diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/integration_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/integration_test.go
index 65b4b71e..8cc79fdd 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/integration_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/integration_test.go
@@ -250,7 +250,11 @@ func (b *bed) startStoppable(t *testing.T) (<-chan error, func()) {
 	if err := os.WriteFile(broker, cred, 0o600); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	env := map[string]string{"MESH_BROKER_FILE": broker, "MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_SECONDS": "1"}
+	settle := filepath.Join(b.dir, "outside-settle-seconds")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(settle, []byte("1"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	env := map[string]string{"MESH_BROKER_FILE": broker, "MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_FILE": settle}
 	ctx, stop := context.WithCancel(b.ctx)
 	done := make(chan error, 1)
 	go func() {
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/main.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/main.go
index fc0366c0..baa43787 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/main.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/main.go
@@ -526,7 +526,10 @@ func follow(ctx context.Context, js jetstream.JetStream, nc process.Subscriber,
 	// The wait on an outside cause (outside.go, design 47 G §706): the keeper's three events say when to judge again, and the
 	// seat mesh-wants' wait-held and wait-ended are said; registered before the hub starts.
 	if bus != nil && kvs[buckets.Waits] != nil {
-		bound, settle := outsideSettings(getenv)
+		bound, settle, err := outsideSettings(getenv)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		p.outside = newOutsideActs(bus.CallKept, wake, logger.Printf, bound, settle)
 		for _, subject := range []string{mcseat.SubjectConditionRaised, mcseat.SubjectConditionChanged, mcseat.SubjectConditionCleared} {
 			subject := subject
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/outside.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/outside.go
index 6857216e..c8d18551 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/outside.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/outside.go
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -15,9 +18,9 @@ import (
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/go/clients/nodeengineclient"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/go/seats/nodeengine"
 	mcseat "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/health-and-repair/go/seats/meshconditions"
-	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/sdk/catalogkey"
 	meshwants "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/seats/meshwants"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/asks"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/sdk/catalogkey"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/seatdef"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/views"
 
@@ -94,15 +97,42 @@ func newOutsideActs(call func(string, any) (json.RawMessage, error), wake func()
 }
 
 // outsideSettings are the bounds of the wait, the settings outside-wait-minutes and outside-settle-seconds (design 47 G §633, §706),
-// from the environment the manifest's config fills; zero for one not set, which is its default.
-func outsideSettings(getenv func(string) string) (bound, settle time.Duration) {
-	if n, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(getenv("MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_MINUTES"))); err == nil && n > 0 {
-		bound = time.Duration(n) * time.Minute
+// each read at the start from the file the manifest declares with the content ${config:<key>}, which the environment names
+// (A-112, as the builder reads its own); zero for one whose file is missing or empty, which is its default, and an error
+// naming the file for a content that is no positive whole number.
+func outsideSettings(getenv func(string) string) (bound, settle time.Duration, err error) {
+	minutes, err := settingFile(getenv("MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_FILE"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
 	}
-	if n, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(getenv("MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_SECONDS"))); err == nil && n > 0 {
-		settle = time.Duration(n) * time.Second
+	seconds, err := settingFile(getenv("MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_FILE"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
 	}
-	return bound, settle
+	return time.Duration(minutes) * time.Minute, time.Duration(seconds) * time.Second, nil
+}
+
+// settingFile reads one setting's file: 0 for no path, no file or an empty one.
+func settingFile(path string) (int, error) {
+	if path == "" {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	v := strings.TrimSpace(string(raw))
+	if v == "" {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+	n, err := strconv.Atoi(v)
+	if err != nil || n < 1 {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("%s holds %q, which is not a positive whole number", path, v)
+	}
+	return n, nil
 }
 
 // readStart reads the open conditions of every machine once at the start, for the machines whose own network is held.
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/outside_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/outside_test.go
index f61e7ba1..690716b4 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/outside_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/outside_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -209,6 +211,28 @@ func TestTheWaitOnAnOutsideCause(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("events %v", r.events)
 		}
 	})
+	t.Run("its bounds are read at the start from the files the manifest declares (A-112)", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dir := t.TempDir()
+		write := func(name, content string) string {
+			p := filepath.Join(dir, name)
+			if err := os.WriteFile(p, []byte(content), 0o600); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			return p
+		}
+		env := map[string]string{"MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_FILE": write("wait", "45\n"), "MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_FILE": write("settle", "7")}
+		if bound, settle, err := outsideSettings(func(k string) string { return env[k] }); err != nil || bound != 45*time.Minute || settle != 7*time.Second {
+			t.Errorf("bound %v settle %v err %v, want 45m and 7s", bound, settle, err)
+		}
+		env["MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_FILE"], env["MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_FILE"] = filepath.Join(dir, "missing"), write("empty", "")
+		if bound, settle, err := outsideSettings(func(k string) string { return env[k] }); err != nil || bound != 0 || settle != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("bound %v settle %v err %v, want both defaults", bound, settle, err)
+		}
+		env["MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_FILE"] = write("bad", "soon")
+		if _, _, err := outsideSettings(func(k string) string { return env[k] }); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "bad") {
+			t.Errorf("err %v, want one naming the file", err)
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func TestAMachineWhoseOwnNetworkIsOpenGetsNoWant(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/manifest_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/manifest_test.go
index 159cfe40..5139cf28 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/manifest_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/manifest_test.go
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ func TestManifest(t *testing.T) {
 		"seat:operator-channel.asks"}; !slices.Equal(slices.Sorted(slices.Values(m.Invokes)), want) { // ADR 0668 §4: the ended asks at bind
 		t.Errorf("invokes = %v, want %v", m.Invokes, want)
 	}
-	// design 47 G §633, §706: the bounds of the wait on an outside cause are `config` keys filling the process's environment.
+	// design 47 G §633, §706, A-112: the bounds of the wait on an outside cause are `config` keys, each filling a file the
+	// manifest declares, which the process reads at its start; the environment names only the files.
 	var raw struct {
 		Config map[string]struct {
 			Default any `json:"default"`
@@ -152,9 +153,17 @@ func TestManifest(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(file, &raw); err != nil || raw.Config["outside-wait-minutes"].Default != float64(30) || raw.Config["outside-settle-seconds"].Default != float64(90) || len(raw.Config) != 2 {
 		t.Errorf("config = %+v (%v), want outside-wait-minutes of 30 and outside-settle-seconds of 90", raw.Config, err)
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(string(file), `"MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_MINUTES": "${config:outside-wait-minutes}"`) ||
-		!strings.Contains(string(file), `"MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_SECONDS": "${config:outside-settle-seconds}"`) {
-		t.Errorf("the process's env does not carry the two settings from config")
+	for _, f := range []struct{ env, path, key string }{
+		{"MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_FILE", "${dir:state}/outside-wait-minutes", "outside-wait-minutes"},
+		{"MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_FILE", "${dir:state}/outside-settle-seconds", "outside-settle-seconds"},
+	} {
+		if !strings.Contains(string(file), `"`+f.env+`": "`+f.path+`"`) || !strings.Contains(string(file), `"path": "`+f.path+`"`) ||
+			!strings.Contains(string(file), `"content": "${config:`+f.key+`}"`) {
+			t.Errorf("the setting %s is not a file %s the env names as %s", f.key, f.path, f.env)
+		}
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(string(file), `": "${config:outside-`) && strings.Contains(string(file), `"MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_MINUTES"`) {
+		t.Errorf("the process's env still carries a setting")
 	}
 	if want := []string{"assignments-copied", "put", "views.asks", "views.copies", "views.differences", "views.findings", "views.assignments", "views.seat-holders", "views.wants"}; !slices.Equal(m.Emits, want) {
 		t.Errorf("emits = %v, want the copy, put and its six views", m.Emits)
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/module.json b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/module.json
index 51e09caf..fe290015 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/module.json
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/module.json
@@ -180,6 +180,22 @@
       "place": ".",
       "unknown": "program"
     },
+    {
+      "id": "outside-wait",
+      "type": "file",
+      "path": "${dir:state}/outside-wait-minutes",
+      "owner": "mesh-delivery-assigner",
+      "mode": "0600",
+      "content": "${config:outside-wait-minutes}"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "outside-settle",
+      "type": "file",
+      "path": "${dir:state}/outside-settle-seconds",
+      "owner": "mesh-delivery-assigner",
+      "mode": "0600",
+      "content": "${config:outside-settle-seconds}"
+    },
     {
       "id": "assigner",
       "type": "process",
@@ -190,8 +206,8 @@
       ],
       "env": {
         "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "${dir:state}/broker",
-        "MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_MINUTES": "${config:outside-wait-minutes}",
-        "MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_SECONDS": "${config:outside-settle-seconds}"
+        "MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_WAIT_FILE": "${dir:state}/outside-wait-minutes",
+        "MESH_ASSIGNER_OUTSIDE_SETTLE_FILE": "${dir:state}/outside-settle-seconds"
       },
       "user": "mesh-delivery-assigner",
       "health": {