diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/agent_account.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/agent_account.go
index e288c1a1..ef797b29 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/agent_account.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/agent_account.go
@@ -117,6 +117,37 @@ func judgedConfined(agent string, h inventory.NodeHealth, had bool, now time.Tim
 		h.SaidAt.Local().Format("2006-01-02 15:04"))
 }
 
+// searchQuietFor is how long a verdict may say its setuid search is still running before that is itself the
+// urgent condition: the node-engine's bound on one search, and one statement more (a node-engine states its
+// health at least every five minutes) for the verdict that follows it to be heard.
+const searchQuietFor = link.RootSearchBound + 5*time.Minute
+
+// searchStillRunning says the one thing keeping an agent account from being judged is the node-engine's first
+// search for setuid programs, still within its bound (novox/hq ADR 0266): a fresh statement from an engine that
+// judges root, holding a verdict on the account, every verdict on it healthy or not judged yet because that
+// search runs — and none of those for longer than searchQuietFor. A way to root found, a search that failed or
+// did not finish, any other unknown, a stale statement: false, and DA raises it.
+func searchStillRunning(agent string, h inventory.NodeHealth, had bool, now time.Time) bool {
+	if !had || now.Sub(h.HeardAt) > verdictFreshFor || h.Contract < link.RootContract {
+		return false
+	}
+	pending := false
+	for _, r := range h.Resources {
+		if r.Kind != link.KindAccount || r.Target != agent || r.Root != link.RootNever {
+			continue
+		}
+		switch {
+		case r.State == link.StateHealthy:
+		case r.State == link.StateUnknown && strings.HasPrefix(r.Reason, link.ReasonRootPending) &&
+			!r.Since.IsZero() && now.Sub(r.Since) <= searchQuietFor:
+			pending = true
+		default:
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return pending
+}
+
 // probeAgentAccounts is DA: every machine that names an agent account has it judged, on its node-engine's
 // newest statement, unable to become root without a person (ADR 0266).
 func probeAgentAccounts(ctx context.Context, d *doctor) ([]conditions.Observation, error) {
@@ -134,10 +165,18 @@ func probeAgentAccounts(ctx context.Context, d *doctor) ([]conditions.Observatio
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		confined, why := judgedConfined(n.AgentAccount, h, had, time.Now())
+		now := time.Now()
+		confined, why := judgedConfined(n.AgentAccount, h, had, now)
 		if confined {
 			continue
 		}
+		// Not judged yet only because the first search since the node-engine started is still running: not the
+		// urgent condition after every restart. The agent is still not confined — ADR 0259's router reads
+		// agentConfined, not this — and `node show` still says not judged. Loud again once the search fails,
+		// runs out its bound, or the statement goes stale.
+		if searchStillRunning(n.AgentAccount, h, had, now) {
+			continue
+		}
 		out = append(out, conditions.Observation{Scope: conditions.ScopeMachine, ID: n.Name, Token: "agent-root",
 			Machine: n.Name, Severity: conditions.Urgent,
 			Summary: fmt.Sprintf("on %s, %s (ADR 0266): an agent there may become root without a person, and "+
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/agent_account_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/agent_account_test.go
index 3d384620..acb9a1ce 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/agent_account_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/agent_account_test.go
@@ -197,3 +197,58 @@ func TestTheNodeVerbOnlyShows(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// After every node-engine restart its search for setuid programs runs for up to its bound, and the agent account
+// is not judged until it ends. DA does not raise that as urgent while the search is within its bound — the
+// account is still not confined, and `node show` still says not judged — and raises it once the search failed,
+// ran out its bound, or found a way to root.
+func TestASearchStillRunningAfterARestartIsNotUrgent(t *testing.T) {
+	open := aMesh(t)
+	ctx := t.Context()
+	inv := open.inventory
+	if _, err := inv.NodeByName(ctx, "anchor"); err != nil {
+		if _, err := inv.AddNode(ctx, "anchor"); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	if err := inv.SetAgentAccount(ctx, "anchor", "agent", ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	d := &doctor{open: open}
+	say := func(state, reason string, since time.Time) []conditions.Observation {
+		t.Helper()
+		v := inventory.ResourceHealth{Module: "claude-code", Resource: "claude-code.agent-account",
+			Kind: link.KindAccount, Target: "agent", State: state, Reason: reason, Root: link.RootNever,
+			Account: "agent", Since: since}
+		if _, err := inv.RecordHealth(ctx, inventory.NodeHealth{Node: "anchor", Contract: link.RootContract,
+			SaidAt: time.Now(), HeardAt: time.Now(), Resources: []inventory.ResourceHealth{v}}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		found, err := probeAgentAccounts(ctx, d)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		return onlyMachine(found, "anchor")
+	}
+	running := link.ReasonRootPending + ": the search for setuid programs, started at 19:21, has not finished yet"
+	if found := say(link.StateUnknown, running, time.Now().Add(-2*time.Minute)); len(found) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("a search two minutes into its bound was raised: %+v", found)
+	}
+	if _, confined, why, _ := agentConfined(ctx, inv, "anchor"); confined || !strings.Contains(why, "not judged") {
+		t.Fatalf("an account whose search runs was read as confined: %q", why)
+	}
+	if found := say(link.StateUnknown, running, time.Now().Add(-searchQuietFor-time.Minute)); len(found) != 1 ||
+		found[0].Severity != conditions.Urgent {
+		t.Fatalf("a search past its bound was not urgent: %+v", found)
+	}
+	incomplete := "not judged (search incomplete): the search for setuid programs did not finish (last tried at 19:23: " +
+		"timeout); it is tried again later"
+	if found := say(link.StateUnknown, incomplete, time.Now().Add(-time.Minute)); len(found) != 1 ||
+		found[0].Severity != conditions.Urgent {
+		t.Fatalf("a search that did not finish was not urgent: %+v", found)
+	}
+	if found := say(link.StateUnhealthy, link.ReasonRoot+": in the group docker; "+running, time.Now()); len(found) != 1 ||
+		found[0].Severity != conditions.Urgent {
+		t.Fatalf("a way to root found while the search runs was not urgent: %+v", found)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/link/protocol.go b/internal/link/protocol.go
index 36448195..4c1d83a9 100644
--- a/internal/link/protocol.go
+++ b/internal/link/protocol.go
@@ -430,6 +430,16 @@ const RootContract = 3
 // own words (mesh-host internal/accounts ReasonRoot).
 const ReasonRoot = "can become root without a person"
 
+// ReasonRootPending starts the reason of an account verdict the node-engine cannot give yet because its search
+// for setuid programs, started when the engine started, has not finished (mesh-host internal/accounts
+// ReasonPending): not judged yet, said as such, never a pass. The search is bounded (RootSearchBound); one that
+// fails or runs out its bound is said in other words, as not judged (search incomplete).
+const ReasonRootPending = "not judged yet (search running)"
+
+// RootSearchBound is the longest the node-engine lets one search for setuid programs run (mesh-host
+// internal/accounts SearchBound).
+const RootSearchBound = 15 * time.Minute
+
 // RootNever is the value of a user's `root`, and of a verdict's Root, that the account must never become
 // root without a person (ADR 0266).
 const RootNever = "never"