diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/deadletters.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/deadletters.go
index d2c7b735..c01dd2c4 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/deadletters.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/deadletters.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/nats-io/nats.go"
 
@@ -22,10 +21,6 @@ import (
 // serving controller is already on it. A verb run as a fresh process would open a connection of its own
 // for each call (novox/hq issue 327).
 
-// deadLettersOn is the serving controller's bus, set when it starts watching the mesh; nil in a
-// process that serves nothing.
-var deadLettersOn atomic.Pointer[busHandles]
-
 // busHandles are the serving controller's connection and JetStream handle.
 type busHandles struct {
 	conn *nats.Conn
@@ -41,11 +36,12 @@ const causeDeadLetter = "dead-letter"
 // deadLettersAnswer is what `dead-letters` answers: the list, one whole, or what came of delivering one
 // again or dropping it.
 func deadLettersAnswer(ctx context.Context, a *verbArguments) (any, error) {
-	on := deadLettersOn.Load()
-	if on == nil {
+	serving := servingBus.Load()
+	if serving == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("this controller is not serving, so it does not read DEAD_LETTERS: ask again, " +
 			"and the serving controller answers")
 	}
+	on := &busHandles{conn: serving.Conn(), js: serving.Context()}
 	// The shape first, and every argument it reads; one given beside it is refused before anything is
 	// done, as every verb refuses what it would pass over (novox/hq issue 244).
 	var deliver, drop, why, cause, idText, consumer, limit string
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/deadletters_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/deadletters_test.go
index 5b3aef7a..e714456f 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/deadletters_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/deadletters_test.go
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ func servingDeadLetters(t *testing.T) *broker.JetStream {
 	if err := js.EnsureControllerBuckets(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	before := deadLettersOn.Load()
-	deadLettersOn.Store(&busHandles{conn: js.Conn(), js: js.Context()})
-	t.Cleanup(func() { deadLettersOn.Store(before) })
+	before := servingBus.Load()
+	servingBus.Store(js)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { servingBus.Store(before) })
 	return js
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/push.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/push.go
index b4dabd7e..a4f54d63 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/push.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/push.go
@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@ func serve(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	handActConn = bus.Conn
 	// And everything else this controller does on the bus for a moment (novox/hq issue 327).
 	servingBus.Store(server.JetStream())
+	// No longer serving: nothing is lent, and dead-letters says it is not read here (novox/hq issue 330).
+	defer servingBus.Store(nil)
 	// And says when it replaced a value given by hand (novox/hq ADR 0228).
 	givenEvents = bus
 	// And a pull request's merge check, asked when the forge announces its head and said when judged
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects.go
index ed12cfe7..42f14479 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func reconnecting(read closedConnections) []conditions.Observation {
 				"client reconnecting in a loop", u.User, u.Dropped, partial, reconnectBound),
 			Said: fmt.Sprintf("%d of %d closed connections dropped in %.0f h; by name %s; why %s", u.Dropped,
 				u.Closed, hours, strings.Join(names, ", "), strings.Join(why, ", ")),
-			Headline: clipWords(conditions.Capital(who)+" keeps losing the bus", 60),
+			Headline: clip(conditions.Capital(who)+" keeps losing the bus", 60),
 			Explanation: conditions.Capital(fmt.Sprintf("%s lost its connection to the bus %d times in the last hour "+
 				"and connected again each time. While it reconnects, what it says and what it is asked waits.", who,
 				u.Dropped)),
@@ -171,15 +171,3 @@ func busUserWords(user string) (string, string) {
 	}
 	return "a client of the bus", ""
 }
-
-// clipWords is words at most n characters long, cut at a word.
-func clipWords(s string, n int) string {
-	if len(s) <= n {
-		return s
-	}
-	cut := s[:n]
-	if i := strings.LastIndex(cut, " "); i > 0 {
-		cut = cut[:i]
-	}
-	return cut
-}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/watchdogs.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/watchdogs.go
index a4c07cef..88bf4434 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/watchdogs.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/watchdogs.go
@@ -660,8 +660,6 @@ func watchTheMesh(ctx context.Context, open *stores, server *link.Server, bus li
 		return nil
 	}
 	conditionsFrom = keeper
-	// What a consumer gave up on is read and acted on by the verb in this process (novox/hq issue 330).
-	deadLettersOn.Store(&busHandles{conn: server.JetStream().Conn(), js: server.JetStream().Context()})
 	logf := func(format string, args ...any) { fmt.Printf(format+"\n", args...) }
 	stopHearing, err := server.HearAdvisories(logf)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -688,8 +686,6 @@ func watchTheMesh(ctx context.Context, open *stores, server *link.Server, bus li
 	return func() {
 		stop()
 		stopHearing()
-		// No longer serving: the verb answers that it does not read DEAD_LETTERS here (novox/hq issue 330).
-		deadLettersOn.Store(nil)
 		flushing, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		keeper.Close(flushing)