diff --git a/internal/catalogue/seat_into_test.go b/internal/catalogue/seat_into_test.go
index 96e3a2a..bb7dc6b 100644
--- a/internal/catalogue/seat_into_test.go
+++ b/internal/catalogue/seat_into_test.go
@@ -101,6 +101,18 @@ func TestTheControlPlanesOwnAddressesFollowTheNodesPorts(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("the control plane's own manifest does not parse:\n%v", err)
 	}
+	// The manifest itself names them now; withSeatPorts is a no-op on it, and this holds it so.
+	for _, r := range m.Resources {
+		if r["type"] != "container" {
+			continue
+		}
+		env, _ := r["env"].(map[string]any)
+		for key, want := range SeatPorts {
+			if env[key] != want {
+				t.Errorf("module.json says %s=%v, not %q", key, env[key], want)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	m = withSeatPorts(m)
 	control, err := m.Resolve([]Built{{
 		Name: "server", Kind: ArtifactImage,
diff --git a/internal/store/manifest_test.go b/internal/store/manifest_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a47e6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/store/manifest_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// **The manifest's placeholder, unfilled, reaches a store reader and changes nothing.**
+//
+// The control plane composes its own declaration, so the manifest naming `${seat:…}` can be
+// composed by a control plane one build older than it — one that passes the literal through as
+// the value. That is the state of the live control-node between this manifest landing and its
+// next build being pushed, and a reader that refused the literal would leave it headless
+// (novox/hq 04-ISSUES/102, finding F1). So the reader is held to ignoring exactly what
+// module.json says, not a placeholder shaped like it.
+func TestTheManifestsOwnPlaceholderUnfilledLeavesTheStoreWhereTheFileSays(t *testing.T) {
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile("../../module.json")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var m struct {
+		Resources []struct {
+			Type string            `json:"type"`
+			Env  map[string]string `json:"env"`
+		} `json:"resources"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var written string
+	for _, r := range m.Resources {
+		if r.Type == "container" {
+			written = r.Env["MESH_STORE_INVENTORY_PORT"]
+		}
+	}
+	if written == "" {
+		t.Fatal("module.json no longer names MESH_STORE_INVENTORY_PORT")
+	}
+
+	alone(t)
+	t.Setenv(Variable(example), dsn)
+	t.Setenv(PortVariable(example), written)
+	opened, err := Open(t.Context(), example)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("the unfilled placeholder was refused, which is a headless control plane: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer opened.Close()
+	if got := opened.Pool().Config().ConnConfig.Port; got != 5432 {
+		t.Fatalf("the store is on %d; with the placeholder unfilled, the file's port stands", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/module.json b/module.json
index dbb7f0c..936ca87 100644
--- a/module.json
+++ b/module.json
@@ -42,7 +42,13 @@
         "MESH_STORE_LICENCES_FILE": "/run/secrets/licences",
         "MESH_BROKER_AMQP_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
         "MESH_BROKER_MANAGEMENT_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker-management",
-        "MESH_BROKER_ADDRESS_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker-address"
+        "MESH_BROKER_ADDRESS_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker-address",
+        "MESH_STORE_INVENTORY_PORT": "${seat:mesh-store:5432}",
+        "MESH_STORE_IDENTITY_PORT": "${seat:mesh-store:5432}",
+        "MESH_STORE_LICENCES_PORT": "${seat:mesh-store:5432}",
+        "MESH_BROKER_AMQP_PORT": "${seat:mesh-broker:5672}",
+        "MESH_BROKER_MANAGEMENT_PORT": "${seat:mesh-broker:15672}",
+        "MESH_BROKER_ADDRESS_PORT": "${seat:mesh-broker:5671}"
       },
       "volumes": [
         "mesh-broker-tls:/broker-tls:ro",