diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/adoption.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/adoption.go
index fc88e59..5888bcf 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/adoption.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/adoption.go
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ func showFiltering(f inventory.Filtering, adopted bool) {
 		switch {
 		case fw.Active:
 			fmt.Printf("  found firewall    %s is ACTIVE on this converged machine; the next apply retires it again\n", fw.Kind)
+		case fw.RetiredBy == "removed":
+			fmt.Printf("  found firewall    %s, removed: the mesh's filter is what filters this machine (novox/hq ADR 0175)\n", fw.Kind)
 		case fw.RetiredBy == inventory.FilterMesh || fw.RetiredBy == "mesh":
 			fmt.Printf("  found firewall    %s, retired by the mesh; its configuration stays on disk\n", fw.Kind)
 		case fw.RetiredBy != "":