diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/away.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/away.go
index 85470ca8..fa04575a 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/away.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/away.go
@@ -16,14 +16,15 @@ import (
 // A machine out of touch when a tier is sent is not sent to and not waited for (novox/hq ADR 0435 §1, issue 1161): the
 // delivery goes on with the machines heard, says the others were away, and the away ones get the builds by the send
 // they are given when heard again (ADR 0353, ADR 0360 §5). Away is the silent check's one verdict, machineFacts.silent
-// over the watchman's presence (ADR 0433 §3), never a second rule; a machine that said it is asleep counts as away.
+// over the watchman's presence (ADR 0433 §3), never a second rule; a sleeping machine is away once presence says so.
 
-// awayOf is the machines out of touch at a moment: those the silent check calls silent, and those asleep. A machine
+// awayOf is the machines out of touch at a moment: those the silent check calls silent (a sleeping machine
+// is away once presence says so). A machine
 // never heard from has not joined and is not away.
 func awayOf(machines []machineFacts, now time.Time) map[string]bool {
 	out := map[string]bool{}
 	for _, m := range machines {
-		if m.silent(now) || m.asleep() {
+		if m.silent(now) {
 			out[m.name] = true
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/away_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/away_test.go
index 8ca3a84a..f31e9a48 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/away_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/away_test.go
@@ -7,13 +7,12 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/novox/mesh-controller/internal/inventory"
-	"github.com/novox/mesh-controller/internal/link"
 )
 
 // A machine out of touch when a tier is sent is not sent to and not waited for (novox/hq ADR 0435 §1, issue 1161): the
-// walk judges it with the silent check's one verdict, machineFacts.silent, and a machine asleep counts as away.
+// walk judges it with the silent check's one verdict, machineFacts.silent, and a sleeping machine is away once presence says so.
 
-// 1161/AC1: away is the silent check's verdict, and a machine asleep; AC4: a machine heard is not away.
+// 1161/AC1: away is the silent check's verdict; AC4: a machine heard is not away.
 func TestAMachineIsAwayAsTheSilentCheckJudgesIt(t *testing.T) {
 	now := time.Now().UTC()
 	machines := []machineFacts{
@@ -21,11 +20,10 @@ func TestAMachineIsAwayAsTheSilentCheckJudgesIt(t *testing.T) {
 		{name: "quiet", lastHeard: now.Add(-silentBound - time.Minute)},
 		{name: "stuck", lastHeard: now, presence: presenceSilent},
 		{name: "back", lastHeard: now.Add(-time.Hour), presence: presenceHeard},
-		{name: "asleep", lastHeard: now.Add(-time.Minute), power: link.PowerState{State: "sleeping"}},
 		{name: "new"},
 	}
 	got := awayOf(machines, now)
-	for node, want := range map[string]bool{"heard": false, "quiet": true, "stuck": true, "back": false, "asleep": true,
+	for node, want := range map[string]bool{"heard": false, "quiet": true, "stuck": true, "back": false,
 		"new": false} {
 		if got[node] != want {
 			t.Errorf("1161/AC1: %s away is %v; want %v (away: %v)", node, got[node], want, got)