diff --git a/internal/agent/agent_test.go b/internal/agent/agent_test.go
index 87a4a2b..082a3fe 100644
--- a/internal/agent/agent_test.go
+++ b/internal/agent/agent_test.go
@@ -1605,25 +1605,21 @@ func TestTheNodesOwnCompositionIsAppliedWhenItDiffersAndARecordMoveWaitsForAYes(
 	eventually(t, "the wait for the composer was not said", func() bool { return saidCount() == 1 })
 	// Settled again by another want's change, it is neither said nor told again.
 	other, oraw, _ := unsigned("ghost", fpOf("8"), file("ghost", "x", "1"))
-	settledGhost := func() (n int) {
-		b.mu.Lock()
-		defer b.mu.Unlock()
-		for _, m := range b.settled {
-			if m == "ghost" {
-				n++
-			}
-		}
-		return n
-	}
-	settledBefore := settledGhost()
 	b.comps.put(other, oraw)
-	eventually(t, "ghost was not settled again", func() bool { return settledGhost() > settledBefore })
-	eventually(t, "the composer was not told", func() bool { toldMu.Lock(); defer toldMu.Unlock(); return len(told) == 1 })
+	eventually(t, "ghost's other composition was not taken", func() bool {
+		b.ag.mu.Lock()
+		defer b.ag.mu.Unlock()
+		_, ok := b.ag.comps[other]
+		return ok
+	})
+	// What is settled after it: web's want moves on, so ghost's settle, queued before it, has run.
+	want("web", fp, "")
+	eventually(t, "the composer was not told once", func() bool { toldMu.Lock(); defer toldMu.Unlock(); return slices.Contains(told, "ghost@"+fpOf("9")) })
 	if _, err := b.ag.Composition(context.Background(), "ghost", "", false); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "waits for the composer: no manifest in the composer's picture") {
 		t.Errorf("the composition read of ghost says %v, want why the composer made none", err)
 	}
 	toldMu.Lock()
-	if saidCount() != 1 || len(told) != 1 || told[0] != "ghost@"+fpOf("9") {
+	if n := slices.Index(told, "ghost@"+fpOf("9")); saidCount() != 1 || n < 0 || slices.Contains(told[n+1:], "ghost@"+fpOf("9")) {
 		t.Errorf("said %d times, told %q; want once and ghost told once", saidCount(), told)
 	}
 	toldMu.Unlock()