diff --git a/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/apply.go b/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/apply.go
index 97cb80da..678efadc 100644
--- a/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/apply.go
+++ b/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/apply.go
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ func (a *Applier) judge(p Pair, states map[string]map[string]string, mounted map
 	}
 	mnt, auto := states[p.MountUnit], states[p.AutoUnit]
 	cur, isMounted := mounted[p.Mountpoint]
-	isMounted = isMounted && cur.Type != "autofs"
+	isMounted = isMounted && !cur.IsAutomount()
 	switch {
 	case !there && p.Occasional:
 		return StateAbsent, "not present: " + tried.Error()
diff --git a/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/data.go b/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/data.go
index 4550ed81..803a1a84 100644
--- a/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/data.go
+++ b/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/data.go
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func kindOf(what, fstype string) string {
 // there, or nothing when it is, or nothing is mounted there but an automount.
 func (m *Machine) notOwnSource(kind, what, point string, mounted map[string]Mounted) error {
 	mt, there := mounted[point]
-	if !there || mt.Type == "autofs" {
+	if !there || mt.IsAutomount() {
 		return nil
 	}
 	if kind != "" && m.sourceIs(kind, what, mt) {
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func (m *Machine) notOwnSource(kind, what, point string, mounted map[string]Moun
 func (m *Machine) mountpointFree(p Pair, own map[string]bool, mounted map[string]Mounted) error {
 	ours := own[p.MountUnit] && own[p.AutoUnit]
 	if mt, there := mounted[p.Mountpoint]; there {
-		if mt.Type == "autofs" {
+		if mt.IsAutomount() {
 			if ours {
 				return nil
 			}
diff --git a/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/mounts.go b/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/mounts.go
index 46569135..94bbd1ab 100644
--- a/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/mounts.go
+++ b/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/mounts.go
@@ -135,6 +135,14 @@ type Mounted struct {
 	Options    string `json:"options,omitempty"`
 }
 
+// IsAutomount says whether this line is only the autofs mount an armed automount leaves at its point.
+// Nothing is mounted there yet: the share is mounted over it at first use, and that line then wins in
+// ParseMountinfo. Every judgement of "mounted" asks this one question, so List, the look and the checks
+// before a mount cannot disagree (novox/hq issue 437).
+func (mt Mounted) IsAutomount() bool {
+	return mt.Type == "autofs"
+}
+
 // ParseMountinfo reads /proc/self/mountinfo: per line the mount point (field 5), and after the " - "
 // separator the type, the source and the superblock options. The last mount at a point wins, as it
 // is the one a path resolves to.
@@ -400,7 +408,7 @@ func (mt *Mount) say() string {
 		if mt.MountUnit.Result != "" && mt.MountUnit.Result != "success" {
 			state += ", " + mt.MountUnit.Result
 		}
-	case mt.MountedNow != nil:
+	case mt.MountedNow != nil && !mt.MountedNow.IsAutomount():
 		state = "mounted"
 	case mt.Automount != nil && mt.Automount.Active == "active":
 		state = "not mounted, waits for its first use (automount " + mt.Automount.Sub + ")"
diff --git a/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/mounts_test.go b/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/mounts_test.go
index 52f9858e..538472d4 100644
--- a/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/mounts_test.go
+++ b/modules/mounts/cmd/mounts/mounts_test.go
@@ -258,6 +258,35 @@ func TestListReadsTheRootMountsUnit(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// The desktop's recalbox share as it stood on 2026-10-11 (novox/hq issue 437): its automount armed
+// (active, waiting), its mount unit inactive, and in mountinfo only the autofs line the armed automount
+// leaves at the point, with the superblock options the desktop showed. Nothing is mounted there, so it
+// must be said as waiting for its first use, never as mounted. /mnt/backup in TestList keeps the other
+// half: an nfs4 line over the autofs line is mounted.
+func TestListSaysAnArmedAutomountIsNotMounted(t *testing.T) {
+	f := newFake(t)
+	f.file("/etc/fstab", "//192.0.2.176/Share /mnt/recalbox cifs username=root,password=s3cret,iocharset=utf8,sec=ntlmssp 0 0\n")
+	f.file("/proc/self/mountinfo", "22 1 259:3 / / rw,relatime shared:1 - ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p3 rw\n"+
+		"40 22 0:50 / /mnt/recalbox rw,relatime shared:30 - autofs systemd-1 rw,fd=116,pgrp=1,timeout=600,minproto=5,maxproto=5,direct,pipe_ino=68285996\n")
+	f.answers["systemctl list-units --type=mount,automount --all --no-legend --plain --no-pager"] = desktopListUnits
+	names := strings.Join(ParseListUnits(desktopListUnits), " ")
+	f.answers["systemctl show -p "+ShowProperties+" --no-pager -- "+names] =
+		"Id=mnt-recalbox.automount\nWhere=/mnt/recalbox\nResult=success\nActiveState=active\nSubState=waiting\n" +
+			"FragmentPath=/etc/systemd/system/mnt-recalbox.automount\nUnitFileState=enabled\n\n" +
+			"Id=mnt-recalbox.mount\nWhere=/mnt/recalbox\nWhat=//192.0.2.176/Share\nType=cifs\n" +
+			"Options=credentials=/var/lib/mounts/smb-recalbox.credentials,iocharset=utf8,_netdev,nofail,uid=1000,gid=1000\n" +
+			"Result=success\nActiveState=inactive\nSubState=dead\nFragmentPath=/etc/systemd/system/mnt-recalbox.mount\n" +
+			"TimeoutUSec=10s\nUnitFileState=enabled-runtime\n"
+	r := f.machine().List(false, "recalbox")
+	if len(r.Said) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("said %q, want one line for /mnt/recalbox", r.Said)
+	}
+	want := "/mnt/recalbox (cifs from //192.0.2.176/Share): not mounted, waits for its first use (automount waiting); from /etc/fstab line 1, no nofail"
+	if r.Said[0] != want {
+		t.Errorf("said %q,\nwant  %q", r.Said[0], want)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestListNarrowed(t *testing.T) {
 	m := listFake(t).machine()
 	if r := m.List(true, ""); len(r.Mounts) != 3 {