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 255e9014..0e0558df 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
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ func TestWantsAreWrittenAndNoDifferenceIs(t *testing.T) {
 	runs := map[string]string{"ace": fOld, "g14": "build-9", "shanks": fOld}
 	for _, node := range []string{"ace", "g14", "shanks"} {
 		b.compose(t, node, 'c')
-		on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+		on, _ := presenceValue(true)
 		b.putJSON(t, buckets.Presence, node, on)
 		have, _ := nodeengineclient.EncodeHave(nodeengine.HaveByNodeModuleValue{Fp: runs[node], Phase: nodeengineclient.PhaseRunning, Health: nodeengineclient.HealthOK})
 		b.putJSON(t, buckets.Have, node+".web", have)
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ func TestAHeldFingerprintIsAskedAbout(t *testing.T) {
 	digest := b.manifest(t, "web", `{"module":"web","version":"1"}`)
 	mod, _ := meshcatalogclient.EncodeModule(meshcatalog.ModulesByModuleValue{Fp2: fNew, Manifest: digest, Repository: "novox/web", Commit: strings.Repeat("1", 40), Path: meshcatalogclient.RootPath})
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Modules, "web", mod)
-	on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+	on, _ := presenceValue(true)
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Presence, "ace", on)
 	failed, _ := nodeengineclient.EncodeHave(nodeengine.HaveByNodeModuleValue{Fp: fNew, Phase: nodeengineclient.PhaseRunning, Health: nodeengineclient.HealthFailed, Detail: "connection refused"})
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Have, "ace.web", failed)
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ func TestAFailedDataModuleIsAskedToRestore(t *testing.T) {
 	digest := b.manifest(t, "mail", `{"module":"mail","version":"1","resources":[{"id":"data","type":"directory","path":"/var/lib/mail"}],"data":{"own":[{"id":"mail","path":"${dir:data}","class":"irreplaceable","backup":"copy"}]}}`)
 	mod, _ := meshcatalogclient.EncodeModule(meshcatalog.ModulesByModuleValue{Fp2: fNew, Manifest: digest, Repository: "novox/mail", Commit: strings.Repeat("1", 40), Path: meshcatalogclient.RootPath})
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Modules, "mail", mod)
-	on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+	on, _ := presenceValue(true)
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Presence, "ace", on)
 	failed, _ := nodeengineclient.EncodeHave(nodeengine.HaveByNodeModuleValue{Fp: fNew, Phase: nodeengineclient.PhaseRunning, Health: nodeengineclient.HealthFailed, Detail: "connection refused"})
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Have, "ace.mail", failed)
@@ -785,7 +785,7 @@ func TestAFailedDataModuleIsAskedToRestore(t *testing.T) {
 func TestTheAssignerReplacedResumesWithNothingLostOrRepeated(t *testing.T) {
 	b := startBed(t, "")
 	const modules = 40
-	on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+	on, _ := presenceValue(true)
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Presence, "ace", on)
 	names := make([]string, modules)
 	for i := range names {
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ func (b *bed) fixture(t *testing.T, name, fp, manifest string) {
 	gkey, _ := grantsstate.PartGrantKey(name, fp)
 	grant, _ := grantsstate.EncodeGrant(grantsstate.Grant{})
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Grants, gkey, grant)
-	on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+	on, _ := presenceValue(true)
 	b.putJSON(t, buckets.Presence, "ace", on)
 	b.place(t, "ace", name)
 }
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass_test.go
index ea781e21..6c03f9b8 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/go/clients/nodeengineclient"
+	watchdogs "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/health-and-repair/go/seats/meshwatchdogs"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/clients/meshcatalogclient"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/seats/meshcatalog"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/builds"
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ func TestAnAnswerCountsOnlyForTheAskingItAnswered(t *testing.T) {
 			return json.Marshal(nodeengine.ManifestReadsAnswer{V: 1, Node: node, ManifestReads: []string{"form:new"}, StatedAt: time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339Nano)})
 		}
 		p := &passer{w: w, reads: &enginereads.Keeper{Call: call, Fallback: w.recordReads, Sync: true}}
-		on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: false})
+		on, _ := presenceValue(false)
 		w.put(buckets.Presence, "ace", on)
 		n = w.nodes(nil, nil)
 		p.engineReads(n)
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ func TestAnAnswerCountsOnlyForTheAskingItAnswered(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("the statements are %+v", s)
 		}
 		p.engineReads(w.nodes(nil, nil))
-		on, _ = delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+		on, _ = presenceValue(true)
 		w.put(buckets.Presence, "ace", on)
 		p.engineReads(w.nodes(nil, nil))
 		if asked["ace"] != 2 {
@@ -662,7 +663,7 @@ func TestTheFirstPassAfterAStartClearsWhatAPreviousProcessRaised(t *testing.T) {
 	mod, _ := meshcatalogclient.EncodeModule(meshcatalog.ModulesByModuleValue{Fp2: fpTest, Repository: "novox/web", Commit: strings.Repeat("1", 40), Path: meshcatalogclient.RootPath})
 	p.w.put(buckets.Modules, "web", mod)
 	placeOn(t, p.w, "g14", "web")
-	on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+	on, _ := presenceValue(true)
 	p.w.put(buckets.Presence, "g14", on)
 	have, _ := nodeengineclient.EncodeHave(nodeengine.HaveByNodeModuleValue{Fp: fpTest, Phase: nodeengineclient.PhaseRunning, Health: nodeengineclient.HealthOK})
 	p.w.put(buckets.Have, "g14.web", have)
@@ -700,7 +701,7 @@ func testAHeldModuleRaisesNoNeitherAndClearsAStandingOne(t *testing.T) {
 		mod, _ := meshcatalogclient.EncodeModule(meshcatalog.ModulesByModuleValue{Fp2: fpTest, Repository: "novox/resolved", Commit: strings.Repeat("1", 40), Path: meshcatalogclient.RootPath})
 		p.w.put(buckets.Modules, "systemd-resolved", mod)
 		placeOn(t, p.w, "shanks", "systemd-resolved")
-		on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+		on, _ := presenceValue(true)
 		p.w.put(buckets.Presence, "shanks", on)
 		have, _ := nodeengineclient.EncodeHave(nodeengine.HaveByNodeModuleValue{Fp: fpTest, Phase: nodeengineclient.PhaseRunning, Health: nodeengineclient.HealthFailed})
 		p.w.put(buckets.Have, "shanks.systemd-resolved", have)
@@ -996,7 +997,7 @@ func aPlacedNodesWantsNameTheBuildAloneAndItsYesComesFromItsHave(t *testing.T) {
 	placeOn(t, p.w, "g14", "web")
 	pl, _ := mmac.EncodePlacement(mma.Placement{Node: "g14", Modules: []mma.PlacedModule{{Module: "web"}}})
 	put(plc.PlacementBucket, "placement.g14", pl)
-	on, _ := delivery.EncodePresence(delivery.Presence{Online: true})
+	on, _ := presenceValue(true)
 	put(buckets.Presence, "g14", on)
 	have, _ := nodeengineclient.EncodeHave(nodeengine.HaveByNodeModuleValue{Fp: fpOld, Composed: was, Phase: nodeengineclient.PhaseRunning, Health: nodeengineclient.HealthOK})
 	put(buckets.Have, "g14.web", have)
@@ -1181,3 +1182,8 @@ func mustAskID(a delivery.AssignerAsk) string {
 	}
 	return ask.ID
 }
+
+// presenceValue is a node's presence as the watchman writes it.
+func presenceValue(online bool) ([]byte, error) {
+	return json.Marshal(watchdogs.PresenceByNodeValue{V: 1, Online: online})
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/world.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/world.go
index 633b02a4..0140c9e5 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/world.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/world.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/go/clients/nodeengineclient"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/go/seats/nodeengine"
+	watchdogs "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/health-and-repair/go/seats/meshwatchdogs"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/clients/meshcatalogclient"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/seats/meshcatalog"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/modules/mesh-delivery-builder/builds"
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/buckets"
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -325,16 +327,29 @@ func (w *world) records() map[string]nodeengine.NodeRecord {
 	return out
 }
 
+// presenceOf reads one key of the watchman's presence: a node's key (`<node>`) with the node's online or not; the keys of
+// the parts (`part.<part>.<instance>`) are not a node's and are none here.
+func presenceOf(key string, value []byte) (node string, online, ok bool) {
+	if strings.Contains(key, ".") {
+		return "", false, false
+	}
+	node, ok = watchdogs.ParsePresenceByNodeKey(key)
+	if !ok {
+		return "", false, false
+	}
+	p, err := watchdogs.DecodePresenceByNodeValue(value)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", false, false
+	}
+	return node, p.Online, true
+}
+
 // online is, by node, whether the watchman holds the node online.
 func (w *world) online() map[string]bool {
 	out := map[string]bool{}
 	for key, value := range w.read(buckets.Presence) {
-		node, _, _, err := delivery.ParsePresenceKey(key)
-		if err != nil || node == "" {
-			continue
-		}
-		if p, err := delivery.DecodePresence(value); err == nil {
-			out[node] = p.Online
+		if node, online, ok := presenceOf(key, value); ok {
+			out[node] = online
 		}
 	}
 	return out
@@ -365,12 +380,8 @@ func (w *world) nodes(manifests map[string]catalogue.Manifest, assigned map[stri
 	n := assign.Nodes{Online: map[string]bool{}, Haves: map[string]map[string]nodeengine.HaveByNodeModuleValue{}, Providers: map[string]map[string][]string{},
 		Reads: map[string][]string{}}
 	for key, value := range w.read(buckets.Presence) {
-		node, _, _, err := delivery.ParsePresenceKey(key)
-		if err != nil || node == "" {
-			continue
-		}
-		if p, err := delivery.DecodePresence(value); err == nil {
-			n.Online[node] = p.Online
+		if node, online, ok := presenceOf(key, value); ok {
+			n.Online[node] = online
 		}
 	}
 	for key, value := range w.read(buckets.Have) {