diff --git a/internal/builder/check.go b/internal/builder/check.go
index 9b299257..3d333a8c 100644
--- a/internal/builder/check.go
+++ b/internal/builder/check.go
@@ -1637,35 +1637,52 @@ func dialable(ctx context.Context, address string) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("nothing took a connection at %s", address)
 }
 
-// sdkPin is the mesh-sdk version the controller in dir takes (its go.mod's go requirement), or "" when it names none.
-func sdkPin(dir string) string {
+// sdkPin is the mesh-sdk version the controller in dir takes (its go.mod's go requirement), or "" when it names none; and
+// local says that version is no real one: the placeholder v0.0.0, or a replace of mesh-sdk by a directory, which a
+// workspace or a fixture uses and no release holds.
+func sdkPin(dir string) (version string, local bool) {
 	body, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, "go.mod"))
 	if err != nil {
-		return ""
+		return "", false
 	}
+	const path = "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go"
+	replaced := false
 	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(body), "\n") {
-		f := strings.Fields(strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(line), "require "))
-		if len(f) >= 2 && f[0] == "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go" {
-			return f[1]
+		f := strings.Fields(strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(line), "require "), "replace "))
+		switch {
+		case len(f) >= 3 && f[0] == path && f[len(f)-2] == "=>" && (strings.HasPrefix(f[len(f)-1], ".") || strings.HasPrefix(f[len(f)-1], "/")):
+			replaced = true
+		case len(f) >= 2 && f[0] == path && version == "" && f[1] != "=>":
+			version = f[1]
 		}
 	}
-	return ""
+	return version, version == "v0.0.0" || (replaced && version != "")
 }
 
-// validatorAt names the validator of the controller in dir as mesh-sdk's at that controller's pin (issue 1391).
+// validatorAt names the validator of the controller in dir as mesh-sdk's at that controller's pin (issue 1391): the
+// version when it is a real one, and a local mesh-sdk said as such when it is not.
 func validatorAt(dir string) string {
-	if v := sdkPin(dir); v != "" {
+	switch v, local := sdkPin(dir); {
+	case v == "":
+		return "mesh-sdk's validator at the controller's pin"
+	case local:
+		return "mesh-sdk's validator from a local mesh-sdk (" + v + ", replaced)"
+	default:
 		return "mesh-sdk's validator at " + v
 	}
-	return "mesh-sdk's validator at the controller's pin"
 }
 
-// pinNote is the version of that pin, for a sentence that already says "the pin of": ", " and the version, or nothing.
+// pinNote is the pin for a sentence that already says "the pin of": the version in brackets when it is a real one, a
+// local mesh-sdk said as such when it is not, or nothing.
 func pinNote(dir string) string {
-	if v := sdkPin(dir); v != "" {
+	switch v, local := sdkPin(dir); {
+	case v == "":
+		return ""
+	case local:
+		return " (a local mesh-sdk, " + v + ", replaced)"
+	default:
 		return " (" + v + ")"
 	}
-	return ""
 }
 
 // judge builds the controller that judges a change: the one the mesh runs, beside the check as
diff --git a/internal/builder/check_pin_test.go b/internal/builder/check_pin_test.go
index 0814009d..721db0d8 100644
--- a/internal/builder/check_pin_test.go
+++ b/internal/builder/check_pin_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package builder
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -23,4 +24,22 @@ func TestTheValidatorIsNamedAsMeshSDKsAtTheControllersPin(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := validatorAt(t.TempDir()); got != "mesh-sdk's validator at the controller's pin" {
 		t.Fatalf("a controller with no go.mod is said as %q", got)
 	}
+
+	// A placeholder or a replaced pin is no version: it is said as a local mesh-sdk.
+	for name, mod := range map[string]string{
+		"placeholder": "module example.test/c\n\nrequire git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.0.0\n",
+		"replaced": "module example.test/c\n\nrequire git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.14\n\n" +
+			"replace git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go => ../mesh-sdk/go\n",
+	} {
+		d := t.TempDir()
+		if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(d, "go.mod"), []byte(mod), 0o644); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if got := validatorAt(d); !strings.Contains(got, "a local mesh-sdk") || !strings.Contains(got, "replaced") {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: the check says %q, which does not say the mesh-sdk is local", name, got)
+		}
+		if got := pinNote(d); !strings.HasPrefix(got, " (a local mesh-sdk, v") {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: the pin note is %q", name, got)
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/builder/siblings_test.go b/internal/builder/siblings_test.go
index edeab57a..e175158d 100644
--- a/internal/builder/siblings_test.go
+++ b/internal/builder/siblings_test.go
@@ -133,7 +133,8 @@ func TestAHostMemberIsCheckedBesideItsControllerSibling(t *testing.T) {
 	if want := "sibling novox/mesh-controller#346 merge " + v.Beside["mesh-controller"]; v.JudgeFrom != want {
 		t.Fatalf("the judge came from %q, not %q", v.JudgeFrom, want)
 	}
-	if want := "mesh-sdk's validator at the pin of sibling novox/mesh-controller#346 merge " + v.Beside["mesh-controller"]; v.Validator != want {
+	if want := "mesh-sdk's validator at the pin of sibling novox/mesh-controller#346 merge " + v.Beside["mesh-controller"] +
+		" (a local mesh-sdk, v0.0.0, replaced)"; v.Validator != want {
 		t.Fatalf("the validator was %q, not %q", v.Validator, want)
 	}
 	// The statuses' "beside siblings" part is the forge module's to write, from the verdict's siblings.