diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval.go
index 76b2cc0a..e12a85ab 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval.go
@@ -808,23 +808,13 @@ func gateAsk(group string, heads []sdk.Head, asking int, ask oc.Ask) (sdk.Ask, e
 }
 
 // askOf reads the router's ask a gate ask carries and holds it to what the gate owes: the id its group, heads and asking
-// give, and at least one option. kvOperator.Ask holds every ask it writes to it, too.
+// give, and at least one option (occ.Carried). kvOperator.Ask holds every ask it writes to it, too.
 func askOf(a sdk.Ask) (oc.Ask, error) {
-	var ask oc.Ask
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(a.Ask, &ask); err != nil {
-		return oc.Ask{}, fmt.Errorf("the ask is not a router's ask: %w", err)
-	}
 	key, err := sdk.MergeAskKey(a.Group, a.Heads)
 	if err != nil {
 		return oc.Ask{}, fmt.Errorf("an ask needs its group and at least one pull request's head: %w", err)
 	}
-	if want := sdk.AskingID(key, a.Asking); ask.ID != want {
-		return oc.Ask{}, fmt.Errorf("the ask's id %q is not %q, the id its group, heads and asking %d give", ask.ID, want, a.Asking)
-	}
-	if len(ask.Options) == 0 {
-		return oc.Ask{}, fmt.Errorf("the ask has no option")
-	}
-	return ask, nil
+	return occ.Carried(a.Ask, sdk.AskingID(key, a.Asking))
 }
 
 // kvOperator is the operator over the runtime: the ask is a key of the gate's bucket asks, the answer a key of the teller's
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval_test.go
index 20ca5ff6..fcfa8933 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval_test.go
@@ -495,9 +495,10 @@ func TestTheGateRefusesAnAskWithAnotherIdOrNoOption(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"the first asking's id", 1, oc.Ask{ID: sdk.AskingID(key, 1), Options: []oc.Option{option}}, ""},
 		{"the second asking's id", 2, oc.Ask{ID: sdk.AskingID(key, 2), Options: []oc.Option{option}}, ""},
-		{"another id", 1, oc.Ask{ID: "another-id", Options: []oc.Option{option}}, "is not"},
-		{"the first asking's id at the second asking", 2, oc.Ask{ID: sdk.AskingID(key, 1), Options: []oc.Option{option}}, "is not"},
-		{"no option", 1, oc.Ask{ID: sdk.AskingID(key, 1)}, "no option"},
+		// The refusals are operator-channel's client's (occ.Carried), held to the id the gate's key and asking give.
+		{"another id", 1, oc.Ask{ID: "another-id", Options: []oc.Option{option}}, "the id it was kept under"},
+		{"the first asking's id at the second asking", 2, oc.Ask{ID: sdk.AskingID(key, 1), Options: []oc.Option{option}}, "the id it was kept under"},
+		{"no option", 1, oc.Ask{ID: sdk.AskingID(key, 1)}, "offers no option"},
 	} {
 		a, err := gateAsk("feat/g", heads, c.asking, c.ask)
 		if c.refuse == "" {
@@ -515,4 +516,9 @@ func TestTheGateRefusesAnAskWithAnotherIdOrNoOption(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("%s: kvOperator wrote it (%v, %v)", c.name, err, a)
 		}
 	}
+	// A value that carries no router's ask is refused before it is written.
+	if err := (kvOperator{}).Ask(key, sdk.Ask{Group: "feat/g", Heads: heads, Asking: 1, Ask: json.RawMessage(`"an ask"`)}); err == nil ||
+		!strings.Contains(err.Error(), "carries no operator-channel ask") {
+		t.Errorf("a value carrying no ask: %v", err)
+	}
 }