diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/kept_compositions.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/kept_compositions.go
index 148c5095..f7f188c1 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/kept_compositions.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/kept_compositions.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func followKept(ctx context.Context, open *stores, node string, modules map[stri
 	lister, err := at.bucket.ListKeys(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, jetstream.ErrNoKeysFound) {
-			return nil, nil
+			return nil, nil // empty-on-error: a node with no compositions keeps none to compose again
 		}
 		return nil, err
 	}