diff --git a/modules/messenger/cmd/messenger/answers_test.go b/modules/messenger/cmd/messenger/answers_test.go
index 8d90d4ac..ce194024 100644
--- a/modules/messenger/cmd/messenger/answers_test.go
+++ b/modules/messenger/cmd/messenger/answers_test.go
@@ -839,3 +839,38 @@ func codeOf(t *testing.T, m Message) string {
 	t.Fatalf("no code in %q", m.Body)
 	return ""
 }
+
+// An ask's message goes alone even when only one of its answers can be given on a channel: folded into a burst's
+// digest, its one button was lost (found by the lab's proof, mesh-lab asks/, with approval held by an open
+// agent-root condition and that condition's message in the same burst).
+func TestAnAsksMessageWithOneAnswerIsNotFoldedIntoADigest(t *testing.T) {
+	h, tg, _, c, store, _ := newRouter(t)
+	link(h, store, c, "42", c.now().Add(-2*time.Hour))
+	settle(h, c)
+	// Something was just said on the channel, so what follows waits for the burst.
+	submit(t, h, "mesh-delivery", heldAsk(c, "d-0"))
+	settle(h, c)
+	h.mu.Lock()
+	h.open["machine.anchor.agent-root"] = &Record{Key: "machine.anchor.agent-root", Kind: KindAgentRoot, Severity: Urgent,
+		Origin: "condition", Raised: c.now()}
+	h.mu.Unlock()
+	k := cond("machine.anchor.disk", Urgent, "the disk on anchor is full")
+	k.Raised = c.now()
+	h.Condition(EventRaised, k)
+	before := len(tg.sends)
+	submit(t, h, "mesh-delivery", heldAsk(c, "d-1"))
+	settle(h, c)
+	var asked *Message
+	for i := range tg.sends[before:] {
+		m := tg.sends[before+i]
+		if ticketFor(m, "Silence for a week") != "" {
+			asked = &m
+		}
+	}
+	if asked == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("the ask's one answer was not offered on Telegram: %+v", tg.sends[before:])
+	}
+	if ticketFor(*asked, "Release") != "" {
+		t.Errorf("an approval was offered while an agent can become root there: %q", labelsOf(*asked))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/messenger/cmd/messenger/outbox.go b/modules/messenger/cmd/messenger/outbox.go
index 4ae846e1..d3c473a3 100644
--- a/modules/messenger/cmd/messenger/outbox.go
+++ b/modules/messenger/cmd/messenger/outbox.go
@@ -287,10 +287,12 @@ func (h *Holder) flushChannel(ch Channel, now time.Time, force bool) {
 		return
 	}
 	if len(entries) > 1 {
-		// A message that asks the operator something goes alone, so its answers come with it.
+		// A message that asks the operator something goes alone, so its answers come with it: one with several
+		// answers, and one carrying an ask's answer even when only one can be given here (the lab's proof found
+		// an ask whose approval was not offered folded into a digest, and its one answer lost with it).
 		var alone, rest []entry
 		for _, e := range entries {
-			if len(e.msg.Actions) > 1 {
+			if len(e.msg.Actions) > 1 || (len(e.msg.Actions) > 0 && e.r != nil && e.r.Ask != "") {
 				alone = append(alone, e)
 			} else {
 				rest = append(rest, e)