diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-pipeline/internal/pipeline/start.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-pipeline/internal/pipeline/start.go
index 7d209e4d..73ebf5a7 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-pipeline/internal/pipeline/start.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-pipeline/internal/pipeline/start.go
@@ -396,7 +396,9 @@ func (s *Starter) Published(ev builds.PackagePublished, outdated func(catalog.Ou
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("outdated of %s on %s: %w", ev.Artifact, ev.Branch, err)
 	}
-	half, _ := view(ev.Branch)
+	// A publish heard before its branch's half is held starts its pipelines with no steps, never placed from empty entries
+	// (§200, A-336); Waiting places them once the half is held.
+	half, held := view(ev.Branch)
 	started := 0
 	var first error
 	for _, o := range a.Behind {
@@ -404,10 +406,10 @@ func (s *Starter) Published(ev builds.PackagePublished, outdated func(catalog.Ou
 			continue
 		}
 		b := Begin{Branch: ev.Branch, Source: ev.Source, Module: o.Module, Revision: half.Revision, Entries: half.Entries,
-			Published: &seat.Published{Artifact: ev.Artifact, Version: ev.Version}}
+			Published: &seat.Published{Artifact: ev.Artifact, Version: ev.Version}, unheld: !held}
 		if e, ok := half.Entries[o.Module]; ok {
 			b.Commit, b.Fp, b.Repository = e.Commit, e.Fp, e.Repository
-		} else {
+		} else if held {
 			s.logf("the catalog half of %s holds no entry of %s, behind %s: its pipeline starts without its commit", ev.Branch, o.Module, ev.Artifact)
 		}
 		ok, err := s.Start(b)
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-pipeline/internal/pipeline/start_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-pipeline/internal/pipeline/start_test.go
index d084fadf..727e88f7 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-pipeline/internal/pipeline/start_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-pipeline/internal/pipeline/start_test.go
@@ -195,4 +195,21 @@ func TestAPipelineStartedBeforeItsRegistrationIsPlacedWhenItArrives(t *testing.T
 	if n != 1 || err != nil || len(p.Steps) == 0 {
 		t.Errorf("the half of next placed %d (%v): %d steps, want the take-in's pipeline placed", n, err, len(p.Steps))
 	}
+	// A-336: so does a package published heard before its branch's half is held.
+	held = false
+	outdated := func(catalog.OutdatedInput) (catalog.OutdatedAnswer, error) {
+		return catalog.OutdatedAnswer{Behind: []catalog.Outdated{{Module: "app", Kind: outdatedKind}}}, nil
+	}
+	if n, err := s.Published(builds.PackagePublished{Artifact: "mesh-sdk:go", Branch: "next", Source: 7, Module: "mesh-sdk", Version: "0.1.17"}, outdated, late); n != 1 || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("the publish before the half started %d (%v)", n, err)
+	}
+	if p, _, _ := store.Get("next.7.app"); len(p.Steps) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("a publish before its branch's half placed %d steps from empty entries, want none", len(p.Steps))
+	}
+	held = true
+	n, err = s.Waiting(store.memStore, "next", late)
+	p, _, _ = store.Get("next.7.app")
+	if n != 1 || err != nil || len(p.Steps) == 0 {
+		t.Errorf("the half of next placed %d (%v): %d steps, want the publish's pipeline placed", n, err, len(p.Steps))
+	}
 }