diff --git a/modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/config.go b/modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/config.go
index 13e1333..31a99d9 100644
--- a/modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/config.go
+++ b/modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/config.go
@@ -800,8 +800,10 @@ func Register(p Paths, it Item, nodes []string, unregister bool, state ConfigSta
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	// Compared before and after rather than read from Take: this node's own watch may take the same change
+	// first, and then Take here finds nothing new although this call made it.
+	before, _ := json.Marshal(v.Items())
 	var keys []string
-	changed := false
 	for _, n := range nodes {
 		key := it.Key(n)
 		keys = append(keys, key)
@@ -819,7 +821,12 @@ func Register(p Paths, it Item, nodes []string, unregister bool, state ConfigSta
 			op = "delete"
 		}
 		item := it
-		changed = v.Take(key, op, &item) || changed
+		v.Take(key, op, &item)
+	}
+	after, _ := json.Marshal(v.Items())
+	here := string(before) != string(after)
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		here = here || v.Applies(k)
 	}
 	verb := map[bool]string{false: "registered", true: "unregistered"}[unregister]
 	answer := map[string]any{verb: it.Kind + " " + it.Name, "keys": keys}
@@ -835,15 +842,15 @@ func Register(p Paths, it Item, nodes []string, unregister bool, state ConfigSta
 			answer["offered as"] = "/" + Plugin + ":" + it.Name
 		}
 	}
-	if changed {
+	if here {
+		// Rendered whenever it applies here, so the answer says what this node wrote, whichever of the
+		// watch and this call took the change.
 		rendered, err := RenderNow(p, write)
 		answer["rendered here"] = rendered
 		if err != nil {
 			answer["not written here"] = err.Error() // kept on the bus all the same; the next render tries again
 		}
 		answer["sessions"] = "a new session takes it; a running one at /reload-plugins"
-	} else if v.Applies(keys[0]) || len(keys) > 1 {
-		answer["here"] = "already so"
 	} else {
 		answer["here"] = "not this node: each node it is for takes it from the bus"
 	}
diff --git a/modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/config_test.go b/modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/config_test.go
index 69036ed..0a1edf8 100644
--- a/modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/config_test.go
+++ b/modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/config_test.go
@@ -455,3 +455,16 @@ func TestOneFileThatCannotBeWrittenDoesNotStopTheOthers(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("the other files were not written: %v", w)
 	}
 }
+
+// The answer says what this node wrote even when its own watch took the change first.
+func TestTheAnswerSaysWhatWasWrittenWhenTheWatchWasFirst(t *testing.T) {
+	p, w := node(t, "laptop")
+	state, view := memConfig{}, NewConfigView(p)
+	it := Item{Kind: KindCommand, Name: "c", Scope: ScopeHome, Files: one("c", "x")}
+	first := it
+	view.Take(it.Key("laptop"), "put", &first) // the watch, first
+	answer, err := Register(p, it, nil, false, state, view, writer(w))
+	if err != nil || answer["rendered here"] == nil || answer["here"] != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("%v %v", answer, err)
+	}
+}