diff --git a/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent.go b/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent.go
index 6a9ff5b..e7d8642 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent.go
@@ -593,10 +593,12 @@ func nodeAgent(ctx context.Context, opts options, signer ed25519.PublicKey, trus
 		// composer hands nothing new meanwhile, and the node says it has waited five minutes (novox/hq ADR 0636 §1).
 		seats, err := startSeatList(run, session, node, say)
 		if err != nil {
-			say(err.Error())
+			// No reader is no gate that lets everything through: the node acts on nothing new, as one that waits does.
+			say(err.Error() + "; the node composes nothing new until it is started again and reads the list (novox/hq ADR 0636 §1)")
 		}
 		hooks := composerHooks{
-			seatList: seats,
+			seatList:       seats,
+			seatListFailed: err != nil,
 			running: func() []compositions.Composed {
 				if now := own.get(); now != nil {
 					return runsAsWritten(now.Everything(), opts.state)
@@ -639,6 +641,7 @@ func nodeAgent(ctx context.Context, opts options, signer ed25519.PublicKey, trus
 		// its own key, `<node>.node`, under candidates.
 		shadowHooks := hooks
 		shadowHooks.refused, shadowHooks.kept, shadowHooks.certify, shadowHooks.seatList = nil, nil, nil, nil
+		shadowHooks.seatListFailed = false
 		shadowEnv := composerEnv(session, node, say, shadowHooks)
 		shadow := selfcompose.NewShadow(shadowEnv,
 			func(ctx context.Context, answers map[string]nodeengine.CandidateAnswer) {
@@ -994,6 +997,8 @@ type composerHooks struct {
 	certify        func(ctx context.Context) error
 	// seatList is this run's reader of the seat list: the composer hands nothing new until it was read (ADR 0636 §1).
 	seatList *seatListState
+	// seatListFailed says the reader could not start: the composer then holds like a reader that waits (selfcompose.Unread).
+	seatListFailed bool
 }
 
 // selfComposer is the node's own composer: it composes what the seat's placement places on the node, and nothing while
@@ -1047,6 +1052,8 @@ func composerEnv(session *link.Session, node string, say func(string), hooks com
 		VaultAuthority: hooks.vaultAuthority, Certify: hooks.certify}
 	if hooks.seatList != nil {
 		env.SeatList, env.SeatListChanged = hooks.seatList.reader, hooks.seatList.changed
+	} else if hooks.seatListFailed {
+		env.SeatList = selfcompose.Unread{}
 	}
 	return env
 }
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-host/seatlist_unread_test.go b/cmd/mesh-host/seatlist_unread_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef6c120
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/mesh-host/seatlist_unread_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/novox/mesh-host/internal/selfcompose"
+)
+
+// ADR 0636 §1: when the node's reader of the seat list could not start, the composer is gated by a reader that never
+// allows, where a missing reader would let the node act on everything; the shadow, which applies nothing, stays ungated.
+func TestAReaderThatCouldNotStartHoldsTheComposer(t *testing.T) {
+	failed := composerEnv(nil, "n1", func(string) {}, composerHooks{seatListFailed: true})
+	if failed.SeatList == nil || failed.SeatList.MayAct() || failed.SeatList.MayAct("node-engine") {
+		t.Fatalf("the composer of a node whose reader did not start is gated by %v, want a gate that allows nothing", failed.SeatList)
+	}
+	if _, ok := failed.SeatList.(selfcompose.Unread); !ok {
+		t.Errorf("gate is %T", failed.SeatList)
+	}
+	if got := composerEnv(nil, "n1", func(string) {}, composerHooks{}).SeatList; got != nil {
+		t.Errorf("a composer with no reader asked for gates by %v, want none (the shadow)", got)
+	}
+}