diff --git a/modules/picom/README.md b/modules/picom/README.md
index 546b7abe..be9a79ba 100644
--- a/modules/picom/README.md
+++ b/modules/picom/README.md
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ the machine's graphics driver (novox/hq research 037):
 The defaults are what every machine ran before, so the file filled with them changes nothing. They exist
 for hq issue 345: a window that is mapped but shows nothing (a calendar reminder) or stays stale after a
 workspace switch (a chat window) is a known failure of glx with damage tracking on some drivers, and
-`xrender` or `use-damage` false is how a machine is set to test that. The file is `"trusted": false`: only
-the operator's own compositor reads it, so a verb may set these (issue 339). A changed file is read at
+`xrender` or `use-damage` false is how a machine is set to test that. The file stays trusted, so both are set at the
+controller's terminal alone (issue 339): a value is pasted into picom.conf as it is, and a backend of
+`xrender"; write-pid-path = "…` would add an option of the caller's (hq issue 346). A changed file is read at
 the next `picom_restart` or login: the module has no unit to reload.
 
 ## Tools
diff --git a/modules/picom/cmd/picom-tools/manifest_test.go b/modules/picom/cmd/picom-tools/manifest_test.go
index 98b508ad..b82d8ccc 100644
--- a/modules/picom/cmd/picom-tools/manifest_test.go
+++ b/modules/picom/cmd/picom-tools/manifest_test.go
@@ -76,8 +76,11 @@ func TestTheBackendAndDamageTrackingAreSettingsWithTodaysDefaults(t *testing.T)
 			t.Errorf("the file asks for %q", want)
 		}
 	}
-	if r["trusted"] != false {
-		t.Fatal("only the operator's own compositor reads the file: trusted false, so a verb may set a machine's backend (issue 339)")
+	// Trusted (unmarked): a value is pasted into the file as it is, so `xrender"; write-pid-path = "…`
+	// would add an option of the caller's. Until settings are typed and quoted (hq issue 346), only the
+	// controller's terminal sets them.
+	if _, marked := r["trusted"]; marked {
+		t.Fatal("the file stays trusted: its settings are set at the terminal alone (hq issue 346)")
 	}
 	got := parseRules("picom.conf", withDefaults(c), nil)
 	if got.Global["backend"] != "glx" || got.Global["use-damage"] != "true" || got.Global["vsync"] != "true" {
diff --git a/modules/picom/module.json b/modules/picom/module.json
index cda363c3..99d95644 100644
--- a/modules/picom/module.json
+++ b/modules/picom/module.json
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
     },
     {
       "id": "configuration",
-      "trusted": false,
       "type": "file",
       "path": "${machine:account-home}/.config/picom/picom.conf",
       "owner": "${machine:account}",