diff --git a/internal/compose/resolution/proofs_test.go b/internal/compose/resolution/proofs_test.go
index 9774120..cd1396b 100644
--- a/internal/compose/resolution/proofs_test.go
+++ b/internal/compose/resolution/proofs_test.go
@@ -356,6 +356,13 @@ func TestRouteProxysProofsOfAComposition(t *testing.T) {
 	world := mcat.World{Offered: map[string][]mcat.Provider{"route": {{Node: "anchor", At: "anchor.internal", Module: "route-proxy"}}}}
 
 	t.Run("1 route-proxy's manifest composes for a machine", func(t *testing.T) {
+		if root := os.Getenv(beside.Env); root != "" {
+			if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(root, "mesh-networking")); err != nil {
+				// A checker from before novox/hq ADR 0593 places no mesh-networking beside the node-engine: absent, not
+				// wrong, and said aloud. Once it does, a missing route-proxy manifest in it fails below.
+				t.Skipf("NOT JUDGED: mesh-networking is not beside this check in %s=%s; the running checker places none for the node-engine, so route-proxy's manifest is judged only once it does", beside.Env, root)
+			}
+		}
 		root := beside.Dir(t, "mesh-networking")
 		m, err := mcat.ReadTreeManifest(root, filepath.Join(root, "modules", "route-proxy"))
 		if err != nil {