diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go b/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
index 44e582a..369943e 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
@@ -975,6 +975,17 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 					if now, _, _ := p.Sealed(); now.Digest != g.Digest {
 						t.Errorf("the list in force moved without a.mod-x: %s", now.Digest)
 					}
+					// A list in force written before the part kept its users (no sealed-users): checked against the users the
+					// bus loaded, so the first list after take-over has the same protection.
+					b.mu.Lock()
+					delete(b.own[grants.StateUserList], grants.KeyWrittenUsers)
+					b.mu.Unlock()
+					if res := p.Compose(); res.Sealed == nil || !strings.Contains(res.Sealed.Why, "a.mod-x would be left out") {
+						t.Errorf("a pass with no kept users that drops a.mod-x's hash = %+v", res.Sealed)
+					}
+					if now, _, _ := p.Sealed(); now.Digest != g.Digest {
+						t.Errorf("the list in force moved without a.mod-x and no kept users: %s", now.Digest)
+					}
 					b.put(grants.ReadAccounts, "a.mod-x", json.RawMessage(hash))
 					if p.Compose(); func() bool { now, _, _ := p.Sealed(); return now.Digest != g.Digest }() {
 						t.Errorf("the list in force moved with every read and hash back")
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
index 0c074e0..348c9f7 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
@@ -229,7 +229,12 @@ func (p *Part) Compose() Result {
 	if list, n, leftOut, err := ComposeList(recs, in.Hashes); err != nil {
 		res.Errors = append(res.Errors, "the user list could not be composed whole: "+err.Error())
 	} else {
-		p.writeSealed(&res, list, n, leftOut, in)
+		// The users the bus loaded: what a first list after take-over must keep where the part has not yet written one.
+		var bus []string
+		if st.Compare.Unread == "" {
+			bus = names(loaded)
+		}
+		p.writeSealed(&res, list, n, leftOut, in, bus)
 	}
 	ms := Memberships(recs)
 	res.Memberships = len(ms)
@@ -342,3 +347,11 @@ func sortedKeys[V any](m map[string]V) []string {
 	sort.Strings(out)
 	return out
 }
+
+func names(us []User) []string {
+	out := make([]string, 0, len(us))
+	for _, u := range us {
+		out = append(out, u.User)
+	}
+	return out
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/sealed.go b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/sealed.go
index 8038135..f960094 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/sealed.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/sealed.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func followOf(state string) string {
 
 // writeSealed puts the list sealed to the bus node and writes the key, each only when what it says changed. It says in
 // res what it wrote, or why it wrote nothing.
-func (p *Part) writeSealed(res *Result, list []byte, users int, leftOut []string, in Inputs) {
+func (p *Part) writeSealed(res *Result, list []byte, users int, leftOut []string, in Inputs, bus []string) {
 	cur, _, had := p.Sealed()
 	next := cur
 	next.Follow = followOf(p.SwitchState())
@@ -90,10 +90,10 @@ func (p *Part) writeSealed(res *Result, list []byte, users int, leftOut []string
 		why = "no node runs the bus's module, so the list is sealed to nobody"
 	case key == "":
 		why = "the bus node's have of the bus module names no key yet (its node-engine says it from this release)"
-	case next.Follow == delivery.FollowGrants && cur.Digest != digest && p.holdsBack(in, leftOut) != "":
+	case next.Follow == delivery.FollowGrants && cur.Digest != digest && p.holdsBack(in, leftOut, bus) != "":
 		// After take-over the list in force is never replaced by one composed past a failed read, or one that drops a user
 		// of it for want of a hash: that user's module would be locked out of the bus (review of the switch).
-		why = p.holdsBack(in, leftOut)
+		why = p.holdsBack(in, leftOut, bus)
 	case cur.Digest != digest || cur.SealedTo != delivery.SealingKeyID(key) || cur.Node != in.BusNode:
 		object, err := delivery.SealUserList(list, key)
 		if err == nil {
@@ -265,8 +265,10 @@ func listUsers(list []byte) []string {
 }
 
 // holdsBack says why a list composed now may not replace the one in force after take-over: a read failed this pass, or
-// a user of the list in force is left out for want of a hash. Empty when it may.
-func (p *Part) holdsBack(in Inputs, leftOut []string) string {
+// a user of the list in force is left out for want of a hash. The list in force is the one the part wrote, by the users
+// it kept of it; where it kept none (a list written before this release), the users the bus loaded (bus, nil when
+// they could not be read). Empty when it may.
+func (p *Part) holdsBack(in Inputs, leftOut, bus []string) string {
 	if f := in.ReadFailures(); len(f) > 0 {
 		return "held: the list in force is kept while a read of this pass failed (" + strings.Join(f, "; ") + ")"
 	}
@@ -275,8 +277,13 @@ func (p *Part) holdsBack(in Inputs, leftOut []string) string {
 		return "held: the users of the list in force cannot be read: " + err.Error()
 	}
 	var had []string
-	if found {
+	switch {
+	case found:
 		_ = json.Unmarshal(raw, &had)
+	case bus == nil:
+		return "held: the users of the list in force are not known: the part kept none, and the loaded list could not be read"
+	default:
+		had = bus
 	}
 	var lost []string
 	for _, u := range leftOut {