diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/plan_retry.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/plan_retry.go
index 38171760..9556bef5 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/plan_retry.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/plan_retry.go
@@ -407,22 +407,37 @@ func retryPlan(ctx context.Context, open *stores, id string) (string, error) {
 		}
 	}
 	waiting := busWaitingIn(p)
-	resumed(&p, fmt.Sprintf("tier %d retried by hand: %s asked again", p.Tier, strings.Join(slicesWithout(failed, waiting), ", ")))
-	if len(waiting) > 0 {
-		p.Note += "; " + busWaitWords(p, waiting)
-	}
+	note, said := retryWords(p, failed, asked, waiting)
+	resumed(&p, note)
 	if err := inv.SavePlan(ctx, &p); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 	if p.State != inventory.PlanBuilding {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s could not be resumed: %s", p.ID, p.Note)
 	}
-	said := fmt.Sprintf("%s retried at tier %d of %d: asked %s; the plan goes on from there as any plan does",
-		p.ID, p.Tier, len(p.Tiers), strings.Join(asked, ", "))
+	return said, nil
+}
+
+// retryWords are the plan's note and the verb's answer for a retry: what was asked again (as the builds it got), and what waits
+// for the bus. A retry whose modules all wait for the bus asked none, and says so rather than "asked" with nothing after it
+// (issue 1403).
+func retryWords(p inventory.Plan, failed, asked, waiting []string) (note, said string) {
+	again := slicesWithout(failed, waiting)
+	switch {
+	case len(again) > 0:
+		note = fmt.Sprintf("tier %d retried by hand: %s asked again", p.Tier, strings.Join(again, ", "))
+		said = fmt.Sprintf("%s retried at tier %d of %d: asked %s; the plan goes on from there as any plan does",
+			p.ID, p.Tier, len(p.Tiers), strings.Join(asked, ", "))
+	default:
+		note = fmt.Sprintf("tier %d retried by hand: nothing could be asked yet", p.Tier)
+		said = fmt.Sprintf("%s retried at tier %d of %d: nothing asked yet; the plan goes on from there as any plan does",
+			p.ID, p.Tier, len(p.Tiers))
+	}
 	if len(waiting) > 0 {
+		note += "; " + busWaitWords(p, waiting)
 		said += "; " + busWaitWords(p, waiting)
 	}
-	return said, nil
+	return note, said
 }
 
 // joinAPlan asks a module again for the plan that holds it unbuilt or failed, if one does: open plans
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/retry_words_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/retry_words_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4796ff52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/retry_words_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/novox/mesh-controller/internal/inventory"
+)
+
+// Issue 1403: a retry whose every module still waits for the bus asked nothing, and does not say "asked" with an empty list.
+func TestARetryWhoseModulesAllWaitForTheBusSaysNothingWasAsked(t *testing.T) {
+	p := inventory.Plan{ID: "plan-9", Tier: 1, Tiers: [][]string{{"a"}, {"b", "c"}}}
+	note, said := retryWords(p, []string{"b", "c"}, nil, []string{"b", "c"})
+	for _, text := range []string{note, said} {
+		if strings.Contains(text, "asked ;") || strings.Contains(text, "asked  ") || strings.HasSuffix(strings.Split(text, ";")[0], "asked") {
+			t.Errorf("a retry that asked nothing says %q", text)
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(text, "b, c not asked yet: the bus did not answer") {
+			t.Errorf("it does not say what waits for the bus: %q", text)
+		}
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(said, "nothing asked yet") || !strings.Contains(note, "nothing could be asked yet") {
+		t.Errorf("it does not say that nothing was asked: %q / %q", said, note)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestARetryThatAskedSomeAndLeftSomeForTheBusSaysBoth(t *testing.T) {
+	p := inventory.Plan{ID: "plan-9", Tier: 0, Tiers: [][]string{{"a", "b"}}}
+	note, said := retryWords(p, []string{"a", "b"}, []string{"a as build-1"}, []string{"b"})
+	if !strings.Contains(note, "a asked again") || strings.Contains(note, "a, b asked again") {
+		t.Errorf("the note names b as asked again: %q", note)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(said, "asked a as build-1;") || !strings.Contains(said, "b not asked yet: the bus did not answer") {
+		t.Errorf("the answer says %q", said)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestARetryThatAskedEverythingSaysSoAsBefore(t *testing.T) {
+	p := inventory.Plan{ID: "plan-9", Tier: 0, Tiers: [][]string{{"a"}}}
+	note, said := retryWords(p, []string{"a"}, []string{"a as build-1"}, nil)
+	if note != "tier 0 retried by hand: a asked again" ||
+		said != "plan-9 retried at tier 0 of 1: asked a as build-1; the plan goes on from there as any plan does" {
+		t.Errorf("a retry that asked everything says %q / %q", note, said)
+	}
+}