diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/go.mod b/modules/mesh-grants/go.mod
index 93d9d03..fc070dd 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/go.mod
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/go.mod
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ module mesh-grants
 go 1.26.0
 
 require (
-	git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.14-0.20261030001116-2da0de75c3f0
+	git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.14-0.20261030143623-83cf97b690f5
 	github.com/nats-io/nats.go v1.54.0
 )
 
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/go.sum b/modules/mesh-grants/go.sum
index 05084f7..c582b63 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/go.sum
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/go.sum
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.14-0.20261030001116-2da0de75c3f0 h1:lKU3HjNXGiVbLW2hUgFjU/TMTUYMlNnnmZxG5T7biQA=
-git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.14-0.20261030001116-2da0de75c3f0/go.mod h1:ouERNpZizzwZ0HLEtAypsY9FR20FyUgUYRni6J7kVCY=
+git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.14-0.20261030143623-83cf97b690f5 h1:hyyaB1rU7uzlQZvWAxZ9P6pL/4LCFpOVXMRgn9F7fic=
+git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.14-0.20261030143623-83cf97b690f5/go.mod h1:ouERNpZizzwZ0HLEtAypsY9FR20FyUgUYRni6J7kVCY=
 github.com/antithesishq/antithesis-sdk-go v0.7.0-default-no-op h1:Z/MZK75wC/NSrkgqeNIa7jexam9uWzhLmFTSCPI/kn0=
 github.com/antithesishq/antithesis-sdk-go v0.7.0-default-no-op/go.mod h1:FQyySiasQQM8735Ddel3MRojmy4dA1IqCeyJ5jmPMbI=
 github.com/google/go-tpm v0.9.8 h1:slArAR9Ft+1ybZu0lBwpSmpwhRXaa85hWtMinMyRAWo=
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go b/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
index 7a9725e..add0e27 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/grants_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package manifest
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"maps"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/catalogue"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/delivery"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/health"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/membership"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/outward"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/seal"
 
@@ -1296,7 +1299,7 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		ms, _ := p.MembershipOf("a", "mod-x")
-		if mo, _ := ms.(map[string]any); !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprint(mo["published"]), "last_pass") || mo["composed"] == nil {
+		if mo, _ := ms.(map[string]any); !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprint(mo["published"]), "membership:") || mo["last_pass"] == nil || mo["composed"] == nil {
 			t.Errorf("membership = %v", ms)
 		}
 		gr, _ := p.Grants("mod-x")
@@ -1727,7 +1730,7 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 				return m
 			}, true, "", ""},
 			{"a change that drops verified-sender its holder still asks for is not published, and named", verified, false, "channel telegram verified-sender of a/mod-x", telegramClaim},
-			{"a change that drops verified-sender its holder no longer asks for is published", verified, true, `"published":"published"`, `[{"name":"channel","scope":"mesh","kind":"telegram"}]`},
+			{"a change that drops verified-sender its holder no longer asks for is published", verified, true, "published:published", `[{"name":"channel","scope":"mesh","kind":"telegram"}]`},
 			{"a change that takes the last holder from a seat a placed module claims is not published, the seat named", func(m map[string]any) map[string]any {
 				m["seats"] = []any{map[string]any{"seat": brokerName, "verb": brokerVerb, "subject": "mesh.seat." + brokerName + ".tool." + brokerVerb}}
 				return m
@@ -1755,25 +1758,38 @@ func TestGrants(t *testing.T) {
 					b.stream = map[string][]byte{"mesh.assignment." + key: raw}
 					b.seqs = map[string]uint64{"mesh.assignment." + key: 4}
 				}
-				res := partOn(b).Compose()
+				res := partOn(b).Pass()
 				if got := slices.Contains(res.Published, key); got != row.published {
 					t.Fatalf("published %v, not published %v", res.Published, res.NotPublished)
 				}
+				// The state holds the bare membership the assignments stream carries, through mesh-sdk's codec, and
+				// only one published (issue 774); what became of it is the kept pass's, which grants_membership reads.
+				state, _, inState, _ := b.ownGet(grants.StateMemberships, key)
+				ms, _ := partOn(b).MembershipOf("a", "mod-x")
+				pass := fmt.Sprint(ms.(map[string]any)["last_pass"])
 				if row.published {
 					if row.names == "" && row.last != nil && !strings.Contains(string(b.stream["mesh.assignment."+key]), "10.0.0.1") {
 						t.Errorf("the private network of the last membership is not carried: %s", b.stream["mesh.assignment."+key])
 					}
-					if raw, _, _, _ := b.ownGet(grants.StateMemberships, key); !strings.Contains(string(raw), row.names) {
-						t.Errorf("the pass does not name %q: %s", row.names, raw)
+					got, err := membership.DecodeGrantsMembership(state)
+					var sent membership.Membership
+					_ = json.Unmarshal(b.stream["mesh.assignment."+key], &sent)
+					if err != nil || !reflect.DeepEqual(got, sent) || bytes.Contains(state, []byte(`"membership"`)) {
+						t.Errorf("the state is not the bare membership published (%v): %s", err, state)
+					}
+					if !strings.Contains(pass, row.names) {
+						t.Errorf("the pass does not name %q: %s", row.names, pass)
 					}
 					return
 				}
+				if inState {
+					t.Errorf("a membership held back reached the state: %s", state)
+				}
 				said := strings.Join(res.NotPublished, "\n")
 				if !strings.Contains(said, grants.ShadowDifference) || !strings.Contains(said, row.names) {
 					t.Errorf("the loss is not named: %s", said)
 				}
-				ms, _ := partOn(b).MembershipOf("a", "mod-x")
-				if !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprint(ms), row.names) {
+				if !strings.Contains(pass, row.names) {
 					t.Errorf("grants_membership does not name what would be lost: %v", ms)
 				}
 			})
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
index 38da1f4..1e83f5c 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/part.go
@@ -106,8 +106,12 @@ type Result struct {
 	MembershipsWritten int           `json:"memberships_written"`
 	Published          []string      `json:"published,omitempty"`
 	NotPublished       []string      `json:"not_published,omitempty"`
-	Assertions         int           `json:"assertions"`
-	AssertionsWritten  int           `json:"assertions_written"`
+	// Retired is, by `<node>.<module>`, the seat verbs its last published membership served that mesh-sdk's seat
+	// catalogue no longer has (Membership.Retired): the pass keeps it, since the state memberships holds the bare
+	// membership alone (issue 774).
+	Retired           map[string][]string `json:"retired,omitempty"`
+	Assertions        int                 `json:"assertions"`
+	AssertionsWritten int                 `json:"assertions_written"`
 	// Asserted is each module whose declared streams this pass created, `<module> at <digest>: created …`, and
 	// NotAsserted each creation refused, `<module> <stream>: <why>` (issue 1790).
 	Asserted    []string `json:"asserted,omitempty"`
@@ -320,9 +324,19 @@ func (p *Part) Compose() Result {
 		case m.Published != MembershipUnchanged:
 			res.NotPublished = append(res.NotPublished, key+": "+m.Published)
 		}
-		data, _ := json.Marshal(m)
-		if p.changed(&res, StateMemberships, key, data) {
-			res.MembershipsWritten++
+		if len(m.Retired) > 0 {
+			if res.Retired == nil {
+				res.Retired = map[string][]string{}
+			}
+			res.Retired[key] = m.Retired
+		}
+		// The state holds the bare membership as the assignments stream carries it, through mesh-sdk's one codec (issue
+		// 774): only one published now or unchanged, so a membership held back never reaches a reader by this way. What
+		// became of each at this pass is the pass's own (Published, NotPublished, Retired), kept with it (Pass).
+		if now || m.Published == MembershipUnchanged {
+			if p.changed(&res, StateMemberships, key, membership.EncodeGrantsMembership(m.Membership)) {
+				res.MembershipsWritten++
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	held, heldErr := HeldStreams(p.Call)
diff --git a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/tools.go b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/tools.go
index defb2f5..3c0bb57 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/tools.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-grants/internal/grants/tools.go
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/delivery"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/membership"
 )
 
 // The part's tools, as its manifest lists them. Module tools in this milestone: a `mesh-*` seat must be in mesh-sdk's own
@@ -133,16 +135,52 @@ func (p *Part) MembershipOf(node, module string) (any, error) {
 		}
 		out["composed"] = why
 	}
-	if raw, rev, found, err := p.Store.Get(StateMemberships, node+"."+module); err != nil {
+	// The state holds the bare membership last published (mesh-sdk's codec, issue 774); what became of it at the last
+	// pass is the pass's, kept in user-list at KeyPass.
+	key := node + "." + module
+	if raw, rev, found, err := p.Store.Get(StateMemberships, key); err != nil {
 		out["published"] = "not readable: " + err.Error()
-	} else if found {
-		out["published"] = map[string]any{"revision": rev, "last_pass": json.RawMessage(raw)}
+	} else if !found {
+		out["published"] = "no pass of the part's process has published it yet"
+	} else if was, err := membership.DecodeGrantsMembership(raw); err != nil {
+		out["published"] = fmt.Sprintf("revision %d is not readable: %v", rev, err)
 	} else {
-		out["published"] = "no pass of the part's process has composed it yet"
+		out["published"] = map[string]any{"revision": rev, "digest": digestOf(was), "membership": was}
 	}
+	out["last_pass"] = p.passOf(key)
 	return out, nil
 }
 
+// passOf is what the last pass the part's process kept says of one membership: published, unchanged or why not, and
+// the seat verbs it dropped as retired.
+func (p *Part) passOf(key string) any {
+	raw, rev, found, err := p.Store.Get(StateUserList, KeyPass)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "not readable: " + err.Error()
+	}
+	if !found {
+		return "no pass of the part's process has been kept yet"
+	}
+	var res Result
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &res); err != nil {
+		return "not readable: " + err.Error()
+	}
+	said := MembershipUnchanged
+	if slices.Contains(res.Published, key) {
+		said = MembershipPublished
+	}
+	for _, n := range res.NotPublished {
+		if k, why, _ := strings.Cut(n, ": "); k == key {
+			said = why
+		}
+	}
+	out := map[string]any{"revision": rev, "published": said}
+	if r := res.Retired[key]; len(r) > 0 {
+		out["retired"] = r
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
 // Held answers every membership the part's process held back at its last pass, each `<node>.<module>` with why (what
 // publishing would lose), from the pass it keeps (issue 1945).
 func (p *Part) Held() (any, error) {