diff --git a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/active_effort_test.go b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/active_effort_test.go
index 6a87a83b..ead658a6 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/active_effort_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/active_effort_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // effortAsk is a research effort proposal with the given documents.
@@ -76,3 +77,49 @@ func TestAGraduatedEffortAndADecisionStillTakeOnlyAnInsight(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("a decision took a plain version: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// An old active effort's new text is held to the rules as of the day it is proposed, not the day the effort began.
+func TestANewVersionOfAnOldActiveEffortIsHeldToTodaysRules(t *testing.T) {
+	w := imported(t, newMemStore())
+	w.clock = time.Date(2026, 10, 1, 9, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	r, err := w.k.ReserveNumber("author@g14", KindResearch, "an old effort")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	overview := Section{Name: "00-overview.md", Text: "What an inference layer would be."}
+	first := effortAsk(r.Number, StatusActive, overview)
+	first.Date = "2026-10-01"
+	w.accepted(t, "author@g14", first)
+	w.clock = time.Date(2026, 10, 15, 9, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	next := effortAsk(r.Number, StatusActive, overview, Section{Name: "01-findings.md", Text: "The control plane wrote them."})
+	next.Date = "2026-10-01"
+	if _, err := w.k.Propose("author@g14", next); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "retired-word") {
+		t.Fatalf("a retired word in new text of an old effort: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAChangesVerdictLeavesTheServedVersionServedAndGraduatingNeedsABecameLink(t *testing.T) {
+	w := imported(t, newMemStore())
+	r, err := w.k.ReserveNumber("author@g14", KindResearch, "an effort")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	overview := Section{Name: "00-overview.md", Text: "What an inference layer would be."}
+	w.accepted(t, "author@g14", effortAsk(r.Number, StatusActive, overview))
+	key := Key{KindResearch, r.Number}
+	w.judge.review = `{"verdict":"changes","findings":["01-findings.md: say where the finding comes from"]}`
+	next := effortAsk(r.Number, StatusActive, overview, Section{Name: "01-findings.md", Text: "A new finding."})
+	if _, err := w.k.Propose("author@g14", next); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	w.reviewAll(t)
+	e := mustGet(t, w.k.Store, key)
+	if e.Pending == nil || e.Pending.Reviews[len(e.Pending.Reviews)-1].Verdict != VerdictChanges ||
+		e.Current.Status != StatusActive || e.Current.Section("01-findings.md") != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("after changes: pending %v, current %+v", e.Pending != nil, e.Current.Sections)
+	}
+	grad := effortAsk(r.Number, StatusGraduated, overview)
+	if _, err := w.k.Propose("author@g14", grad); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "became") {
+		t.Fatalf("graduated without a became link: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/kb.go b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/kb.go
index f133dfd5..c11eece6 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/kb.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-knowledge/cmd/mesh-knowledge/kb.go
@@ -379,7 +379,14 @@ func (k *KB) Propose(caller string, a ProposeAsk) (*Proposed, error) {
 	if !current && a.Kind == KindResearch && r.Effort == "" {
 		r.Effort = held.Current.Status
 	}
-	refusals = append(refusals, JudgeRecord(r, held, k.lookup(ctx), ref)...)
+	judged := r
+	if r.Pending != nil && !r.IsInsight() {
+		// A new version of an active effort is new text: the dated rules hold it from the day it is proposed, while
+		// the record keeps its own date (novox/hq issue 844).
+		judged = r.Clone()
+		judged.Date = k.now().Format("2006-01-02")
+	}
+	refusals = append(refusals, JudgeRecord(judged, held, k.lookup(ctx), ref)...)
 	if raw, _ := json.Marshal(r); len(raw) > MostRecordBytes {
 		refusals = append(refusals, Refusal{Rule: "size", Says: fmt.Sprintf("the record is %d bytes; a record holds at most %d", len(raw), MostRecordBytes)})
 	}