diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery/cmd/mesh-delivery/bus_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery/cmd/mesh-delivery/bus_test.go
index f05fa263..34c5b329 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery/cmd/mesh-delivery/bus_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery/cmd/mesh-delivery/bus_test.go
@@ -582,16 +582,6 @@ func TestAPlanMovedCarryingAFailedBackupHoldsTheDeliveryWithTheBackupsWordsOverA
 	const head, merge = "3333333333333333333333333333333333333333", "4444444444444444444444444444444444444444"
 	announced := pr("novox/app", 9, head, "fix/y", "src/a.go")
 	announced.BaseSHA = "t1t1t1t1t1t1"
-	b.publish(t, "mesh.mod.gitea.event.pull.updated", announced)
-	b.publish(t, "mesh.seat."+ControllerSeat+".event.checked", judgedAt("novox/app", 9, head, "pass", "t1t1t1t1t1t1"))
-	b.publish(t, "mesh.mod.gitea.event.pull.merged", merged("novox/app", 9, head, merge))
-
-	// Its walk runs, let go: the record names no failed backup yet.
-	now := time.Now()
-	walk := aWalk("plan-1", "novox/app", merge, true)
-	walk.Created, walk.State, walk.Revision = now, walkRolling, 1
-	walk.Delivery.Go, walk.Delivery.By = &now, "mesh-delivery"
-	b.publish(t, "mesh.seat."+ControllerSeat+".event.plan-moved", walk)
 	deliveryOf := func() Delivery {
 		e, err := b.kvs["deliveries"].Get(context.Background(), kvKey(IDOf("novox/app", head)))
 		var d Delivery
@@ -600,6 +590,21 @@ func TestAPlanMovedCarryingAFailedBackupHoldsTheDeliveryWithTheBackupsWordsOverA
 		}
 		return d
 	}
+	// Each event is published after the module has taken the one before it: they are on two subjects, and the runner
+	// may hand over a later one first, which the table would rightly judge on its own (merged before checked).
+	b.publish(t, "mesh.mod.gitea.event.pull.updated", announced)
+	rt.until("the pull request to be taken", 10*time.Second, func() bool { return deliveryOf().State != "" })
+	b.publish(t, "mesh.seat."+ControllerSeat+".event.checked", judgedAt("novox/app", 9, head, "pass", "t1t1t1t1t1t1"))
+	rt.until("the verdict to be taken", 10*time.Second, func() bool { d := deliveryOf(); return d.State != "" && d.State != Proposed })
+	b.publish(t, "mesh.mod.gitea.event.pull.merged", merged("novox/app", 9, head, merge))
+	rt.until("the merge to be taken", 10*time.Second, func() bool { return deliveryOf().MergedAs != "" })
+
+	// Its walk runs, let go: the record names no failed backup yet.
+	now := time.Now()
+	walk := aWalk("plan-1", "novox/app", merge, true)
+	walk.Created, walk.State, walk.Revision = now, walkRolling, 1
+	walk.Delivery.Go, walk.Delivery.By = &now, "mesh-delivery"
+	b.publish(t, "mesh.seat."+ControllerSeat+".event.plan-moved", walk)
 	rt.until("the delivery to be delivering", 10*time.Second, func() bool { return deliveryOf().State == Delivering })
 
 	// A backup failed before the send: the delivery is held with the backup's words.