diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/record_mirrors.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/record_mirrors.go
index 6bd907f7..970956e8 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/record_mirrors.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/record_mirrors.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func mirroringRecords(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, conn *nats.
 				if m.Name == recordmirror.Assignments.Name && onTheBus {
 					continue
 				}
-				why := mirrorOnce(ctx, api, m, writers, sources[m.Name], announce, epoch, holds)
+				why := mirrorOnce(ctx, inv, api, m, writers, sources[m.Name], announce, epoch, holds)
 				if why != failing[m.Name] {
 					if why != "" {
 						fmt.Printf("the %s mirror cannot be kept: %s\n", m.Name, why)
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func mirroringRecords(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, conn *nats.
 }
 
 // mirrorOnce brings one mirror to what the store holds, and answers why it could not; empty when it could.
-func mirrorOnce(ctx context.Context, api jetstream.JetStream, m recordmirror.Mirror, writers map[string]*recordmirror.Writer,
+func mirrorOnce(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, api jetstream.JetStream, m recordmirror.Mirror, writers map[string]*recordmirror.Writer,
 	source func(context.Context) (map[string][]byte, error), announce recordmirror.Announcer, epoch func() uint64,
 	holds func() bool) string {
 	reading, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 30*time.Second)
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ func mirrorOnce(ctx context.Context, api jetstream.JetStream, m recordmirror.Mir
 			return fmt.Sprintf("the bucket %s cannot be read: %v", m.Bucket, err)
 		}
 		w = &recordmirror.Writer{Mirror: m, KV: kv, Announce: announce, Epoch: epoch, Holds: holds}
+		if m.Name == recordmirror.Assignments.Name {
+			w.Holds = assignmentsHolds(inv, holds)
+		}
 		writers[m.Name] = w
 	}
 	want, err := source(reading)
@@ -193,3 +196,10 @@ func keepingAssignments(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory, announce
 	events.known = now
 	return true
 }
+
+// assignmentsHolds is the assignments mirror's leave to write: the lease's, and the assignments neither being switched to
+// the bus nor on it. Asked by the writer before every write and purge, so a pass that read its source before the switch
+// writes nothing after it (ADR 0408 §4).
+func assignmentsHolds(inv *inventory.Inventory, holds func() bool) func() bool {
+	return func() bool { return holds() && inv.AssignmentsMirrorMayWrite() }
+}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/record_mirrors_switch_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/record_mirrors_switch_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..88ed29a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/record_mirrors_switch_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/novox/mesh-controller/internal/inventory"
+	"github.com/novox/mesh-controller/internal/recordmirror"
+)
+
+// **A writer of the store's mirror of the assignments, made before the assignments are switched to the bus, writes and
+// purges nothing after** (ADR 0408 §4, issue 1093): its leave to write is asked before every write, and false once they are
+// switching or moved.
+func TestAMirrorWriterMadeBeforeTheSwitchWritesAndPurgesNothingAfter(t *testing.T) {
+	inv := inventory.NewForTest()
+	w := &recordmirror.Writer{Mirror: recordmirror.Assignments, Holds: assignmentsHolds(inv, func() bool { return true })}
+	if !w.Holds() {
+		t.Fatal("the writer may not write before the switch")
+	}
+	inv.BeginSwitchForTest(inventory.KindAssignments)
+	if w.Holds() {
+		t.Fatal("the writer may write while the assignments are switching")
+	}
+	// Refused before it reads the bucket (it has none here) or lays or ends a key.
+	r, err := w.Sync(t.Context(), map[string][]byte{"anchor.notes": []byte(`{}`)})
+	if !errors.Is(err, recordmirror.ErrNotHeld) || r.Written != 0 || r.Removed != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("the writer wrote after the switch: %+v %v", r, err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/inventory/chain.go b/internal/inventory/chain.go
index 5b2b42c2..148d22da 100644
--- a/internal/inventory/chain.go
+++ b/internal/inventory/chain.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgconn"
@@ -41,6 +42,18 @@ type movedKinds struct {
 	// is not saved yet.
 	view    *rolloutView
 	pending map[string]pendingMerge
+	// switching is set when the assignments begin to be switched to the bus and kept once they are: the store's mirror of
+	// them writes nothing from then on (AssignmentsMirrorMayWrite). Cleared only if the switch fails.
+	switching atomic.Bool
+}
+
+// AssignmentsMirrorMayWrite says the store's mirror of the assignments may still write the bucket: the assignments are
+// neither being switched to the bus nor on it. Asked before every write of the mirror's writer, not once a pass.
+func (i *Inventory) AssignmentsMirrorMayWrite() bool {
+	i.moved.mu.Lock()
+	moved := i.moved.kind[KindAssignments]
+	i.moved.mu.Unlock()
+	return !moved && !i.moved.switching.Load()
 }
 
 // ChainOpener opens the chain on the bus when a process first needs it: a command that reads and never moved anything has
@@ -124,3 +137,13 @@ func (i *Inventory) ChainMoved(ctx context.Context) (map[string]int, error) {
 	}
 	return counts, err
 }
+
+// NewForTest is an inventory with no store, for a test of what needs none.
+func NewForTest() *Inventory { return &Inventory{moved: &movedKinds{}} }
+
+// BeginSwitchForTest sets the flag a kind's switch sets, as a switch under way does.
+func (i *Inventory) BeginSwitchForTest(kind string) {
+	if kind == KindAssignments {
+		i.moved.switching.Store(true)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/inventory/chain_move.go b/internal/inventory/chain_move.go
index d62363c2..281ce98f 100644
--- a/internal/inventory/chain_move.go
+++ b/internal/inventory/chain_move.go
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ func (i *Inventory) moveKind(ctx context.Context, m mover, say func(string, ...a
 // switchKind records the kind as moved, in one transaction that holds the tables against writes and finds their count
 // as the move read it: false when they took a row since.
 func (i *Inventory) switchKind(ctx context.Context, m mover, r MoveReport) (bool, error) {
+	committed := false
 	tx, err := i.store.Pool().Begin(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
@@ -452,6 +453,16 @@ func (i *Inventory) switchKind(ctx context.Context, m mover, r MoveReport) (bool
 	if n != r.TableRows {
 		return false, nil
 	}
+	// The store's mirror of the assignments writes nothing from here: it would lay values without the links over the keys
+	// the settle writes and end the ones it ended.
+	if m.kind == KindAssignments {
+		i.moved.switching.Store(true)
+		defer func() {
+			if !committed {
+				i.moved.switching.Store(false)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
 	// The rows read again under the lock: nothing writes them now, so what the bucket holds is made what they say.
 	rows, tableRows, err := m.rows(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -475,6 +486,7 @@ func (i *Inventory) switchKind(ctx context.Context, m mover, r MoveReport) (bool
 	if err := tx.Commit(ctx); err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
+	committed = true
 	i.moved.mu.Lock()
 	if i.moved.kind == nil {
 		i.moved.kind = map[string]bool{}