diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass.go
index 2652db4..2996684 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass.go
@@ -238,9 +238,9 @@ func (p *passer) sayNoWant(module string, nodes []string, before map[string]deli
 // sayNodeFailed raises, once per node and words, the condition of a failed health check of a module's newest fingerprint fp
 // that is the node's own, since fp runs healthy elsewhere and is not held (ADR 0557 §1, issue 1496), and says it in the journal;
 // it clears the condition once when the node no longer fails alone, or is no longer one of the module's nodes. The first pass
-// after a start remembers nothing a previous process raised: for a module with a failed have on any node it clears the
-// condition of every node the presence bucket knows that does not fail alone (a clear of a condition not open is quiet at the
-// router). A condition the router did not take is said again at the next pass.
+// after a start remembers nothing a previous process raised: it clears, for every module, the condition of every node the
+// presence bucket knows that does not fail alone, since a node that recovered while no process watched leaves no failed have to
+// find it by (a clear of a condition not open is quiet at the router). A condition the router did not take is said again at the next pass.
 func (p *passer) sayNodeFailed(module, fp string, nodes []string, known assign.Nodes, out assign.Outcome, first bool) {
 	if p.nodeFailed == nil {
 		p.nodeFailed = map[string]string{}
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func (p *passer) sayNodeFailed(module, fp string, nodes []string, known assign.N
 			look[node] = true
 		}
 	}
-	if first && anyFailed(known, module) {
+	if first {
 		for node := range known.Online {
 			look[node] = true
 		}
@@ -289,16 +289,6 @@ func (p *passer) sayNodeFailed(module, fp string, nodes []string, known assign.N
 	}
 }
 
-// anyFailed says whether any node's have of module says its health failed.
-func anyFailed(n assign.Nodes, module string) bool {
-	for _, haves := range n.Haves {
-		if h, ok := haves[module]; ok && h.Health == delivery.HealthFailed {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
-}
-
 // neitherOne is a module assigned to a node that holds no want for it after a pass, and the rule holding its first want back.
 type neitherOne struct {
 	node, module string
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 caebcbd..e344555 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
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ func TestThePassGathersTheModulesOnNeitherList(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 	// D2: a node that leaves the module's nodes while it failed alone is cleared once; the first pass after a start clears every
-	// node the presence bucket knows, for a module with a failed have, and nothing for one without.
+	// node the presence bucket knows, for every module, failed have or not (a node that recovered unwatched leaves none).
 	conds = nil
 	p.sayNodeFailed("rofi", fpTest, []string{"shanks"}, assign.Nodes{}, assign.Outcome{NodeFailed: failing}, false)
 	p.sayNodeFailed("rofi", fpTest, nil, assign.Nodes{}, assign.Outcome{}, false)
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ func TestThePassGathersTheModulesOnNeitherList(t *testing.T) {
 		keys  []string
 	}{
 		{"a failed have", known, []string{"mesh-delivery-assigner.failed-alone.ace.rofi", "mesh-delivery-assigner.failed-alone.g14.rofi"}},
-		{"no failed have", assign.Nodes{Online: known.Online}, nil},
+		{"no failed have", assign.Nodes{Online: known.Online}, []string{"mesh-delivery-assigner.failed-alone.ace.rofi", "mesh-delivery-assigner.failed-alone.g14.rofi"}},
 	} {
 		conds = nil
 		fresh := newPasser(buckets{}, time.Date(2026, 10, 26, 22, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC))