diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/orderwaits_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/orderwaits_test.go
index 36017dca..ad5b0d12 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/orderwaits_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/orderwaits_test.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func newOrderFixture(t *testing.T, mods []orderMod, history ...map[string]string
 	for key, raw := range values {
 		p.w.put(plc.AssignmentsBucket, key, raw)
 	}
-	p.w.heardPresence("ace", true, time.Now())
+	p.w.heardPresence("ace", false, time.Now()) // ace is online: its last presence event heard is machine-back
 	objects := memObjects{}
 	for i, at := range history {
 		half := meshcatalogclient.Half{Revision: meshcatalog.CatalogRevision{Branch: trunkBranch, Kind: "trunk", Revision: int64(i + 1), Source: int64(i + 1)},