diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/composed_keys.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/composed_keys.go
index 3bb5d6f4..8a934c69 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/composed_keys.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/composed_keys.go
@@ -355,11 +355,19 @@ const startTakeIns = 16
 // which tries again every doneKeyRetry, loudly, so a failing module never holds up the look at the others.
 func takeDoneKeyAtStart(ctx context.Context, open *stores, module string) {
 	mu, _ := doneKeysMu.LoadOrStore(module, &sync.Mutex{})
-	mu.(*sync.Mutex).Lock()
-	err := takeDoneKeyOnce(ctx, open, module)
+	if !mu.(*sync.Mutex).TryLock() {
+		// A take-in already follows the module: told to look again, it takes what the start would have (issue 1945).
+		doneKeysLookAgain.Store(module, true)
+		return
+	}
+	doneKeysLookAgain.Delete(module) // what this look reads covers every wake before it
+	err := doneKeyTakeOnce(ctx, open, module)
 	mu.(*sync.Mutex).Unlock()
-	if err != nil {
-		// A failure or a wait is followed by takeDoneKey, which says it and looks again (issue 1945).
+	// Read after letting go, as every holder of a module's lock does: a wake during this look only marked the module
+	// (the review of issue 1945).
+	_, again := doneKeysLookAgain.LoadAndDelete(module)
+	if err != nil || again {
+		// A failure, a wait or a wake meanwhile is followed by takeDoneKey, which says it and looks again.
 		inBackground(func() { takeDoneKey(ctx, open, module) })
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/composed_keys_waits_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/composed_keys_waits_test.go
index f0760a43..839f9b4f 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/composed_keys_waits_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/composed_keys_waits_test.go
@@ -153,3 +153,32 @@ func TestAWakeJustBeforeTheFollowerLetsGoIsTaken(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("taken %d times: the wake just before the follower let go was lost", calls)
 	}
 }
+
+// A wake during the start's take-in of a module is not lost: the start pass reads the mark once it lets go of the module,
+// and hands the module to takeDoneKey, which takes it once more (the review of issue 1945: the third dropped wake of its
+// kind).
+func TestAWakeDuringTheStartsTakeInIsTaken(t *testing.T) {
+	was, wasRetry, wasSay := doneKeyTakeOnce, doneKeyRetry, doneKeysSay
+	t.Cleanup(func() { doneKeyTakeOnce, doneKeyRetry, doneKeysSay = was, wasRetry, wasSay })
+	doneKeyRetry = 10 * time.Millisecond
+	doneKeysSay = func(string) {}
+	var mu sync.Mutex
+	calls := 0
+	doneKeyTakeOnce = func(context.Context, *stores, string) error {
+		mu.Lock()
+		calls++
+		n := calls
+		mu.Unlock()
+		if n == 1 {
+			takeDoneKey(context.Background(), nil, "mesh-host") // the newer key's wake, during the start's take-in
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	takeDoneKeyAtStart(context.Background(), nil, "mesh-host")
+	background.Wait()
+	mu.Lock()
+	defer mu.Unlock()
+	if calls != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("taken %d times: the wake during the start's take-in was lost", calls)
+	}
+}