diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/integration_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/integration_test.go
index 1eb6ed4..5cd0d15 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/integration_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/integration_test.go
@@ -130,9 +130,7 @@ func (b *bed) startStoppable(t *testing.T) (<-chan error, func()) {
 
 // 1297/B2b: started whole on its credential, the assigner says on the bus every state its manifest declares, each readable,
 // having opened every bucket it names. The states are read from module.json, so a state added there is expected here too.
-func TestTheAssignerStartsAndSaysWhatItKeeps(t *testing.T) {
-	b := startBed(t, "")
-	done := b.start(t)
+func saysWhatItKeeps(t *testing.T, b *bed, done <-chan error) {
 	events, err := b.js.Stream(b.ctx, "EVENTS")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -1084,7 +1082,7 @@ func TestAProposalIsAnsweredApprovedAndWritten(t *testing.T) {
 		return rev
 	}
 	anchorRev, laptopRev := place("anchor", "web"), place("laptop", "shell")
-	b.start(t)
+	saysWhatItKeeps(t, b, b.start(t))
 	verbs := newSeatTools(bedStore{b}, func(string, any) (json.RawMessage, error) { return json.RawMessage(`{"ok":true}`), nil })
 	propose := func() delivery.PlacementProposal {
 		t.Helper()
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/main_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/main_test.go
index d146cc7..70572f5 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/main_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/main_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ import (
 // 1297/B2a: the buckets the program opens are exactly the manifest's reads and states, as the broker names them
 // (`<module>.<state>` read as the bucket `<module>_<state>`), so it is granted what it reads and reads nothing else.
 func TestOpensWhatItsManifestNames(t *testing.T) {
+	// 1297/B2a: without a credential the program does not start, and says why.
+	if err := run(context.Background(), func(string) string { return "" }, io.Discard); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "MESH_BROKER_FILE") {
+		t.Errorf("run without a credential = %v", err)
+	}
 	raw, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("..", "..", "module.json"))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -105,14 +109,6 @@ func TestOpensWhatItsManifestNames(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// 1297/B2a: without a credential the program does not start, and says why.
-func TestNoCredential(t *testing.T) {
-	err := run(context.Background(), func(string) string { return "" }, io.Discard)
-	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "MESH_BROKER_FILE") {
-		t.Errorf("run without a credential = %v", err)
-	}
-}
-
 // refusingJS opens every bucket but one, which it refuses with err.
 type refusingJS struct {
 	jetstream.JetStream
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/world_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/world_test.go
index ecea239..eb4fa5b 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/world_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/world_test.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ func pull(repo string, number int, modules map[string]delivery.CandidateModule)
 // module with no manifest in the preview as removed, a mesh-sdk member's head, and a module the trunk holds from
 // another repository as defined twice.
 func TestTheChangeOfACandidate(t *testing.T) {
+	theWorldCountsTheValuesAKeyTakes(t)
 	f := fakeManifests{}
 	web := f.add(t, "web", `{"module":"web","version":"2"}`)
 	mail := f.add(t, "mail", `{"module":"mail","version":"1"}`)
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ func TestAManifestFallingBackToAPredefinedKeyIsReadable(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // Review round 1 (items 3 and 4): the world counts the values a key takes, so a have written again after an answer is seen.
-func TestTheWorldCountsTheValuesAKeyTakes(t *testing.T) {
+func theWorldCountsTheValuesAKeyTakes(t *testing.T) {
 	w := newWorld()
 	w.put(delivery.HaveBucket, "ace.web", []byte(`{"v":1}`))
 	w.put(delivery.HaveBucket, "ace.web", []byte(`{"v":1}`))