diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/batches.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/batches.go
index 363ca36d..2399cad3 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/batches.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/batches.go
@@ -1002,7 +1002,7 @@ func planBatch(ctx context.Context, open *stores, batch *inventory.Plan, carry [
 	plan.Delivery.Withheld = withheld
 	// **Left where it is, a module whose program did not change** (novox/hq issue 721): its check found it the same as
 	// the build the mesh holds.
-	for n, why := range leaveSameAsRunning(ctx, inv, &plan) {
+	for n, why := range leaveSameAsRunning(ctx, inv, &plan, moved, append(append([]inventory.Edge{}, edges...), ordered...)) {
 		unchanged[n] = why
 	}
 	plan.Delivery.Unchanged = unchangedLeft(unchanged, plan.Modules)
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/same_program.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/same_program.go
index c4161a76..20645e74 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/same_program.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/same_program.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"slices"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -90,8 +91,9 @@ func pinnedDigest(ref string) string {
 }
 
 // leaveSameAsRunning takes from a walk being cut every module its checks found the same as the build the mesh holds
-// (sameAsRunning): what was taken, with why. **Anything not read leaves the walk as it was**, said.
-func leaveSameAsRunning(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, plan *inventory.Plan) map[string]string {
+// (sameAsRunning), and every dependent in the walk only for one of those (withDependentsOf): what was taken, with why. **Anything not read leaves the walk as it was**, said.
+func leaveSameAsRunning(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, plan *inventory.Plan, moved []string,
+	edges []inventory.Edge) map[string]string {
 	if plan.Delivery == nil || len(plan.Modules) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ func leaveSameAsRunning(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, plan *inv
 		// empty-on-error: said above; nothing left out of the walk is the safe answer, every module moves as before
 		return nil
 	}
-	same := sameAsRunning(plan, builds, held)
+	same := withDependentsOf(sameAsRunning(plan, builds, held), plan, moved, edges)
 	if len(same) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -126,3 +128,49 @@ func leaveSameAsRunning(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, plan *inv
 	}
 	return same
 }
+
+// withDependentsOf adds to the modules found the same every module of the walk that is in it only as a dependent of
+// one of them (novox/hq ADR 0267 rule 3): **a dependent is left out when its base comes out the same**, since the
+// base it stands on stays the build the mesh holds. A module a merge moves itself, or a dependent of a base that
+// still moves, stays. moved are the modules the walk's merges move; edges the graph the walk was planned along.
+func withDependentsOf(same map[string]string, plan *inventory.Plan, moved []string, edges []inventory.Edge) map[string]string {
+	if len(same) == 0 {
+		return same
+	}
+	var still []string
+	for _, n := range moved {
+		if same[n] == "" {
+			still = append(still, n)
+		}
+	}
+	keep := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, n := range reachableFrom(still, edges) {
+		keep[n] = true
+	}
+	// Until nothing more is found: a dependent of a dependent left out is left out too.
+	for grew := true; grew; {
+		grew = false
+		for n := range plan.Modules {
+			if keep[n] || same[n] != "" {
+				continue
+			}
+			var bases []string
+			for _, e := range edges {
+				ordering := e.Kind == inventory.EdgeBuiltBy || e.Kind == inventory.EdgeWorkerOf ||
+					e.Kind == inventory.EdgePackages || e.Kind == edgeGroupOrder
+				if !ordering && e.From == n && same[e.To] != "" && !slices.Contains(bases, e.To) {
+					bases = append(bases, e.To)
+				}
+			}
+			sort.Strings(bases)
+			if len(bases) == 0 {
+				// In the walk for no base found the same: whatever brought it in is not said here, so it moves.
+				continue
+			}
+			same[n] = "unchanged: it is in the walk only for " + strings.Join(bases, ", ") +
+				", which came out the same as the build the mesh holds (ADR 0267 rule 3)"
+			grew = true
+		}
+	}
+	return same
+}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/same_program_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/same_program_test.go
index 9aeedb7b..a7c91932 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/same_program_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/same_program_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/novox/mesh-controller/internal/inventory"
 	"github.com/novox/mesh-controller/internal/link"
@@ -65,3 +68,67 @@ func TestAWalkLeavesOutAModuleWhoseProgramDidNotChange(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("a walk answering a merge without a pull request left out %v", same)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestADependentOfABaseThatCameOutTheSameIsLeftOut is ADR 0267 rule 3 (novox/hq issue 607): a dependent is in a walk
+// for its base; when the base comes out the same as the build the mesh holds, the dependent stands on that build
+// still, and leaves the walk with it — and so does a dependent of that dependent. One a merge moves itself stays.
+func TestADependentOfABaseThatCameOutTheSameIsLeftOut(t *testing.T) {
+	edges := []inventory.Edge{{From: "app", To: "base", Kind: inventory.EdgeDeclared},
+		{From: "app2", To: "app", Kind: inventory.EdgeDeclared}, {From: "own", To: "base", Kind: inventory.EdgeDeclared}}
+	plan := &inventory.Plan{Modules: map[string]*inventory.PlanModule{"base": {}, "app": {}, "app2": {}, "own": {}}}
+	same := withDependentsOf(map[string]string{"base": "unchanged: its program is the same"}, plan,
+		[]string{"base", "own"}, edges)
+	if !strings.Contains(same["app"], "only for base") || !strings.Contains(same["app2"], "only for app") {
+		t.Fatalf("the dependents of a base that came out the same are not left out: %v", same)
+	}
+	if _, left := same["own"]; left {
+		t.Fatalf("a module its merge moves itself is left out for its base: %v", same)
+	}
+	// A dependent of a base that still moves stays.
+	edges = append(edges, inventory.Edge{From: "app", To: "own", Kind: inventory.EdgeDeclared})
+	same = withDependentsOf(map[string]string{"base": "unchanged"}, plan, []string{"base", "own"}, edges)
+	if _, left := same["app"]; left {
+		t.Fatalf("a dependent of a base that still moves is left out: %v", same)
+	}
+}
+
+// Against the store, the path a real merge takes (novox/hq issues 721 and 611): a merge whose check built its one
+// module the same as the build the mesh holds is cut into a walk done with nothing to walk, whose record names the
+// module unchanged and why — the walk mesh-delivery reads as delivered, never stranded.
+func TestAWalkWhoseEveryBuildCameOutTheSameIsDone(t *testing.T) {
+	open := windowed(t)
+	endsItsLine(t)
+	asksRecorded(t)
+	ctx := t.Context()
+	inv := open.inventory
+	if err := inv.RecordBuild(ctx, inventory.Build{ID: "build-one", Repository: "novox/one", Ref: "main",
+		Module: "one", Commit: "c0", On: "builder", Asked: t0.Add(-time.Hour),
+		Made:    []inventory.Artifact{{Name: "one", Kind: "image", Reference: "store/one@sha256:aaaa"}},
+		Sources: []inventory.BuildSource{{Paths: []string{"main.go", "go.mod"}}}}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	pull := link.PullRef{Owner: "novox", Repo: "one", Number: 7}
+	was := checkedBuildsOf
+	checkedBuildsOf = func(context.Context, []link.PullRef) ([]link.CheckedBuild, error) {
+		return []link.CheckedBuild{{Pull: pull, Head: "headaaaaaaaa", Built: link.CheckBuilt{Module: "one", Key: "k",
+			Made:   []link.MadeArtifact{{Name: "one", Kind: "image", Reference: "scratch/one@sha256:bbbb"}},
+			Same:   "unchanged: its program is the same as running build one aaaa",
+			SameAs: map[string]string{"one": "10.0.0.1:5000/one@sha256:aaaa"}}}}, nil
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { checkedBuildsOf = was })
+	code := repoMerge("one", "one1aaaaaaaa", t0)
+	code.Number, code.HeadSHA = 7, "headaaaaaaaa1111"
+	hear(t, open, code, t0.Add(time.Second))
+	cutAt(t, open, t0.Add(2*time.Minute))
+	ws, _ := walks(t, open)
+	if len(ws) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("walks: %+v", ws)
+	}
+	w := ws[0]
+	if w.State != inventory.PlanDone || len(w.Tiers) != 0 || len(w.Modules) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("the walk reads %s, tiers %v, modules %v; want done with nothing to walk", w.State, w.Tiers, w.Modules)
+	}
+	if w.Delivery == nil || !strings.Contains(w.Delivery.Unchanged["one"], "its program is the same as running build") {
+		t.Fatalf("the walk does not say one matched what runs: %+v", w.Delivery)
+	}
+}