diff --git a/internal/selfcompose/selfcompose_test.go b/internal/selfcompose/selfcompose_test.go
index fe2dd79..ba3a246 100644
--- a/internal/selfcompose/selfcompose_test.go
+++ b/internal/selfcompose/selfcompose_test.go
@@ -431,6 +431,19 @@ func TestTheNodeComposesItsWantsFromTheBus(t *testing.T) {
 	k, _ := delivery.PlacementCandidateKey("same", "n1")
 	sb.del(delivery.PlacementCandidatesBucket, k)
 	waitFor("the deleted group's answer stays", func(a map[string]delivery.CandidateAnswer) bool { _, ok := a["same"]; return !ok && len(a) == 3 })
+
+	// Review of L2b, round 2: a watch ends while the link stays; a group's key is deleted before the shadow watches
+	// again. The new run reads afresh, so that group is no longer answered.
+	sb.missing(delivery.PlacementCandidatesBucket, true)
+	sb.end(delivery.ModulesBucket)
+	dropsKey, _ := delivery.PlacementCandidateKey("drops", "n1")
+	sb.del(delivery.PlacementCandidatesBucket, dropsKey)
+	time.Sleep(30 * time.Millisecond)
+	sb.missing(delivery.PlacementCandidatesBucket, false)
+	waitFor("a group deleted while the shadow was down is still answered", func(a map[string]delivery.CandidateAnswer) bool {
+		_, ok := a["drops"]
+		return !ok && len(a) == 2
+	})
 }
 
 // patternBus is a bus whose every watch gets the updates of its bucket matching its pattern, as the bus's own watches
@@ -439,6 +452,26 @@ type patternBus struct {
 	mu      sync.Mutex
 	watches []patternWatch
 	absent  map[string]bool
+	// kv is each bucket's keys now; once replay is set, a new watch gets those matching it and then Caught, as a watch
+	// of the bus's own does.
+	kv     map[string]map[string]agent.Update
+	replay bool
+}
+
+// end ends every watch of a bucket, as a watch the bus drops, and from then on each new watch replays what is there.
+func (b *patternBus) end(bucket string) {
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	defer b.mu.Unlock()
+	b.replay = true
+	kept := b.watches[:0]
+	for _, w := range b.watches {
+		if w.bucket == bucket {
+			close(w.ch)
+			continue
+		}
+		kept = append(kept, w)
+	}
+	b.watches = kept
 }
 
 // missing makes a bucket's watch fail, as one the bus holds no state for, or work again.
@@ -466,6 +499,14 @@ func (b *patternBus) watch(_ context.Context, bucket, pattern string) (<-chan ag
 	}
 	w := patternWatch{bucket: bucket, pattern: pattern, ch: make(chan agent.Update, 64)}
 	b.watches = append(b.watches, w)
+	if b.replay {
+		for key, u := range b.kv[bucket] {
+			if matches(pattern, key) {
+				w.ch <- u
+			}
+		}
+		w.ch <- agent.Update{Caught: true}
+	}
 	return w.ch, nil
 }
 
@@ -485,9 +526,25 @@ func matches(pattern, key string) bool {
 func (b *patternBus) send(bucket string, u agent.Update) {
 	b.mu.Lock()
 	defer b.mu.Unlock()
+	if !u.Caught {
+		if b.kv == nil {
+			b.kv = map[string]map[string]agent.Update{}
+		}
+		if b.kv[bucket] == nil {
+			b.kv[bucket] = map[string]agent.Update{}
+		}
+		if u.Deleted {
+			delete(b.kv[bucket], u.Key)
+		} else {
+			b.kv[bucket][u.Key] = u
+		}
+	}
 	for _, w := range b.watches {
 		if w.bucket == bucket && (u.Caught || matches(w.pattern, u.Key)) {
-			w.ch <- u
+			select {
+			case w.ch <- u:
+			default: // a watch of a run that ended reads no more
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/selfcompose/shadow.go b/internal/selfcompose/shadow.go
index cef381c..2bbdb1d 100644
--- a/internal/selfcompose/shadow.go
+++ b/internal/selfcompose/shadow.go
@@ -78,6 +78,14 @@ func (s *Shadow) Keep(ctx context.Context, backoff func(try int) time.Duration)
 
 // Run answers until ctx ends or an input's watch ends.
 func (s *Shadow) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
+	// Each run watches afresh and starts from nothing read: what changed while it was down (a candidate key deleted)
+	// is then not missed, and the watches of a run before are not left open (review of L2b, round 2).
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	defer cancel()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	s.candidates = map[string]map[string]candidateKey{}
+	s.c = New(s.c.env)
+	s.mu.Unlock()
 	c := s.c
 	node := c.env.Node
 	ins := []input{