diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go b/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
index 7590d55..1260d16 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
@@ -2266,9 +2266,13 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		// A held consumer that differs is never changed by a pass: it is raised as a condition naming it, and brought to
 		// the composed configuration only by hand (grants_consumer_match), with no lease key too.
-		var said []asks.Condition
+		var said, behind []asks.Condition
 		p.Say = func(c asks.Condition) error {
-			if c.Key != grants.GrantMissingCondition && c.Key != grants.RefusedCondition { // their own rows
+			switch c.Key {
+			case grants.GrantMissingCondition, grants.RefusedCondition: // their own rows
+			case grants.ConsumerBehindCondition:
+				behind = append(behind, c)
+			default:
 				said = append(said, c)
 			}
 			return nil
@@ -2294,6 +2298,22 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 		if len(res.Consumers.Differ) != 0 || said[len(said)-1].State != asks.StateCleared {
 			t.Errorf("once matched: %+v, said %+v", res.Consumers, said)
 		}
+		// 1126 (the self-check's bus-consumer probe ended): a consumer the part owns past the bound behind its stream's
+		// head at two passes running raises mesh-grants.consumer-behind naming it; at the bound or under, it is cleared.
+		made["pending"] = grants.BehindBound + 1
+		if res = p.Compose(); len(res.Consumers.Behind) != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("one look at a burst was said far behind: %+v", res.Consumers)
+		}
+		res = p.Compose()
+		if len(res.Consumers.Behind) != 1 || !strings.Contains(res.Consumers.Behind[0], "EVENTS.b_mod-c") ||
+			len(behind) == 0 || behind[len(behind)-1].State != asks.StateRaised || !strings.Contains(behind[len(behind)-1].Explanation, "EVENTS.b_mod-c") {
+			t.Fatalf("a consumer far behind: %+v, said %+v", res.Consumers, behind)
+		}
+		made["pending"] = grants.BehindBound
+		res = p.Compose()
+		if len(res.Consumers.Behind) != 0 || behind[len(behind)-1].State != asks.StateCleared {
+			t.Errorf("a consumer back within the bound: %+v, said %+v", res.Consumers, behind)
+		}
 	})
 
 	// 774/AC13 (novox/hq ADR 0561 §7): after take-over a list in which more than one loaded user's hash changes, with no
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/consumers.go b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/consumers.go
index ca7ce75..d5a0c9a 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/consumers.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/consumers.go
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ type ConsumersState struct {
 	Wanted  int      `json:"wanted"`
 	Missing []string `json:"missing,omitempty"`
 	Differ  []string `json:"differ,omitempty"`
+	// Behind are those held more than BehindBound messages behind their stream's head at this pass and the one before,
+	// each with how far.
+	Behind  []string `json:"behind,omitempty"`
 	Created []string `json:"created,omitempty"`
 	// Matched is a consumer brought to the composed configuration on a person's ask, or why not.
 	Matched    []string `json:"matched,omitempty"`
@@ -52,6 +55,7 @@ type heldConsumer struct {
 	Name       string   `json:"name"`
 	Filters    []string `json:"filters"`
 	MaxDeliver int      `json:"max_deliver"`
+	Pending    int64    `json:"pending"`
 }
 
 // heldConsumers reads the consumers the bus holds on stream, by name.
@@ -98,6 +102,8 @@ func (p *Part) consumers(res *Result, recs buscompose.Records, match string) {
 	res.Consumers = st
 	wanted := buscompose.AccountConsumers(users)
 	st.Wanted = len(wanted)
+	seen := map[string]bool{}
+	defer func() { p.behindSeen = seen }()
 	byStream := map[string][]buscompose.Consumer{}
 	for _, mc := range wanted {
 		byStream[mc.Consumer.Stream] = append(byStream[mc.Consumer.Stream], mc.Consumer)
@@ -112,6 +118,12 @@ func (p *Part) consumers(res *Result, recs buscompose.Records, match string) {
 			key := stream + "." + c.Name
 			h, ok := held[c.Name]
 			if ok {
+				if h.Pending > BehindBound {
+					if p.behindSeen[key] {
+						st.Behind = append(st.Behind, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %d pending", key, h.Pending))
+					}
+					seen[key] = true
+				}
 				why := consumerDiffers(c, h)
 				if why != "" && key == match && st.On && p.Consumers != nil {
 					if err := p.Consumers.MatchConsumer(stream, buscompose.ConsumerConfig(c)); err != nil {
@@ -142,6 +154,7 @@ func (p *Part) consumers(res *Result, recs buscompose.Records, match string) {
 		}
 	}
 	p.sayDiffer(st)
+	p.sayBehind(st)
 }
 
 // sayDiffer raises the warning condition mesh-grants.consumer-differs while an account consumer the part owns (from the
@@ -227,3 +240,40 @@ func consumerDiffers(c buscompose.Consumer, h heldConsumer) string {
 	sort.Strings(why)
 	return strings.Join(why, "; ")
 }
+
+// BehindBound is how many messages behind its stream's head a consumer may be before it is said far behind: the bound
+// mesh-self-check's bus-consumer probe judged by, which ended with the controller (issue 1126).
+const BehindBound = 1000
+
+// ConsumerBehindCondition is the key of the warning raised while an account consumer stays far behind its stream's head.
+const ConsumerBehindCondition = "mesh-grants.consumer-behind"
+
+// sayBehind raises the warning condition mesh-grants.consumer-behind while an account consumer the part owns is more
+// than BehindBound messages behind its stream's head at two passes running (one look at a burst is not a consumer that
+// stays behind, novox/hq issue 277), naming each with how far, and clears it when none is. Said once per set, again
+// when it changes.
+func (p *Part) sayBehind(st *ConsumersState) {
+	if p.Say == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	why := strings.Join(st.Behind, "; ")
+	p.holdMu.Lock()
+	defer p.holdMu.Unlock()
+	if p.behindKnown && why == p.behindSaid {
+		return
+	}
+	c := asks.Condition{Key: ConsumerBehindCondition, Subject: asks.Scope{Scope: "module", ID: "mesh-grants"}}
+	if why == "" {
+		c.State = asks.StateCleared
+	} else {
+		c.Severity, c.State = asks.SeverityWarning, asks.StateRaised
+		c.Summary = fmt.Sprintf("%d durable consumers are more than %d messages behind their stream's head", len(st.Behind), BehindBound)
+		c.Headline, c.Needs = "Messages pile up for a listener", "a look at the module that reads them"
+		c.Explanation = asks.NeedsYou + "a look. These consumers stayed far behind their stream's head at two passes " +
+			"running, so what is sent to their modules waits unread: " + why
+		c.Resolved = "every account consumer is back within the bound"
+	}
+	if p.Say(c) == nil {
+		p.behindSaid, p.behindKnown = why, true
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
index 2e737f1..2eabf83 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
@@ -176,6 +176,11 @@ type Part struct {
 	// differSaid is the account consumers' differences last said as a condition, once differKnown (consumers.go).
 	differSaid  string
 	differKnown bool
+	// behindSaid is the account consumers far behind last said as a condition, once behindKnown; behindSeen is each one
+	// found behind at the pass before, so one look at a burst raises nothing (consumers.go).
+	behindSaid  string
+	behindKnown bool
+	behindSeen  map[string]bool
 	// refusedSaid is the refused principals last said as a condition, once refusedKnown (refused.go).
 	refusedSaid  string
 	refusedKnown bool