diff --git a/internal/catalogue/bus_snapshot_test.go b/internal/catalogue/bus_snapshot_test.go
index e9904350..57384996 100644
--- a/internal/catalogue/bus_snapshot_test.go
+++ b/internal/catalogue/bus_snapshot_test.go
@@ -30,6 +30,15 @@ func TestTheBussAccountSaysNothingOnTheBus(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := ParseManifest(bundled); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("a bus module whose tools bundle declares what it emits was refused: %v", err)
 	}
+	// And as built: the resolved manifest registration reads keeps the bundles its build made and drops the
+	// build, and must be registrable just the same.
+	built := []byte(`{"module":"bus","version":"1","provides":[{"name":"mesh-bus","scope":"mesh"}],
+		"claims":[{"name":"mesh-broker","scope":"mesh"}],"own-secrets":{"broker":"/run/broker"},
+		"emits":["bus.slow-consumer"],"tools":["bus_streams"],
+		"bundles":[{"name":"tools","source":"bundles/bus/tools","digest":"sha256:00","language":"go"}]}`)
+	if _, err := ParseManifest(built); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("the built bus module, its bundle made, is not registrable: %v", err)
+	}
 
 	quiet := []byte(`{"module":"bus","version":"1","provides":[{"name":"mesh-bus","scope":"mesh"}],
 		"claims":[{"name":"mesh-broker","scope":"mesh"}],"own-secrets":{"broker":"/run/broker"},
diff --git a/internal/catalogue/manifest.go b/internal/catalogue/manifest.go
index 21ec6363..a4ea5073 100644
--- a/internal/catalogue/manifest.go
+++ b/internal/catalogue/manifest.go
@@ -2903,8 +2903,13 @@ func whileStoppedProblems(m Manifest, r map[string]any, scheduled bool) []string
 	return problems
 }
 
-// shipsABundle says the module builds a tools bundle, which the node's runtime carries and speaks for.
+// shipsABundle says the module builds a tools bundle, which the node's runtime carries and speaks for: as
+// written, by its build's artifacts; as built and registered, by the bundles its build made — the resolved
+// manifest keeps those and drops the build (the merge gate found nats not registrable on that, review 274).
 func (m Manifest) shipsABundle() bool {
+	if len(m.Bundles) > 0 {
+		return true
+	}
 	if m.Build == nil {
 		return false
 	}