diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/bus_step.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/bus_step.go
index 4ef2149..95a4880 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/bus_step.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/bus_step.go
@@ -54,12 +54,19 @@ type busPending struct {
 	machines []string
 	from     map[string]string
 	to       string
+	// same are the commits whose build made the same artifacts as the build the mesh holds.
+	same map[string]bool
 }
 
-// moves is whether sending the machine would replace its bus.
+// moves is whether sending the machine would replace its bus: a build it was not last sent, unless the
+// two builds made the same artifacts — a rebuild of the same source for another module's merge changes
+// nothing the machine runs.
 func (b busPending) moves(machine string) bool {
 	from, known := b.from[machine]
-	return b.module != "" && b.to != "" && (!known || !sameCommit(from, b.to))
+	if b.module == "" || b.to == "" || (known && sameCommit(from, b.to)) {
+		return false
+	}
+	return !known || !b.same[from]
 }
 
 // pendingBus reads what a bus upgrade would do.
@@ -85,7 +92,14 @@ func pendingBus(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory) (busPending, erro
 	if b.machines, err = inv.Running(ctx, b.module); err != nil {
 		return b, err
 	}
-	b.from = map[string]string{}
+	b.from, b.same = map[string]string{}, map[string]bool{}
+	made, err := madeBy(ctx, inv, b.module)
+	if err != nil {
+		return b, err
+	}
+	for commit, refs := range made {
+		b.same[commit] = refs != "" && refs == made[b.to]
+	}
 	for _, n := range b.machines {
 		sent, known, err := inv.SentBuilds(ctx, n)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -204,7 +218,7 @@ func busCommand(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
 	fmt.Printf("bus upgrade %d: %s %s → %s on %s; streams snapshotted at %s; %s\n", step.ID, b.module, step.From,
 		short(b.to), strings.Join(moving, ", "), where, map[bool]string{true: "reversible: putting the old build back undoes it",
 			false: "NOT reversible: the snapshot is the only way back"}[*reversible])
-	sent, err := sendRollout(ctx, open, moving)
+	sent, err := sendRollout(withBusStep(ctx), open, moving)
 	if err != nil {
 		_ = inv.EndBusStep(ctx, step.ID, "failed", "the send was refused: "+err.Error())
 		return fmt.Errorf("the bus's machine could not be sent its new build: %w — nothing was replaced", err)
@@ -371,3 +385,40 @@ func snapshotTheBusNow(ctx context.Context, module, node string) (string, error)
 	})
 	return where, err
 }
+
+// errBusWaits is a send refused because it would replace the bus outside its planned step.
+var errBusWaits = errors.New("a new bus build waits for its planned step")
+
+type busStepKey struct{}
+
+// withBusStep marks a send as the bus's planned step: the one send that may replace the bus.
+func withBusStep(ctx context.Context) context.Context {
+	return context.WithValue(ctx, busStepKey{}, true)
+}
+
+func busStepSending(ctx context.Context) bool { on, _ := ctx.Value(busStepKey{}).(bool); return on }
+
+// madeBy is, per commit, the artifacts the newest worked build of a module from it made, as one sorted
+// string: what tells a rebuild that changes nothing from one that does.
+func madeBy(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, module string) (map[string]string, error) {
+	builds, err := inv.Builds(ctx, module, 50)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	out := map[string]string{}
+	for _, b := range builds {
+		if !b.Worked() || b.Commit == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if _, seen := out[b.Commit]; seen {
+			continue
+		}
+		var refs []string
+		for _, a := range b.Made {
+			refs = append(refs, a.Name+"="+a.Reference)
+		}
+		sort.Strings(refs)
+		out[b.Commit] = strings.Join(refs, " ")
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/gate_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/gate_test.go
index 6c6dc55..0ad1bd4 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/gate_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/gate_test.go
@@ -403,6 +403,26 @@ func TestTheBusIsNeverRolledOutAutomatically(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil || !strings.Contains(held["anchor"], "planned step") || held["laptop"] != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("a push may send the bus's machine: %v %v", held, err)
 	}
+	// Nor may any other send — a plan's for another module on that machine carried the bus with it.
+	if _, err := sendToEach(ctx, open, []string{"laptop", "anchor"}); !errors.Is(err, errBusWaits) {
+		t.Fatalf("a send to the bus's machine was not refused: %v", err)
+	}
+	// A rebuild that made the same artifacts is no move.
+	for _, b := range []inventory.Build{{ID: "nb1", Module: "nats", Commit: "n1"}, {ID: "nb2", Module: "nats", Commit: "n2"}} {
+		b.Made = []inventory.Artifact{{Name: "server", Kind: "image", Reference: "registry/nats@sha256:same"}}
+		b.Asked, b.At = time.Now(), time.Now()
+		if err := inv.RecordBuild(ctx, b); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	if held, err := busHeld(ctx, inv, []string{"anchor"}); err != nil || len(held) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("a rebuild that changes nothing held the bus's machine: %v %v", held, err)
+	}
+	if err := inv.RecordBuild(ctx, inventory.Build{ID: "nb3", Module: "nats", Commit: "n2", Asked: time.Now().Add(time.Second),
+		At: time.Now().Add(time.Second), Made: []inventory.Artifact{{Name: "server", Kind: "image",
+			Reference: "registry/nats@sha256:new"}}}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	// The planned step refuses to start without its word on reversibility, and without a snapshot taken
 	// first by the bus machine's backup holder.
 	if err := busCommand(ctx, []string{"upgrade", "--why", "2.11"}); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "reversible") {
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/push.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/push.go
index 882cc39..f8aa3f4 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/push.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/push.go
@@ -1001,6 +1001,21 @@ func sendTo(ctx context.Context, open *stores, names []string) error {
 // the machines it sent waits for that one too.
 func sendToEach(ctx context.Context, open *stores, names []string) ([]string, error) {
 	inv := open.inventory
+	// **No send replaces the bus but its planned step** (novox/hq ADR 0236). A plan's send to the bus's
+	// machine for some other module carried the bus's new build with it on 2026-10-06, and the bus
+	// restarted under every machine with nobody having asked. Refused whole — the send cannot leave the
+	// bus behind and carry the rest (ADR 0221 option 2) — and said with the remedy; the plan tries again.
+	if !busStepSending(ctx) {
+		held, err := busHeld(ctx, inv, names)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		for _, n := range names {
+			if why, h := held[n]; h {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", errBusWaits, why)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	ident, err := openIdentity(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err