diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/kept_compositions.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/kept_compositions.go
index 87aabfed..7dda518b 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/kept_compositions.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/kept_compositions.go
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ func followKept(ctx context.Context, open *stores, node string, modules map[stri
 	var errs []error
 	builds := map[string][]inventory.Build{}
 	for _, k := range kept {
+		if ctx.Err() != nil {
+			return wrote, errors.Join(append(errs, ctx.Err())...) // stopped: the rest is the next controller's
+		}
 		if _, read := builds[k.module]; !read {
 			if builds[k.module], err = inv.Builds(ctx, k.module, 20); err != nil {
 				errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("%s's builds: %w", k.module, err))
@@ -311,6 +314,10 @@ func followConfigOnce(ctx context.Context, open *stores) error {
 			forgetResolved() // the next composition reads the values just written, not a read of the last 5 s
 			failed := false
 			for node, modules := range now {
+				if ctx.Err() != nil {
+					failed = true // stopped: the writes are refused below and delivered to the next controller
+					break
+				}
 				if err := composerFor(open).compose(ctx, []string{node}, false); err != nil {
 					fmt.Printf("config: %s is not composed after its config changed: %v\n", node, err)
 					failed = true
@@ -321,7 +328,9 @@ func followConfigOnce(ctx context.Context, open *stores) error {
 				}
 			}
 			for _, m := range msgs {
-				if failed {
+				if failed && ctx.Err() != nil {
+					_ = m.Nak() // stopped: delivered at once to the next controller
+				} else if failed {
 					_ = m.NakWithDelay(doneKeyRetry) // tried again: the bus delivers the writes again
 				} else {
 					acking, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), 10*time.Second)