diff --git a/internal/link/have.go b/internal/link/have.go
index caa01c1..35ec1c0 100644
--- a/internal/link/have.go
+++ b/internal/link/have.go
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@ type haveState struct {
 	mu      sync.Mutex
 	modules map[string]ModuleFact
 	health  map[string]delivery.Health
-	node    *delivery.HaveNode
+	// looked says a look's health was taken: a running module it judges no resource of then has nothing that could be
+	// down, and is ok (issue 1945).
+	looked bool
+	node   *delivery.HaveNode
 	// nodeComposed is the digest of the node's own composition it runs (ADR 0539 §9), kept beside the node's facts.
 	nodeComposed string
 	// written is the build of each module this node-engine wrote a have key for and that the declaration it applied
@@ -110,7 +113,7 @@ func (q *Session) noteApply(r Report) bool {
 		s.mu.Lock()
 		defer s.mu.Unlock()
 		if r.Health != nil {
-			s.health = moduleHealths(r.Health)
+			s.health, s.looked = moduleHealths(r.Health), true
 		}
 		n := nodeFacts(r)
 		s.node = &n
@@ -152,7 +155,7 @@ func (q *Session) noteApply(r Report) bool {
 	}
 	s.modules = next
 	if r.Health != nil {
-		s.health = moduleHealths(r.Health)
+		s.health, s.looked = moduleHealths(r.Health), true
 	}
 	n := nodeFacts(r)
 	s.node = &n
@@ -166,20 +169,20 @@ func (q *Session) noteHealth(h Health) bool {
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 	next := moduleHealths(&h)
 	changed := false
-	for module := range s.modules {
+	for module, f := range s.modules {
 		want, ok := next[module]
 		if !ok {
-			want = delivery.HealthUnknown
+			want = nothingJudged(f, true)
 		}
 		have, known := s.health[module]
 		if !known {
-			have = delivery.HealthUnknown
+			have = nothingJudged(f, s.looked)
 		}
 		if have != want {
 			changed = true
 		}
 	}
-	s.health = next
+	s.health, s.looked = next, true
 	return changed
 }
 
@@ -232,6 +235,8 @@ func (q *Session) writeHaves(ctx context.Context, bus Bus) {
 		}
 		if got, known := s.health[module]; known {
 			h.Health = got
+		} else {
+			h.Health = nothingJudged(f, s.looked)
 		}
 		key, err := delivery.HaveKey(node, module)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -452,3 +457,12 @@ func (q *Session) ReadHave(ctx context.Context, module string) (delivery.Have, b
 	}
 	return h, true
 }
+
+// nothingJudged is the health of a module a look judged no resource of: ok when it was looked at and the module applied
+// and runs (nothing of it could be down), unknown otherwise.
+func nothingJudged(f ModuleFact, looked bool) delivery.Health {
+	if looked && !f.Failed && (f.Phase == "" || f.Phase == string(delivery.PhaseRunning)) {
+		return delivery.HealthOK
+	}
+	return delivery.HealthUnknown
+}
diff --git a/internal/link/have_test.go b/internal/link/have_test.go
index 5402d54..a16b840 100644
--- a/internal/link/have_test.go
+++ b/internal/link/have_test.go
@@ -498,3 +498,26 @@ func TestAnAppliedModulesHaveNamesTheFingerprintAndTheDigestAndFollowsItsHealth(
 		t.Fatalf("the node key: %+v %v", n, err)
 	}
 }
+
+// A module applied and running that has nothing long-running to judge is ok once the engine has looked: there is nothing
+// of it that could be down. Unknown kept it from ever being healthy, so the assigner's canary rule held every other node
+// of mesh-host back for good (issue 1945, live on 2026-10-25: ace's have of mesh-host said unknown, and novox and shanks
+// never got the new node-engine). A failed one stays failed, and before any look it is unknown.
+func TestAModuleWithNothingToJudgeIsOkOnceLookedAt(t *testing.T) {
+	l := newHaveLink()
+	q, _ := aHaveQueue(l)
+	q.SayFacts(context.Background(), Report{Modules: []ModuleFact{{Module: "mesh-host", Build: "b"}, {Module: "web", Build: "b"},
+		{Module: "broken", Build: "b", Failed: true, Detail: "x"}}})
+	if h := l.have(t, "n1.mesh-host").Health; h != delivery.HealthUnknown {
+		t.Fatalf("before any look: %s", h)
+	}
+	if !q.SayHealth(context.Background(), *healthOf(map[string]string{"web": StateHealthy})) {
+		t.Fatal("not said")
+	}
+	if h := l.have(t, "n1.mesh-host").Health; h != delivery.HealthOK {
+		t.Fatalf("a running module with nothing to judge after a look: %s", h)
+	}
+	if h := l.have(t, "n1.broken").Health; h == delivery.HealthOK {
+		t.Fatalf("a failed module was said ok")
+	}
+}