diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/seat.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/seat.go
index 5551616..42aa0bc 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/seat.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/seat.go
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ func (p *passer) layAgain(ctx context.Context, prop delivery.PlacementProposal,
 	held, recorded := p.lays(ctx)
 	again, laid, findings := assign.Propose(assign.ProposeIn{ID: prop.ID, By: prop.By, Why: prop.Why, At: prop.At, Changes: prop.Changes,
 		Current: current, Revisions: revs, Held: held, Recorded: recorded,
-		Seed: prop.Seed, ExportDigest: prop.ExportDigest})
+		Seed: prop.Seed, ExportDigest: prop.ExportDigest, Leased: p.w.handedAway()})
 	if len(findings) > 0 {
 		p.endProposal(ctx, prop, why+", and laid over the keys now it is refused: "+strings.Join(findings, "; "))
 		return
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ func (p *passer) proposeSeed(ctx context.Context, was delivery.PlacementProposal
 	now := p.clock()
 	seed, laid, findings := assign.Propose(assign.ProposeIn{ID: delivery.NewProposalID(now), By: was.By, Why: was.Why, At: now,
 		Changes: assign.SeedChanges(export), Current: map[string]delivery.Placement{}, Revisions: map[string]uint64{},
-		Held: held, Recorded: recorded, Seed: true, ExportDigest: delivery.ExportDigest(export)})
+		Held: held, Recorded: recorded, Seed: true, ExportDigest: delivery.ExportDigest(export), Leased: p.w.handedAway()})
 	if len(findings) > 0 {
 		p.logf("the new export is not proposed as the seed: %s", strings.Join(findings, "; "))
 		return
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/seat_tools_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/seat_tools_test.go
index 1594f62..8448c49 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/seat_tools_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/seat_tools_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	stdio "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/buscompose"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/catalogue"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/delivery"
 )
@@ -142,6 +143,15 @@ func TestTheSeatsVerbs(t *testing.T) {
 	if hb := got.(proposed).Proposal; err != nil || !hb.HandBack || hb.Base["anchor"] != uint64(len(raw)) || len(st[delivery.PlacementState].values) != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("hand-back = %+v, %v", got, err)
 	}
+	// Issue 774 (ADR 0567 §8): once the controller's lease is handed away a change its verbs cannot take is proposed, and
+	// there is no controller to hand placement back to.
+	st[buscompose.ControllerLease] = &memKV{values: map[string][]byte{buscompose.ControllerLeaseKey: []byte(`{"handed-to":"the operator's hand-over","handed-by":"person.jochen"}`)}}
+	if _, err := s.doPropose(map[string]any{"why": "hold", "changes": `[{"op":"hold","node":"anchor","module":"web","claim":"node-shell","scope":"node"}]`}, "op"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("a hold after the lease write: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := s.doHandBack(map[string]any{"why": "back"}, "op"); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "since the lease write") {
+		t.Errorf("a hand-back after the lease write: %v", err)
+	}
 	if tools := s.tools(); len(tools) != 7 || tools[2].Name != catalogue.PlacementVerbPropose || tools[2].Run == nil || tools[2].Input == nil {
 		t.Errorf("the seat's verbs as served: %+v", tools)
 	}