diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/desk_secret.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/desk_secret.go
index 5d91a9e1..1872cd1f 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/desk_secret.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/desk_secret.go
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ const deskPromptWithin = 25
 type deskGive struct {
 	// declares refuses a module or a secret the mesh would refuse, before anybody is asked to type.
 	declares func(module, name string) error
+	// known refuses a machine the mesh does not know, before anybody is asked to type; nil knows every one
+	// (a test that does not look).
+	known func(machine string) error
 	// trusted says a module runs as an account of its own: its secret is never taken at a desk (below). Nil is
 	// never (a test that does not look).
 	trusted func(module string) (bool, error)
@@ -63,6 +66,14 @@ func (d deskGive) give(node, module, name, desk string) (string, error) {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("%s is not named", what)
 		}
 	}
+	if d.known != nil {
+		for what, machine := range map[string]string{"the machine the secret is for": node, "the desk": desk} {
+			if err := d.known(machine); err != nil {
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("nobody was asked to type anything: %s, %s, is not a machine this mesh knows: %w",
+					what, machine, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	if err := d.declares(module, name); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("nobody was asked to type anything: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -164,7 +175,11 @@ func giveAtDesk(ctx context.Context, node, module, name, desk string) error {
 	defer open.Close()
 	d := deskGive{
 		declares: func(module, name string) error { return open.inventory.DeclaresOwnSecret(ctx, module, name) },
-		trusted:  func(module string) (bool, error) { return open.inventory.RunsAsItsOwnAccount(ctx, module) },
+		known: func(machine string) error {
+			_, err := open.inventory.NodeByName(ctx, machine)
+			return err
+		},
+		trusted: func(module string) (bool, error) { return open.inventory.RunsAsItsOwnAccount(ctx, module) },
 		ask: func(machine string, args map[string]any) (json.RawMessage, error) {
 			var result json.RawMessage
 			err := onTheBus(func(conn *nats.Conn) error {
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/desk_secret_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/desk_secret_test.go
index b3ad1873..7c87b3de 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/desk_secret_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/desk_secret_test.go
@@ -293,3 +293,69 @@ func TestOnlyTheDeskMachinesLauncherMayAnswerItsPrompt(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// N1-give at the controller's terminal (the confirmation review of 2026-10-09): a trusted party's secret is
+// announced before it is kept, and not kept when the announcement fails; another module's is kept first and
+// a failed announcement is said, not undone.
+func TestATrustedPartysSecretGivenAtTheTerminalIsAnnouncedBeforeItIsKept(t *testing.T) {
+	var order []string
+	announce := func(fail bool) func() error {
+		return func() error {
+			order = append(order, "announce")
+			if fail {
+				return errors.New("no channel")
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	keep := func() (bool, error) { order = append(order, "keep"); return false, nil }
+
+	order = nil
+	if _, unannounced, err := keepGiven(true, announce(false), keep); err != nil || unannounced != nil ||
+		strings.Join(order, ",") != "announce,keep" {
+		t.Errorf("trusted: %v %v, order %v; want announced, then kept", unannounced, err, order)
+	}
+	order = nil
+	if _, _, err := keepGiven(true, announce(true), keep); err == nil || strings.Join(order, ",") != "announce" {
+		t.Errorf("trusted, announcement failed: %v, order %v; want refused and nothing kept", err, order)
+	}
+	order = nil
+	if _, unannounced, err := keepGiven(false, announce(true), keep); err != nil || unannounced == nil ||
+		strings.Join(order, ",") != "keep,announce" {
+		t.Errorf("not trusted: %v %v, order %v; want kept, then the failed announcement said", unannounced, err, order)
+	}
+	order = nil
+	failing := func() (bool, error) { order = append(order, "keep"); return false, errors.New("store away") }
+	if _, _, err := keepGiven(false, announce(false), failing); err == nil || strings.Join(order, ",") != "keep" {
+		t.Errorf("not trusted, keep failed: %v, order %v; want refused and nothing announced", err, order)
+	}
+}
+
+// A machine the mesh does not know, as the secret's or as the desk, is refused before anybody is asked to type.
+func TestAGiveNamingAMachineTheMeshDoesNotKnowAsksNobody(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, unknown := range []string{"elsewhere", "nodesk"} {
+		d, accepted, acts, asked := aDesk(t, func(map[string]any) (json.RawMessage, error) {
+			t.Fatal("the desk was asked")
+			return nil, nil
+		})
+		d.known = func(machine string) error {
+			if machine == unknown {
+				return errors.New("no node " + machine)
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+		node, desk := "anchor", "laptop"
+		if unknown == "elsewhere" {
+			node = unknown
+		} else {
+			desk = unknown
+		}
+		_, err := d.give(node, "telegram", "telegram-token", desk)
+		if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "nobody was asked") || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), unknown) {
+			t.Errorf("%s: %v", unknown, err)
+		}
+		if len(*accepted)+len(*acts)+len(*asked) != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("%s: something happened: %v %v %v", unknown, *accepted, *acts, *asked)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/secret.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/secret.go
index 52430a4d..bcb3dd46 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/secret.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/secret.go
@@ -115,20 +115,18 @@ func secretCommand(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if trusted {
-		if err := announceSecretGiven(ctx, node, module, name, "at the controller's terminal"); err != nil {
+	untilStart, unannounced, err := keepGiven(trusted,
+		func() error { return announceSecretGiven(ctx, node, module, name, "at the controller's terminal") },
+		func() (bool, error) { return open.inventory.AcceptGivenSecret(ctx, node, module, name, value) })
+	if err != nil {
+		if trusted && unannounced != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%s runs as an account of its own, and the change of its %s could not be announced on "+
 				"your channels first, so nothing was kept: %w", module, name, err)
 		}
-	}
-	untilStart, err := open.inventory.AcceptGivenSecret(ctx, node, module, name, value)
-	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if !trusted {
-		if err := announceSecretGiven(ctx, node, module, name, "at the controller's terminal"); err != nil {
-			fmt.Printf("  this change could NOT be announced on the operator's channels: %v\n", err)
-		}
+	if unannounced != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("  this change could NOT be announced on the operator's channels: %v\n", unannounced)
 	}
 	// Not printed back, and there is nowhere it could be printed from: it is sealed to that
 	// machine and the mesh cannot read it again.
@@ -487,3 +485,23 @@ func whoAsked() string {
 	}
 	return "the mesh"
 }
+
+// keepGiven keeps a value given at the controller's terminal, and announces it on the operator's channels
+// (the confirmation review of 2026-10-09, N1-give). **A trusted party's — a module running as an account of its
+// own: the router, a verified channel — is announced before it is kept, and not kept when the announcement
+// fails**: a channel whose token changed unheard of answers for somebody else. Any other module's is kept first
+// and announced after, and a failed announcement is said (unannounced) without undoing it.
+func keepGiven(trusted bool, announce func() error, keep func() (bool, error)) (untilStart bool, unannounced, err error) {
+	if trusted {
+		if err := announce(); err != nil {
+			return false, err, err
+		}
+		untilStart, err = keep()
+		return untilStart, nil, err
+	}
+	untilStart, err = keep()
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, nil, err
+	}
+	return untilStart, announce(), nil
+}