diff --git a/internal/agent/agent.go b/internal/agent/agent.go
index 465ee94..09568b6 100644
--- a/internal/agent/agent.go
+++ b/internal/agent/agent.go
@@ -389,6 +389,48 @@ func (a *Agent) others(except string) []delivery.Composed {
 	return out
 }
 
+// heldOut is what an apply or a removal holds out: others, and every module whose own composition the node's bucket holds
+// and the agent does not run yet. A module that left the node's own composition for one of its own keeps its resources
+// until that one is applied, so the node's own apply never removes them in between (issue 1945, live on 2026-10-25:
+// shanks lost systemd-resolved's guard while its composition waited for a credential). The composition its want names,
+// else its newest. Not part of Everything: what has not been applied is not what runs.
+func (a *Agent) heldOut(except string) []delivery.Composed {
+	out := a.others(except)
+	held := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, c := range out {
+		held[c.Module] = true
+	}
+	waiting := map[string]compNow{}
+	for key, c := range a.comps {
+		_, m, fp, isNode, err := delivery.ParseComposedKey(key)
+		if err != nil || isNode || c.Err != nil || m == except || held[m] {
+			continue
+		}
+		if h, ok := a.running[m]; ok && h.Phase != delivery.PhaseRemoved {
+			continue
+		}
+		if w := a.wants[m]; w.Present && !w.Want.Removed && w.Want.FP == fp {
+			waiting[m] = c
+			continue
+		}
+		if w := a.wants[m]; w.Present && !w.Want.Removed && waiting[m].Rev != 0 && waiting[m].C.FP == w.Want.FP {
+			continue
+		}
+		if prev, ok := waiting[m]; !ok || c.Rev > prev.Rev {
+			waiting[m] = c
+		}
+	}
+	names := make([]string, 0, len(waiting))
+	for m := range waiting {
+		names = append(names, m)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(names)
+	for _, m := range names {
+		out = append(out, waiting[m].C)
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
 // Everything is what the node runs: the compositions the agent runs, and the kept declaration's resources for each module
 // the agent does not hold yet. What the node judges its health by, and what the filling, the take act and the judgement
 // of directories read, is built from it.
@@ -457,7 +499,7 @@ func (a *Agent) settleOne(ctx context.Context, module string) {
 		a.mu.Unlock()
 		return // held for a failed backup, and no answer since
 	}
-	others := a.others(module)
+	others := a.heldOut(module)
 	a.mu.Unlock()
 	a.apply(ctx, module, w, comp, others)
 }
@@ -559,7 +601,7 @@ func (a *Agent) remove(ctx context.Context, module string, w wantNow) {
 		a.mu.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
-	others := a.others(module)
+	others := a.heldOut(module)
 	a.mu.Unlock()
 	res := a.env.Remove(ctx, module, others)
 	a.mu.Lock()
diff --git a/internal/agent/agent_test.go b/internal/agent/agent_test.go
index 3b7608a..f5f0596 100644
--- a/internal/agent/agent_test.go
+++ b/internal/agent/agent_test.go
@@ -640,3 +640,39 @@ func TestAHaveWithNoCompositionDefersToTheKeptDeclaration(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("applied %v", got)
 	}
 }
+
+// A module that leaves the node's own composition for a composition of its own keeps its resources until that one is
+// applied: the node's own apply holds out every module whose composition the node's bucket holds and the agent does not
+// run yet (issue 1945, live on 2026-10-25 at 02:32: shanks' node-engine applied a node's own composition that no longer
+// carried systemd-resolved, whose own composition waited for its credential, and removed its guard, so the machine lost
+// its resolver).
+func TestTheNodesOwnApplyHoldsOutAModuleThatMovedToItsOwnComposition(t *testing.T) {
+	b := newBed(t)
+	fp := fpOf("b")
+	// systemd-resolved's own composition is written; no want names it yet.
+	rk, rraw, _ := composition(t, "systemd-resolved", fp, false, file("systemd-resolved", "guard", "g"))
+	b.comps.before(rk, rraw)
+	nk, nraw, ndig := composition(t, NodeModule, "", false)
+	nwk, err := delivery.WantNodeKey(node)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	nwraw, err := delivery.EncodeNodeWant(delivery.NodeWant{Composed: ndig})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	b.comps.before(nk, nraw)
+	b.wants.before(nwk, nwraw)
+	stop := b.run()
+	defer stop()
+	eventually(t, "the node's own not applied", func() bool { return len(b.appliedList()) == 1 })
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	defer b.mu.Unlock()
+	var names []string
+	for _, c := range b.others[0] {
+		names = append(names, c.Module)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(strings.Join(names, ","), "systemd-resolved") {
+		t.Fatalf("the others of the node's own apply were %v: systemd-resolved's resources would be removed", names)
+	}
+}