "list",
+      "description": "The ids of the probes that run, each judging one thing of the mesh (mesh-self-check.probes lists them with what each asserts). A probe not listed runs nothing and raises nothing, and what it raised before is cleared. D8 and DA are in the code and off by default.",
+      "trusted": true,
+      "default": [
+        "D13",
+        "D-fill"
+      ]
+    }
   }
 }