diff --git a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/ledger_test.go b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/ledger_test.go
index 63b838da..28e56c0d 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/ledger_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-vault/cmd/mesh-vault/ledger_test.go
@@ -53,15 +53,15 @@ func TestTheLedgerHoldsFingerprintsNeverTheValue(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestWithdrawingForgetsAHolderAndListingIsByLogin(t *testing.T) {
+func TestDeletingForgetsAHolderAndListingIsByLogin(t *testing.T) {
 	l, _ := NewLedger(t.TempDir())
 	_, _, _ = l.Record("b-app", "b", "x", time.Now())
 	_, _, _ = l.Record("a-app", "a", "y", time.Now())
 	if got := logins(l.List()); got != "a-app,b-app" {
 		t.Errorf("listed %s", got)
 	}
-	if !l.Withdraw("a-app") || l.Withdraw("a-app") {
-		t.Error("withdrawing found the wrong thing")
+	if !l.Delete("a-app") || l.Delete("a-app") {
+		t.Error("deleting found the wrong thing")
 	}
 	if got := logins(l.List()); got != "b-app" {
 		t.Errorf("listed %s", got)
@@ -120,49 +120,230 @@ func TestWhatTheMeshDeliversIsFingerprintedNeverReturned(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// The custody pass: a delivered value is recorded and announced by fingerprint, a changed one is a rotation,
-// a login no longer asked for is withdrawn — and an unreadable contributions file withdraws nobody.
-func TestTheCustodyPass(t *testing.T) {
+// custodyAt is a custody pass over a contributions file in dir, on a clock the test moves.
+type custodyAt struct {
+	*Custody
+	bus      *published
+	receives string
+	dir      string
+	clock    *time.Time
+}
+
+func newCustody(t *testing.T) custodyAt {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	l, _ := NewLedger(filepath.Join(dir, "ledger"))
 	bus := &published{}
-	secret := filepath.Join(dir, "a.secret")
-	receives := filepath.Join(dir, "mesh.json")
-	write := func(given ...map[string]string) {
-		doc, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{"given": given})
-		_ = os.WriteFile(receives, doc, 0o600)
-	}
-	c := Custody{Ledger: l, Receives: receives, Emit: bus.emit, Now: time.Now, Log: t.Logf}
+	clock := time.Date(2026, 10, 14, 9, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	c := custodyAt{bus: bus, receives: filepath.Join(dir, "mesh.json"), dir: dir, clock: &clock}
+	c.Custody = &Custody{Ledger: l, Receives: c.receives, Emit: bus.emit, Now: func() time.Time { return *c.clock }, Log: t.Logf}
+	return c
+}
 
-	_ = os.WriteFile(secret, []byte("v1"), 0o600)
-	write(map[string]string{"node": "anchor", "as": "anchor-redis", "secret": secret})
-	c.Pass()
-	_ = os.WriteFile(secret, []byte("v2"), 0o600)
-	c.Pass()
-	_ = os.WriteFile(receives, []byte("{not json"), 0o600)
-	c.Pass()
-	if _, ok := l.Get("anchor-redis"); !ok {
-		t.Fatal("an unreadable contributions file withdrew a holder")
+// ask writes a contributions file asking for these logins, each with its value.
+func (c custodyAt) ask(values map[string]string) {
+	given := []map[string]string{}
+	for as, v := range values {
+		f := filepath.Join(c.dir, as+".secret")
+		_ = os.WriteFile(f, []byte(v), 0o600)
+		given = append(given, map[string]string{"node": "anchor", "as": as, "secret": f})
 	}
-	write()
-	c.Pass()
-	if _, ok := l.Get("anchor-redis"); ok {
-		t.Fatal("a holder no longer asked for was kept")
+	doc, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{"requirement": "secret", "given": given})
+	_ = os.WriteFile(c.receives, doc, 0o600)
+}
+
+// passes runs n passes a minute apart.
+func (c custodyAt) passes(n int) {
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		c.Pass()
+		*c.clock = c.clock.Add(time.Minute)
 	}
-	var said []string
-	for _, e := range bus.events {
-		said = append(said, e["event"].(string))
+}
+
+func (c custodyAt) changes() []string {
+	var out []string
+	for _, e := range c.bus.events {
+		if e["event"] == EventRetirement {
+			out = append(out, e["body"].(map[string]any)["change"].(string))
+		} else {
+			out = append(out, e["event"].(string))
+		}
 	}
-	if strings.Join(said, ",") != "provisioned,rotated,deprovisioned" {
-		t.Errorf("announced %v", said)
+	return out
+}
+
+// The custody pass: a delivered value is recorded and announced by fingerprint, a changed one is a rotation.
+func TestTheCustodyPassRecordsAndRotates(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newCustody(t)
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"anchor-redis": "v1"})
+	c.passes(1)
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"anchor-redis": "v2"})
+	c.passes(1)
+	if got := strings.Join(c.changes(), ","); got != "provisioned,rotated" {
+		t.Errorf("announced %s", got)
 	}
-	for _, raw := range bus.raw {
+	for _, raw := range c.bus.raw {
 		if strings.Contains(raw, `"v1"`) || strings.Contains(raw, `"v2"`) {
 			t.Errorf("announced a value: %s", raw)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+// A contributions file that does not say who is asked for — unreadable, not JSON, without a given list, a
+// null one, or for another requirement — is no answer: nobody is retired, and the count starts again.
+func TestAFileThatSaysNothingRetiresNobody(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, doc := range []string{"{not json", `{"requirement":"secret"}`, `{"requirement":"secret","given":null}`,
+		`{"requirement":"redis-cache","given":[]}`} {
+		c := newCustody(t)
+		c.ask(map[string]string{"anchor-redis": "v1"})
+		c.passes(1)
+		_ = os.WriteFile(c.receives, []byte(doc), 0o600)
+		c.passes(30)
+		if h, ok := c.Ledger.Get("anchor-redis"); !ok || h.Retired != nil {
+			t.Errorf("%s: the holder was retired or lost: %+v %v", doc, h, ok)
+		}
+		if _, err := Contributions(c.receives); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("%s was read as an answer", doc)
+		}
+	}
+	if _, err := Contributions(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "missing.json")); err == nil {
+		t.Error("a missing file was read as an answer")
+	}
+}
+
+// A holder the mesh stops asking for is retired only after five passes AND ten minutes, is never deleted
+// by a pass, keeps its history, and is re-enabled when asked for again.
+func TestAHolderNoLongerAskedForIsRetiredNotDeleted(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newCustody(t)
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2", "c-app": "3"})
+	c.passes(1)
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2"})
+	c.Pass() // the first pass that sees c-app unasked
+	for i := 0; i < 8; i++ {
+		*c.clock = c.clock.Add(10 * time.Second) // five passes, but in under ten minutes
+		c.Pass()
+	}
+	if h, _ := c.Ledger.Get("c-app"); h.Retired != nil {
+		t.Fatal("retired before ten minutes had passed")
+	}
+	*c.clock = c.clock.Add(10 * time.Minute)
+	c.Pass()
+	h, ok := c.Ledger.Get("c-app")
+	if !ok || h.Retired == nil || h.Retired.Why == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("not retired, or retired without a why: %+v %v", h, ok)
+	}
+	if h.Fingerprint != Fingerprint("3") {
+		t.Error("retiring lost what the ledger knew of the holder")
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(c.dir, "ledger", "c-app.json")); err != nil {
+		t.Error("a pass deleted a ledger entry")
+	}
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2", "c-app": "3"})
+	c.Pass()
+	if h, _ := c.Ledger.Get("c-app"); h.Retired != nil {
+		t.Error("asked for again, the holder stayed retired")
+	}
+	if got := strings.Join(c.changes(), ","); got != "provisioned,provisioned,provisioned,retired,reenabled" {
+		t.Errorf("announced %s", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// A different set, or a file that says nothing, starts the count again.
+func TestTheCountStartsAgain(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newCustody(t)
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2", "c-app": "3"})
+	c.passes(1)
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2"})
+	c.passes(4)
+	_ = os.WriteFile(c.receives, []byte(`{"given":null}`), 0o600)
+	c.passes(1)
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2"})
+	c.passes(4)
+	*c.clock = c.clock.Add(time.Hour)
+	if h, _ := c.Ledger.Get("c-app"); h.Retired != nil {
+		t.Fatal("retired though the count was broken")
+	}
+	c.passes(1)
+	if h, _ := c.Ledger.Get("c-app"); h.Retired == nil {
+		t.Fatal("not retired after five unbroken passes and an hour")
+	}
+}
+
+// Too many at once waits for a person: approve retires exactly that set, reject keeps it.
+func TestTooManyAtOnceWaitsForAPerson(t *testing.T) {
+	all := map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2", "c-app": "3", "d-app": "4", "e-app": "5"}
+	for _, decide := range []string{"approve", "reject"} {
+		c := newCustody(t)
+		c.ask(all)
+		c.passes(1)
+		c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1"})
+		c.passes(5)
+		*c.clock = c.clock.Add(time.Hour)
+		c.passes(1)
+		r := c.Retirement()
+		if r["waiting"] == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("four of five no longer asked for did not wait: %v", r)
+		}
+		for _, h := range c.Ledger.List() {
+			if h.Retired != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("%s retired while the set waited", h.As)
+			}
+		}
+		if _, err := c.Approve("person.jochen", ""); err == nil {
+			t.Error("an approval without a why was taken")
+		}
+		if decide == "approve" {
+			set, err := c.Approve("person.jochen", "the four apps are gone")
+			if err != nil || len(set) != 4 {
+				t.Fatalf("%v %v", set, err)
+			}
+			if h, _ := c.Ledger.Get("b-app"); h.Retired == nil {
+				t.Error("approved, not retired")
+			}
+			if h, _ := c.Ledger.Get("a-app"); h.Retired != nil {
+				t.Error("an asked-for holder was retired")
+			}
+		} else {
+			if _, err := c.Reject("person.jochen", "they come back"); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			c.passes(10)
+			if h, _ := c.Ledger.Get("b-app"); h.Retired != nil {
+				t.Error("rejected, but retired")
+			}
+			if c.Retirement()["waiting"] != nil {
+				t.Error("a rejected set was asked about again")
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Only a person deletes, with a why, and only a retired holder the mesh no longer asks for.
+func TestOnlyAPersonDeletesARetiredHolder(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newCustody(t)
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2", "c-app": "3"})
+	c.passes(1)
+	if err := c.Delete("c-app", "person.jochen", "gone"); err == nil {
+		t.Error("an active holder was deleted")
+	}
+	c.ask(map[string]string{"a-app": "1", "b-app": "2"})
+	c.passes(5)
+	*c.clock = c.clock.Add(time.Hour)
+	c.passes(1)
+	if err := c.Delete("c-app", "person.jochen", ""); err == nil {
+		t.Error("deleted without a why")
+	}
+	if err := c.Delete("c-app", "person.jochen", "gitea's redis is gone for good"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, ok := c.Ledger.Get("c-app"); ok {
+		t.Error("deleted, but still in the ledger")
+	}
+	last := c.changes()
+	if last[len(last)-1] != "deleted" {
+		t.Errorf("announced %v", last)
+	}
+}
+
 func logins(hs []Held) string {
 	var out []string
 	for _, h := range hs {