diff --git a/internal/composer/composer.go b/internal/composer/composer.go
index efd4688..2d97b9a 100644
--- a/internal/composer/composer.go
+++ b/internal/composer/composer.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/go/clients/meshmoduleassignerclient"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/go/seats/meshmoduleassigner"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/clients/meshcatalogclient"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/seats/meshcatalog"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-networking/modules/mesh-wireguard/go/overlay"
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 
 	sdk "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/sdk/composer"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/catalogue"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/keys"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/sdkversion"
 
 	"github.com/novox/mesh-host/internal/compose"
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ func parse(m map[string]Manifest, reads map[string]ManifestRead, verdicts map[st
 		if err != nil {
 			read.Refused = fmt.Sprintf("the manifest of %s does not decode: %v", name, err)
 		} else if raw, ok := verdicts[name]; ok {
-			v, verr := meshcatalogclient.DecodeVerdict(raw)
+			v, verr := caseVerdict(raw)
 			if verr != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("composer: the verdict of %s is not one: %w", name, verr)
 			}
@@ -128,6 +130,28 @@ func parse(m map[string]Manifest, reads map[string]ManifestRead, verdicts map[st
 	return out, nil
 }
 
+// caseVerdict reads a verdict a case carries. It is not the indexer's kept value but the checker's account of it, made
+// from the indexer's modules value: a checker of the trunk writes it with version 0 and no judge, one of the registry
+// milestone with no version and no judge, and the composer of a group's head is asked by the checker that runs. So it is
+// read in the kept value's form at version 0 (or none) and at keys.Version, its judge optional; a later version, a value
+// that does not decode and a state no reader knows are refused, never taken as accepted.
+func caseVerdict(raw json.RawMessage) (meshcatalog.VerdictsByDigestValue, error) {
+	var v meshcatalog.VerdictsByDigestValue
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &v); err != nil {
+		return v, fmt.Errorf("the value does not fit a verdict's shape: %w", err)
+	}
+	if v.V != 0 && v.V != keys.Version {
+		return v, fmt.Errorf("%w: the value is version %d, this reader reads 0 and %d", keys.ErrUnknownVersion, v.V, keys.Version)
+	}
+	switch v.State {
+	case meshcatalogclient.VerdictAccepted, meshcatalogclient.VerdictRefused, meshcatalogclient.VerdictManifestWaits:
+	default:
+		return v, fmt.Errorf("the state %q is none of %s, %s and %s", v.State, meshcatalogclient.VerdictAccepted,
+			meshcatalogclient.VerdictRefused, meshcatalogclient.VerdictManifestWaits)
+	}
+	return v, nil
+}
+
 func runCase(r Request, c Case, depth string) (CaseVerdict, error) {
 	cv := CaseVerdict{Name: c.Name, Manifests: map[string]ManifestRead{}}
 	shelf, err := parse(c.Manifests, cv.Manifests, c.Verdicts)
diff --git a/internal/composer/composer_test.go b/internal/composer/composer_test.go
index bd2e9d6..75cefeb 100644
--- a/internal/composer/composer_test.go
+++ b/internal/composer/composer_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package composer
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-contracts/go/seats/meshmoduleassigner"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/clients/meshcatalogclient"
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-delivery/contracts/go/seats/meshcatalog"
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/catalogue"
+	"git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go/keys"
 	"github.com/novox/mesh-host/internal/compose"
 	"github.com/novox/mesh-host/internal/compose/frombus"
 	"github.com/novox/mesh-host/internal/compose/frombus/frombustest"
@@ -262,4 +264,18 @@ func TestTheComposerTakesTheVerdictsOfItsInput(t *testing.T) {
 		!strings.Contains(got.Refused, "the indexer's judge (src2:j) refused the manifest of xterm: falls back to a key not listed") {
 		t.Fatalf("xterm refused by its verdict: %+v, want refused in the verdict's words", got)
 	}
+	// The verdict as the trunk's checker hands it, version 0 and no judge (group try 1793952957648659842 failed on all
+	// four nodes: "the verdict of f1-circuits is not one: ... the value is version 0"), holds the module too; a later
+	// version is refused.
+	r.Cases[0].Verdicts = map[string]json.RawMessage{"xterm": json.RawMessage(`{"v":0,"module":"xterm","state":"refused","problems":["falls back to a key not listed"],"judge":"","at":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z"}`)}
+	if v, err = Run(r); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("a version-0 verdict of the trunk's checker: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := v.Cases[0].Manifests["xterm"]; got.Accepted || !strings.Contains(got.Refused, "refused the manifest of xterm: falls back") {
+		t.Fatalf("xterm refused by a version-0 verdict: %+v, want refused", got)
+	}
+	r.Cases[0].Verdicts["xterm"] = json.RawMessage(`{"v":2,"module":"xterm","state":"refused","problems":["p"]}`)
+	if _, err = Run(r); !errors.Is(err, keys.ErrUnknownVersion) {
+		t.Fatalf("a version-2 verdict: %v, want keys.ErrUnknownVersion", err)
+	}
 }