diff --git a/internal/inventory/walkphases.go b/internal/inventory/walkphases.go
index af3989a9..09739d46 100644
--- a/internal/inventory/walkphases.go
+++ b/internal/inventory/walkphases.go
@@ -397,8 +397,9 @@ func (p Plan) points(now time.Time, applied AppliedLookup, w *WalkPhases) []poin
 		return append(out, point{phase: PhaseApply, tier: -1, said: "the rest's sends are not kept for a walk made before ADR 0282"})
 	}
 	if len(lastSends) == 0 {
+		// novox/hq issue 720: since ADR 0360 no gate reads a walk; its one machine's report is its run.
 		return append(out, point{phase: PhaseApply, tier: -1, none: true,
-			said: "no machine beyond the first: the first-node gate's readings were its run"})
+			said: "no machine beyond the first: its one machine's report was its run"})
 	}
 	if applied == nil {
 		return append(out, point{phase: PhaseApply, tier: -1, said: "the rest's reports were not read"})
diff --git a/internal/inventory/walkphases_test.go b/internal/inventory/walkphases_test.go
index afef0148..533e66a0 100644
--- a/internal/inventory/walkphases_test.go
+++ b/internal/inventory/walkphases_test.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func TestARecordedWalksPhasesAddUpToItsTotal(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := phase(w, PhaseWord, -1); got.State != PhaseNone {
 		t.Errorf("a walk that waits for no word says its word phase %s", got.State)
 	}
-	if got := phase(w, PhaseApply, -1); got.State != PhaseNone || !strings.Contains(got.Said, "no machine beyond the first") {
+	if got := phase(w, PhaseApply, -1); got.State != PhaseNone || !strings.Contains(got.Said, "no machine beyond the first: its one machine's report was its run") {
 		t.Errorf("one machine only: apply %s (%s)", got.State, got.Said)
 	}
 }