diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/adr548_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/adr548_test.go
index 99e2d95..7bd400c 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/adr548_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/adr548_test.go
@@ -211,6 +211,38 @@ func TestOneCheckPerDelivery(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Errorf("the status after the carry is %q, want success", s)
 			}
 		},
+		// §7: a carry whose merge conflicts fails naming the files and asks no check; a later move onto which the head merges
+		// cleanly asks a whole check, not a carry.
+		"a carry git refuses fails naming the files, and the next move asks a whole check": func(t *testing.T) {
+			var kinds []string
+			var from []map[string]string
+			j := &judgeFunc{f: func(_ context.Context, c *Case, call int) (Outcome, error) {
+				kinds, from = append(kinds, c.Kind), append(from, c.CarriedFrom)
+				if call == 2 {
+					return Outcome{Verdict: delivery.Verdict{State: delivery.VerdictFail, Failed: delivery.FailedFirst{Machine: "ace",
+						Words: repoA + "#7 " + ConflictWords + "go.mod"}}}, nil
+				}
+				return Outcome{Verdict: passing()}, nil
+			}}
+			r := newRig(t, j)
+			cand := candidateOf(t, "feat/x", pullOf(repoA, 7, head1))
+			r.ch.Candidate(ctx, "feat%2Fx", cand)
+			r.ch.Wait()
+			r.setTrunks(t, map[string]string{repoA: trunkA2, repoSDK: trunkS})
+			r.ch.TrunkMoved(ctx)
+			r.ch.Wait()
+			r.ch.Reconsider(ctx) // anything else that looks again asks nothing of a conflict
+			r.ch.Wait()
+			if v := r.verdict(t, keyOf(t, "feat/x", cand)); j.count() != 2 || !IsConflictFailure(v) || !strings.Contains(v.Failed.Words, "go.mod") {
+				t.Fatalf("judged %d times, verdict %+v; want the carry failed naming go.mod and nothing asked after it", j.count(), v.Failed)
+			}
+			r.setTrunks(t, map[string]string{repoA: trunkA, repoSDK: trunkS})
+			r.ch.TrunkMoved(ctx)
+			r.ch.Wait()
+			if j.count() != 3 || kinds[1] != KindTrunk || from[1] == nil || kinds[2] != KindNew || from[2] != nil {
+				t.Errorf("checks %v carried from %v; want a whole check, a carry, then a whole check after the conflict", kinds, from)
+			}
+		},
 		// §5: a carry that fails names the move it failed on.
 		"a carry that fails names the move": func(t *testing.T) {
 			j := &judgeFunc{f: func(_ context.Context, c *Case, call int) (Outcome, error) {
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/checker.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/checker.go
index 8b838b7..4e0f58d 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/checker.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/checker.go
@@ -247,6 +247,8 @@ func (ch *Checker) prepare(ctx context.Context, cs *Case) {
 	case IsNodesFailure(v):
 		cs.Kind = KindNodes
 		return
+	case IsConflictFailure(v):
+		return // a head git refused: its next check is whole (ADR 0548 §7)
 	}
 	cs.Kind = KindTrunk
 	if v.State == delivery.VerdictPass && ch.stale(v, cs) {
@@ -440,6 +442,15 @@ func (ch *Checker) Held() map[string]string {
 	return out
 }
 
+// ConflictWords are what the words of a head that git would not merge onto its trunk say before the files in conflict.
+const ConflictWords = "does not merge into the trunk: files in conflict: "
+
+// IsConflictFailure says whether a verdict failed because its head did not merge onto its trunk (ADR 0548 §7): it has no
+// pass to carry, so its next check, at a push or at a later trunk move, is a whole check of its head.
+func IsConflictFailure(v delivery.Verdict) bool {
+	return v.State == delivery.VerdictFail && strings.Contains(v.Failed.Words, ConflictWords)
+}
+
 // IsNodesFailure says whether a verdict failed because a part of the mesh the check reads was not heard (UnheardWords):
 // it is judged again when the nodes change. No check fails for want of a build node any more: its asks wait in the build
 // seats' streams (ADR 0525 §6, issue 1912).
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/judge.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/judge.go
index 38355b0..b136728 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/judge.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-checker/internal/check/judge.go
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ func (st *state) ask(ctx context.Context, t *target, merged *[]Fetched) *deliver
 		if st.c.Try == nil {
 			st.j.writePreview(ctx, p, append(*merged, t.fetched))
 		}
-		return fail(step.Node, fmt.Sprintf("%s#%d does not merge into the trunk: files in conflict: %s", p.Repository, p.Number, strings.Join(t.fetched.Conflicts, ", ")))
+		return fail(step.Node, fmt.Sprintf("%s#%d %s%s", p.Repository, p.Number, ConflictWords, strings.Join(t.fetched.Conflicts, ", ")))
 	}
 	t.changed = t.fetched.Changed
 	if !changesBuildGo(p.Repository, t.changed) {