diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/forge.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/forge.go
index 31702bf..b3aabfa 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/forge.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/forge.go
@@ -3,10 +3,13 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/nats-io/nats.go"
+
 	"mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check"
 )
 
@@ -27,6 +30,16 @@ type forgeReads struct {
 	call func(key string, body any) (json.RawMessage, error)
 }
 
+// ask calls a forge tool; a call that reached nobody (no responders: the forge's tool runner re-serving, or the forge
+// down) is marked Unheard, so the check fails at the forge and is judged again when the nodes change (issue 1624).
+func (f forgeReads) ask(key string, body any) (json.RawMessage, error) {
+	raw, err := f.call(key, body)
+	if errors.Is(err, nats.ErrNoResponders) || errors.Is(err, nats.ErrTimeout) || errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		return nil, &check.Unheard{Err: err}
+	}
+	return raw, err
+}
+
 func ownerRepo(repository string) (string, string) {
 	owner, repo, _ := strings.Cut(repository, "/")
 	return owner, repo
@@ -35,7 +48,7 @@ func ownerRepo(repository string) (string, string) {
 // File is the text of a file of a repository at a ref.
 func (f forgeReads) File(_ context.Context, repository, path, ref string) (string, error) {
 	owner, repo := ownerRepo(repository)
-	raw, err := f.call(getFileTool, map[string]string{"owner": owner, "repo": repo, "path": path, "ref": ref})
+	raw, err := f.ask(getFileTool, map[string]string{"owner": owner, "repo": repo, "path": path, "ref": ref})
 	if err != nil {
 		if notFoundStatus.MatchString(err.Error()) {
 			// The forge answers 404 for a file the ref does not hold (issue 1845). The status is matched in its own place,
@@ -59,7 +72,7 @@ func (f forgeReads) File(_ context.Context, repository, path, ref string) (strin
 // not.
 func (f forgeReads) OnTrunk(_ context.Context, repository, commit string) (bool, error) {
 	owner, repo := ownerRepo(repository)
-	raw, err := f.call(compareTool, map[string]string{"owner": owner, "repo": repo, "base": "main", "head": commit})
+	raw, err := f.ask(compareTool, map[string]string{"owner": owner, "repo": repo, "base": "main", "head": commit})
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -75,7 +88,7 @@ func (f forgeReads) OnTrunk(_ context.Context, repository, commit string) (bool,
 // FullSHA is the whole sha of a commit named by its first digits: the newest commit of the history at that ref.
 func (f forgeReads) FullSHA(_ context.Context, repository, commit string) (string, error) {
 	owner, repo := ownerRepo(repository)
-	raw, err := f.call(commitsTool, map[string]any{"owner": owner, "repo": repo, "ref": commit, "limit": 1})
+	raw, err := f.ask(commitsTool, map[string]any{"owner": owner, "repo": repo, "ref": commit, "limit": 1})
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/forge_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/forge_test.go
index e7ecc85..d6487d6 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/forge_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/cmd/mesh-delivery-checker/forge_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/nats-io/nats.go"
+
 	"mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check"
 )
 
@@ -86,3 +88,18 @@ func TestAFileTheRefDoesNotHoldIsNotFoundAndOtherFailuresAreNot(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("a 500 is %v, want a failure that is not ErrNotFound", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAForgeReadThatReachesNobodyIsUnheard(t *testing.T) { // 1624 C7: "nats: no responders" on mesh-catalog #293
+	f := forgeReads{call: func(string, any) (json.RawMessage, error) { return nil, nats.ErrNoResponders }}
+	_, err := f.File(context.Background(), "novox/mesh-catalog", "checks/agenthome/go.mod", "950e37a46e8d")
+	var u *check.Unheard
+	if !errors.As(err, &u) {
+		t.Errorf("err = %v, want it marked as reaching nobody", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := f.OnTrunk(context.Background(), "novox/mesh-sdk", "abc"); !errors.As(err, &u) {
+		t.Errorf("compare: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := f.FullSHA(context.Background(), "novox/mesh-sdk", "abc"); !errors.As(err, &u) {
+		t.Errorf("commits: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/checker.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/checker.go
index a53aa5f..1236af4 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/checker.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/checker.go
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ const DefaultBound = 30 * time.Minute
 // is judged again when the nodes change, by a watch and never a timer (ADR 0437 §8).
 const NodesWords = "build node qualifies"
 
+// UnheardWords end the Words of a failure because a part of the mesh the check reads was not heard (the forge, issue 1624):
+// like a failure of the nodes, it is not the change's, and is judged again when the nodes change.
+const UnheardWords = "not heard; judged again when the nodes change"
+
 // The events the checker says on its stream checks (module.json): a preview or a status was written, so a part that reads
 // the bucket, which is made when the checker is assigned and may not exist when that part starts, finds it (ADR 0437 §8: no
 // timer). The body is {"key": ...}.
@@ -287,7 +291,7 @@ func (ch *Checker) claim(ctx context.Context, cs *Case, first bool, epoch uint64
 
 // IsNodesFailure says whether a verdict failed because no build node could take the check.
 func IsNodesFailure(v delivery.Verdict) bool {
-	return v.State == delivery.VerdictFail && strings.Contains(v.Failed.Words, NodesWords)
+	return v.State == delivery.VerdictFail && (strings.Contains(v.Failed.Words, NodesWords) || strings.Contains(v.Failed.Words, UnheardWords))
 }
 
 // try claims the check, judges it within its bound and writes the verdict and the owed statuses. A check that ends
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/judge.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/judge.go
index d0072b8..5593b58 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/judge.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/judge.go
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ func (st *state) fetchAll(ctx context.Context) *delivery.Verdict {
 			if bm == buildrun.GoBuildModule {
 				beside, err := st.j.besideFor(ctx, st.c, p)
 				if err != nil {
-					return fail(node, err.Error())
+					return fail(forgeMachine(err, node), err.Error()+unheardWords(err))
 				}
 				if len(beside) > 0 {
 					args["beside"] = beside
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/pins.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/pins.go
index 326d606..f1e2937 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/pins.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/pins.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func (st *state) checkPins(ctx context.Context) verdictPtr {
 				text, err = st.j.Forge.File(ctx, t.pull.Repository, file, t.pull.Trunk)
 			}
 			if err != nil {
-				return failed(forgeMachine(err, t.node), fmt.Sprintf("%s#%d: %s cannot be read to check its mesh-sdk pin: %v", t.pull.Repository, t.pull.Number, file, err))
+				return failed(forgeMachine(err, t.node), fmt.Sprintf("%s#%d: %s cannot be read to check its mesh-sdk pin: %v%s", t.pull.Repository, t.pull.Number, file, err, unheardWords(err)))
 			}
 			pin, ok := SDKPin(text)
 			if !ok {
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func (st *state) checkPins(ctx context.Context) verdictPtr {
 			}
 			onTrunk, err := st.j.Forge.OnTrunk(ctx, SDKRepository, pin)
 			if err != nil {
-				return failed(forgeMachine(err, t.node), fmt.Sprintf("%s#%d: whether mesh-sdk %s is on its trunk cannot be told: %v", t.pull.Repository, t.pull.Number, pin, err))
+				return failed(forgeMachine(err, t.node), fmt.Sprintf("%s#%d: whether mesh-sdk %s is on its trunk cannot be told: %v%s", t.pull.Repository, t.pull.Number, pin, err, unheardWords(err)))
 			}
 			if onTrunk {
 				continue
@@ -115,6 +115,14 @@ func pinHint(c *Case, fetchError string) string {
 	return " (a pin to the head of the group's mesh-sdk pull request names a commit only that head carries, which go mod download cannot resolve; " + Issue1148 + ")"
 }
 
+// unheardWords ends the words of a failed read of the forge that reached nobody: the forge was not heard (UnheardWords).
+func unheardWords(err error) string {
+	if isUnheard(err) {
+		return " (the forge was " + UnheardWords + ")"
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
 // forgeMachine is the machine a failed read of the forge is put at: the forge when nobody answered it (no build node is to
 // blame, issue 1820), the build node whose workspace was read otherwise.
 func forgeMachine(err error, node string) string {
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/pins_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/pins_test.go
index 9198b17..703a11b 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/pins_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/pins_test.go
@@ -253,3 +253,15 @@ func TestThePinOfTheControllerThatCannotBeReadFailsTheCheck(t *testing.T) { // r
 		t.Errorf("verdict = %+v", v)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAForgeThatIsNotHeardFailsAtTheForgeAndIsJudgedAgainWhenTheNodesChange(t *testing.T) { // 1624 C7
+	b := newBench(t)
+	b.ex.Forge = &fakeForge{err: &Unheard{Err: fmt.Errorf("nats: no responders available for request")}}
+	v := b.judge(t, caseOf(t, pullOf(repoA, 7, head1))).Verdict
+	if v.State != delivery.VerdictFail || v.Failed.Machine != "forge" {
+		t.Fatalf("verdict = %+v, want failed at the forge", v)
+	}
+	if !IsNodesFailure(v) {
+		t.Errorf("a forge that was not heard is not the change's failure: %+v is not judged again when the nodes change", v.Failed)
+	}
+}