diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/signals.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/signals.go
index 9b449e5..5d22d2a 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/signals.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/signals.go
@@ -571,12 +571,21 @@ func watchLease(f *signalFacts) []conditions.Observation {
 // handActsWithin is how far back a repeated cause counts (S15).
 const handActsWithin = 14 * 24 * time.Hour
 
+// personsDecision are the causes of hand acts that are a person's decision by design, never a repair a
+// healer could take over: approving or rejecting a retirement, and deleting what was retired (novox/hq
+// ADR 0230 — nothing is retired past the bound or deleted without a person). Repeated, they are the
+// mesh working as decided, not a healer wanted.
+var personsDecision = map[string]bool{kindRetireWaiting: true, kindCleanupWaiting: true}
+
 // watchHandActs is S15: a cause recorded by hand twice within a fortnight is a healer wanted, named by
 // the cause. **A heal is never a hand act** (healers.go), so a cause a healer exists for and a person
 // still repaired twice says the healer is not enough — its reach or its budget — and is said so.
 func watchHandActs(f *signalFacts) []conditions.Observation {
 	recent := make([]link.HandAct, 0, len(f.handActs))
 	for _, a := range f.handActs {
+		if personsDecision[a.Cause] {
+			continue
+		}
 		if f.now.Sub(a.At) <= handActsWithin {
 			recent = append(recent, a)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/signals_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/signals_test.go
index 98c67b7..5978577 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/signals_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/signals_test.go
@@ -161,6 +161,19 @@ func TestARepeatedHandActNamesItsCauseAndItsHealer(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// **Approving a retirement and deleting what was retired are a person's decision by design** (ADR
+// 0230): repeated, they are not a healer wanted.
+func TestARetirementDecisionRepeatedWantsNoHealer(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Date(2026, 10, 6, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	f := calm(now)
+	f.handActs = []link.HandAct{actByHand(now.Add(-2*time.Hour), kindRetireWaiting),
+		actByHand(now.Add(-time.Hour), kindRetireWaiting), actByHand(now.Add(-time.Hour), kindCleanupWaiting),
+		actByHand(now.Add(-time.Minute), kindCleanupWaiting)}
+	if got := watchHandActs(f); len(got) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("a person's decision asked for a healer: %+v", got)
+	}
+}
+
 // standingSaid is a provider's failing word last said at a moment.
 func standingSaid(at time.Time) conditions.Condition {
 	return conditions.Condition{Key: "provider.idp.anchor.app.failing", Kind: kindProviderFailing, LastObserved: at}