diff --git a/modules/mesh-mail/module.json b/modules/mesh-mail/module.json
index 0d6e32b1..5969c5df 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-mail/module.json
+++ b/modules/mesh-mail/module.json
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
   "own-secrets": {
     "mail-credential-*": {
       "path": "${dir:state}/mail-credential-*.secret",
-      "issued-by": "outside"
+      "issued-by": "outside",
+      "prompt": "the password of the mail account {member}"
     }
   },
   "tools": [
diff --git a/modules/rofi/cmd/rofi-tools/secret.go b/modules/rofi/cmd/rofi-tools/secret.go
index d6fe7164..ce95e678 100644
--- a/modules/rofi/cmd/rofi-tools/secret.go
+++ b/modules/rofi/cmd/rofi-tools/secret.go
@@ -46,6 +46,13 @@ var aName = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9-]{0,62}$`)
 // break, no markup, no punctuation a sentence is written with — so the prompt's words stay this holder's.
 var aCaller = regexp.MustCompile(`^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._/@ -]{0,79}$`)
 
+// escapeMarkup is `what` shown as text, never markup (novox/hq issue 789): the window's message is read with
+// pango markup on, so a catalogue's words reach it with the characters pango gives meaning to turned to their
+// entities first — never interpreted, whatever a module's manifest holds.
+var escapeMarkupReplacer = strings.NewReplacer("&", "&amp;", "<", "&lt;", ">", "&gt;")
+
+func escapeMarkup(s string) string { return escapeMarkupReplacer.Replace(s) }
+
 // secretQuestion reads the call. The prompt is this holder's words, written from the module, the secret and the
 // machine (the review of 2026-10-09, M4): it says the mesh's controller asks, which the bus makes true — it
 // denies these subjects to every principal but the controller — and a caller's own words are refused, so
@@ -81,14 +88,37 @@ func secretQuestion(args map[string]any) (SecretQuestion, error) {
 		}
 		askedBy = v
 	}
+	// What the secret is for, in the catalogue's own words (novox/hq issue 789): the controller's own line, read
+	// from the secret's declared `prompt` and never a word the caller chose. One line, so it is shown under the
+	// module and secret names as its own; its characters are never markup, whatever the catalogue holds.
+	what := ""
+	if raw, there := args["what"]; there {
+		v, err := text(args, "what", true)
+		if err != nil {
+			return q, err
+		}
+		if strings.ContainsAny(v, "\n\r") {
+			return q, fmt.Errorf("what %q holds more than one line", raw)
+		}
+		what = v
+	}
 	q.Prompt = names["secret"] + " for " + names["module"]
 	q.Message = fmt.Sprintf("The mesh's controller asks for %s, the own secret of %s on %s.", names["secret"],
 		names["module"], names["node"])
-	if askedBy != "" {
-		q.Message += fmt.Sprintf(" It was asked for by %s.", askedBy)
+	if what != "" {
+		q.Message += "\nFor: " + escapeMarkup(what)
 	}
-	q.Message += " What you type is not shown, and is sealed before it leaves this machine. Type it only if you " +
+	tail := ""
+	if askedBy != "" {
+		tail += fmt.Sprintf(" It was asked for by %s.", askedBy)
+	}
+	tail += " What you type is not shown, and is sealed before it leaves this machine. Type it only if you " +
 		"expect this ask."
+	if what != "" {
+		q.Message += "\n" + strings.TrimSpace(tail)
+	} else {
+		q.Message += tail
+	}
 	key, err := text(args, "seal_to", true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return q, err
diff --git a/modules/rofi/cmd/rofi-tools/secret_test.go b/modules/rofi/cmd/rofi-tools/secret_test.go
index 3aeaf2de..d9db64c6 100644
--- a/modules/rofi/cmd/rofi-tools/secret_test.go
+++ b/modules/rofi/cmd/rofi-tools/secret_test.go
@@ -150,3 +150,61 @@ func TestThePromptIsWrittenHereFromNamesAndSaysTheControllerAsks(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// What the secret is for shows as its own line under the module and secret names, in the catalogue's own
+// words (novox/hq issue 789): read from the secret's declared `prompt`, never a word the caller chose, and
+// never shown without a declared one — an old module, or one that declares none, prompts as it does today.
+func TestWhatShowsAsItsOwnLineUnderTheNamesWhenDeclaredAndNothingWhenNot(t *testing.T) {
+	key := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(make([]byte, 32))
+	base := map[string]any{"module": "mesh-mail", "secret": "mail-credential-gmail", "node": "anchor", "seal_to": key}
+	q, err := secretQuestion(base)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(q.Message, "For:") {
+		t.Errorf("a \"For:\" line with no what declared: %q", q.Message)
+	}
+
+	withWhat := map[string]any{}
+	for k, v := range base {
+		withWhat[k] = v
+	}
+	withWhat["what"] = "the password of the mail account gmail"
+	q, err = secretQuestion(withWhat)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(q.Message, "\nFor: the password of the mail account gmail") {
+		t.Errorf("no \"For:\" line of its own: %q", q.Message)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(q.Message, "What you type is not shown") {
+		t.Errorf("the rest of the message was lost: %q", q.Message)
+	}
+}
+
+// What the secret is for is shown as text, never markup (novox/hq issue 789): the prompt's window reads its
+// message with markup on, so what the catalogue holds reaches it with the characters markup gives meaning to
+// turned to their entities first, and a line holding more than one is refused before anybody sees it.
+func TestWhatIsShownAsTextNeverMarkupAndIsOneLine(t *testing.T) {
+	key := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(make([]byte, 32))
+	base := map[string]any{"module": "mesh-mail", "secret": "mail-credential-gmail", "node": "anchor", "seal_to": key,
+		"what": "the password of <b>the</b> mail & account"}
+	q, err := secretQuestion(base)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(q.Message, "For: the password of &lt;b&gt;the&lt;/b&gt; mail &amp; account") {
+		t.Errorf("markup was not escaped: %q", q.Message)
+	}
+
+	for _, bad := range []string{"a\nb", "a\rb"} {
+		multi := map[string]any{}
+		for k, v := range base {
+			multi[k] = v
+		}
+		multi["what"] = bad
+		if _, err := secretQuestion(multi); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("what=%q holding more than one line was taken", bad)
+		}
+	}
+}