diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go b/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
index 1cc54a18..e9260a73 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
@@ -2448,6 +2448,31 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 		ledgerX := strings.Replace(xManifest, `"state"`, `"requires":[{"name":"records","storage":"ledger","template":"ledger",`+
 			`"types":[{"name":"decision","schema":{},"operations":[{"name":"propose","effect":"set-fields"}]}]}],"state"`, 1)
 		catalogSeat := func(s string) bool { return strings.HasPrefix(s, "mesh.seat.mesh-catalog.") }
+		// Review round 1: the list in force gives a wide publish and a deny, the pass composes the user narrower with the
+		// composer's empty deny: the user kept keeps the deny, and dropping it counts as a loss.
+		for _, d := range []struct {
+			name           string
+			composed, kept grants.User
+			loss           string
+		}{
+			{"a deny of the list in force is kept",
+				grants.User{User: "a.mod-v", Publish: []string{"mesh.a"}, Subscribe: []string{}, PublishDeny: []string{}},
+				grants.User{User: "a.mod-v", Publish: []string{"mesh.>", "mesh.a"}, Subscribe: []string{}, PublishDeny: []string{"mesh.seat.mesh-vault.desk.>"}},
+				"deny dropped mesh.seat.mesh-vault.desk.>"},
+			{"a deny the pass composes is kept beside it",
+				grants.User{User: "a.mod-v", Publish: []string{"mesh.a"}, Subscribe: []string{}, PublishDeny: []string{"mesh.b"}},
+				grants.User{User: "a.mod-v", Publish: []string{"mesh.>", "mesh.a"}, Subscribe: []string{}, PublishDeny: []string{"mesh.b", "mesh.seat.mesh-vault.desk.>"}},
+				"deny mesh.b"},
+		} {
+			inForce := grants.User{User: "a.mod-v", Publish: []string{"mesh.>"}, Subscribe: []string{}, PublishDeny: []string{"mesh.seat.mesh-vault.desk.>"}}
+			got := grants.KeepLoaded([]grants.User{d.composed}, nil, map[string]grants.User{"a.mod-v": inForce})["a.mod-v"]
+			if !slices.Equal(got.Publish, d.kept.Publish) || !slices.Equal(got.PublishDeny, d.kept.PublishDeny) {
+				t.Errorf("%s: kept %+v, want %+v", d.name, got, d.kept)
+			}
+			if !slices.Contains(grants.Losses(d.composed, inForce), d.loss) {
+				t.Errorf("%s: losses %v name no %q", d.name, grants.Losses(d.composed, inForce), d.loss)
+			}
+		}
 		for _, row := range []struct {
 			name string
 			bend func(*fakeBus, *grants.Part)
@@ -2497,6 +2522,22 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 				if g, _, _ := p.Sealed(); g.Digest == "" {
 					t.Fatal("no list in force sealed")
 				}
+				// The indexer's membership as published serves a tool more than any pass composes now (a tool runner's
+				// seat, say): a pass composing part of the mesh keeps it as published, a whole one publishes what it composes.
+				const extra = `{"subject":"mesh.tools.a.mesh-delivery-indexer.extra"}`
+				{
+					var m map[string]any
+					if err := json.Unmarshal(b.own[grants.StateMemberships]["a.mesh-delivery-indexer"], &m); err != nil {
+						t.Fatal(err)
+					}
+					var e any
+					_ = json.Unmarshal([]byte(extra), &e)
+					m["serves"] = append(m["serves"].([]any), e)
+					b.own[grants.StateMemberships]["a.mesh-delivery-indexer"], _ = json.Marshal(m)
+				}
+				servesExtra := func() bool {
+					return strings.Contains(string(b.own[grants.StateMemberships]["a.mesh-delivery-indexer"]), "mesh-delivery-indexer.extra")
+				}
 				// The bus loaded it with what a whole seat list gives besides, and without the indexer's serving yet.
 				var loaded []grants.User
 				for _, u := range whole {
@@ -2521,6 +2562,12 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 				if g, _, _ := p.Sealed(); true {
 					t.Logf("sealed %d users (%s), kept with the loaded list's grants %v, said %q", g.Users, short(g.Digest), res.KeptLoaded, res.Sealed.Why)
 				}
+				partial := row.name != "the ledger of a module whose manifest is refused"
+				if servesExtra() != partial || partial != slices.ContainsFunc(res.NotPublished, func(n string) bool {
+					return strings.HasPrefix(n, "a.mesh-delivery-indexer: kept as published: ") && strings.Contains(n, "mesh-delivery-indexer.extra")
+				}) {
+					t.Errorf("the published membership serving more: kept %v in a pass composing part of the mesh %v; not published %v", servesExtra(), partial, res.NotPublished)
+				}
 				if row.held != "" {
 					if res.Sealed == nil || !strings.Contains(res.Sealed.Why, row.held) {
 						t.Fatalf("not held for %q: %+v", row.held, res.Sealed)
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/keeploaded.go b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/keeploaded.go
index 22369709..80ef40a5 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/keeploaded.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/keeploaded.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package grants
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 // the node-engines' haves (Inputs.ByHaves), what the composer derives is a part of the mesh: that list sealed took the node
 // seats from every tool runner, the vault's reads from the node-engines and the seat queues from the build modules. Such a
 // pass composes each user of the loaded list and of the list in force as the union of what it composes and what those lists
-// give it (publish, subscribe, the allowance of responses; a deny only where every list that says one denies it), so it
+// give it (publish, subscribe, the allowance of responses, and every deny any of them says), so it
 // only adds, the indexer's serving of the seat that reads the list included; and the list is held where it would still take
 // a permission from a loaded user (holdsBack, LoadedLosses).
 
@@ -52,18 +53,16 @@ func KeepLoaded(composed, loaded []User, inForce map[string]User) map[string]Use
 		if !short {
 			continue
 		}
+		// Every deny any list says is kept: a deny the composer drops while it composes part of the mesh would widen the
+		// user (the composer gives every composed user a deny, empty or not, so an intersection would drop the list in
+		// force's).
 		u := User{User: name, Publish: c.Publish, Subscribe: c.Subscribe, AllowResponses: c.AllowResponses, PublishDeny: c.PublishDeny}
-		denyKnown := composedHere && c.PublishDeny != nil
 		for _, o := range from {
 			u.Publish = set(append(slices.Clone(u.Publish), o.Publish...))
 			u.Subscribe = set(append(slices.Clone(u.Subscribe), o.Subscribe...))
 			u.AllowResponses = u.AllowResponses || o.AllowResponses
-			switch {
-			case o.PublishDeny == nil:
-			case !denyKnown:
-				u.PublishDeny, denyKnown = set(o.PublishDeny), true
-			default:
-				u.PublishDeny = slices.DeleteFunc(slices.Clone(u.PublishDeny), func(d string) bool { return !slices.Contains(o.PublishDeny, d) })
+			if o.PublishDeny != nil || u.PublishDeny != nil {
+				u.PublishDeny = set(append(slices.Clone(u.PublishDeny), o.PublishDeny...))
 			}
 		}
 		if u.Publish == nil {
@@ -77,8 +76,9 @@ func KeepLoaded(composed, loaded []User, inForce map[string]User) map[string]Use
 	return out
 }
 
-// Losses are the permissions had gives that now does not: each publish and subscribe, the allowance of responses, and
-// each deny now adds where had's denies are known. Pure.
+// Losses are how now differs from had where had's word is lost: each publish and subscribe had gives that now does not,
+// the allowance of responses, and, where had's denies are known, each deny now adds and each deny of had now drops (a deny
+// dropped widens the user past what had held it to). Pure.
 func Losses(now, had User) []string {
 	var out []string
 	for _, s := range minus(had.Publish, now.Publish) {
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ func Losses(now, had User) []string {
 		for _, s := range minus(now.PublishDeny, had.PublishDeny) {
 			out = append(out, "deny "+s)
 		}
+		for _, s := range minus(had.PublishDeny, now.PublishDeny) {
+			out = append(out, "deny dropped "+s)
+		}
 	}
 	return out
 }
@@ -120,3 +123,51 @@ func LoadedLosses(listed []string, composed, loaded []User) []string {
 	sort.Strings(out)
 	return slices.Compact(out)
 }
+
+// MembershipNarrows names what the membership last published (was) gives that the one composed now does not, field by field
+// (`<field> <value>`), the private network, the contributions received and the bindings aside, which the pass carries over
+// or the bus module writes; none when now covers was. Both are memberships as JSON. Pure.
+func MembershipNarrows(was, now []byte) []string {
+	var a, b map[string]any
+	if json.Unmarshal(was, &a) != nil || json.Unmarshal(now, &b) != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	var out []string
+	for _, field := range sortedKeys(a) {
+		switch field {
+		case "mesh", "receives", "bindings":
+			continue
+		}
+		out = append(out, uncovered(field, a[field], b[field])...)
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// uncovered names each part of a that b does not hold: a key of an object by key, an element of a list by its value.
+func uncovered(path string, a, b any) []string {
+	switch av := a.(type) {
+	case map[string]any:
+		bv, _ := b.(map[string]any)
+		var out []string
+		for _, k := range sortedKeys(av) {
+			out = append(out, uncovered(path+"."+k, av[k], bv[k])...)
+		}
+		return out
+	case []any:
+		bv, _ := b.([]any)
+		var out []string
+		for _, e := range av {
+			ej, _ := json.Marshal(e)
+			if !slices.ContainsFunc(bv, func(x any) bool { xj, _ := json.Marshal(x); return string(xj) == string(ej) }) {
+				out = append(out, path+" "+string(ej))
+			}
+		}
+		return out
+	}
+	aj, _ := json.Marshal(a)
+	bj, _ := json.Marshal(b)
+	if string(aj) != string(bj) {
+		return []string{path + " " + string(aj)}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
index 5f3c9381..02dca360 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
@@ -434,6 +434,17 @@ func (p *Part) Compose() Result {
 			continue
 		}
 		m, now := publish(was, found, ms[key], holdings, seated)
+		// A pass that composes part of the mesh never narrows a published membership: it keeps the one published
+		// (keeploaded.go, issue 1966), so a tool runner or a seat holder goes on serving what it serves.
+		if why := in.keepsLoaded(); now && found && why != "" {
+			if body, err := json.Marshal(m.Membership); err == nil {
+				if bare, err := membership.BareGrantsMembership(was); err == nil {
+					if narrower := MembershipNarrows(bare, body); len(narrower) > 0 {
+						m.Published, now = "kept as published: "+why+", and this pass composes it without "+strings.Join(narrower, ", "), false
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		// Published is written to the state, where every runtime reads it (process.FollowMembership); only one
 		// published, so a membership held back never reaches a reader.
 		if now {