diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/proposals.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/proposals.go
index 6481ae71..b4b37023 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/proposals.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/proposals.go
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func (p settingsProposal) ask(id string, machines []string) (asks.Ask, map[strin
 	var d strings.Builder
 	fmt.Fprintf(&d, "Fingerprint %s.\n", fingerprint(p.Digest))
 	if !shownWhole {
-		d.WriteString("Parts shown as ‹address›, ‹path› or ‹withheld› may not leave the mesh where the sender is not proven.\n")
+		d.WriteString("On a channel that does not prove who answers, these values are shown as ‹address›, ‹path› or ‹withheld›.\n")
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintf(&d, "Read it whole, with this fingerprint: settings proposals %s at the controller's terminal, or "+
 		"mesh-controller.settings with proposal %s through the mesh MCP server.\n", id, id)
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/proposals_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/proposals_test.go
index 2eaba0e2..1f9711fa 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/proposals_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/proposals_test.go
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func TestAProposalAsksAtTheLevelApproveWithTheExactChange(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, line := range []string{
 		"Fingerprint " + fingerprint(layerDigest(mountsSources)) + ".",
-		"Parts shown as ‹address›, ‹path› or ‹withheld› may not leave the mesh where the sender is not proven.",
+		"On a channel that does not prove who answers, these values are shown as ‹address›, ‹path› or ‹withheld›.",
 		"Read it whole, with this fingerprint: settings proposals " + kept(r).ID + " at the controller's terminal",
 		"Approved, the layer is set at once and the machine takes it at its next push.",
 	} {
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func TestAProposalAsksAtTheLevelApproveWithTheExactChange(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("Details lack %q:\n%s", line, q.Details)
 		}
 	}
-	for _, howTo := range []string{"ingerprint", "settings proposals", "mesh-controller.settings", "may not leave", "Approved,"} {
+	for _, howTo := range []string{"ingerprint", "settings proposals", "mesh-controller.settings", "does not prove", "Approved,"} {
 		if strings.Contains(q.Explanation, howTo) || strings.Contains(q.Whole, howTo) {
 			t.Errorf("the message carries the how-to %q", howTo)
 		}
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ func TestAProposalShowsItsValuesWholeOnlyWhereTheSenderIsProvenAndNeverASecret(t
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if q2 := r2.askSent(t); q2.Whole != "" || !strings.HasPrefix(q2.Explanation, "+ font-size: 13\n+ width: 500\nProposed by ") ||
-		strings.Contains(q2.Details, "may not leave") {
+		strings.Contains(q2.Details, "does not prove who answers") {
 		t.Errorf("%+v", q2)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/outward/outward.go b/internal/outward/outward.go
index a2466329..6167b440 100644
--- a/internal/outward/outward.go
+++ b/internal/outward/outward.go
@@ -105,13 +105,27 @@ func Check(text string, machines ...string) (Refusal, bool) {
 // Secret says whether a text carries a secret's shape, the one class that leaves the mesh nowhere — the
 // messenger's CheckSecret, one for one. It is what an ask's whole words (asks.Ask.Whole, novox/hq issue 383)
 // are held to: on a channel that proves who answers, a path or an address is what the operator approves and
-// is shown; a secret never is.
+// is shown; a secret never is. A path is read as one: a run with a slash in it is judged piece by piece
+// between the slashes, so "/mnt/Photos_2024/Jochen" is a path and not a random string (the review of
+// 2026-10-10); the named shapes hold whatever the run holds.
 func Secret(text string, machines ...string) (Refusal, bool) {
 	text = withoutMachines(text, machines)
 	if refusal, ok := secretShape(text); !ok {
 		return refusal, false
 	}
-	return randomRun(text)
+	return randomRunOutsidePaths(text)
+}
+
+// randomRunOutsidePaths is randomRun with each run that holds a slash judged by its pieces between the slashes.
+func randomRunOutsidePaths(text string) (Refusal, bool) {
+	for _, run := range reRun.FindAllString(text, -1) {
+		for _, piece := range strings.Split(run, "/") {
+			if len(piece) >= 20 && looksRandom(piece) {
+				return Refusal{"secret", "a long random-looking string"}, false
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return Refusal{}, true
 }
 
 // secretShape is the secret shapes a pattern names.
diff --git a/internal/outward/outward_test.go b/internal/outward/outward_test.go
index 45fb2bf3..0901cd70 100644
--- a/internal/outward/outward_test.go
+++ b/internal/outward/outward_test.go
@@ -107,6 +107,9 @@ func TestSecretRefusesOnlyASecretsShape(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, text := range []string{
 		"recalbox=smb://nas.lan/recalbox@/mnt/recalbox:ro",
 		"library=/mnt/library",
+		"photos=/mnt/Photos_2024/Jochen",
+		"games=smb://nas.lan/Recalbox_Games2024",
+		"/srv/media/Series_Archive/Season01",
 		"10.77.0.9:53",
 		"jochen@example.com",
 		"C:\\Users\\jo",