diff --git a/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent_integration_test.go b/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent_integration_test.go
index ba08a53..a175086 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent_integration_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent_integration_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ type itBed struct {
 	mu       sync.Mutex
 	// seatSilent makes the stand-in of the seat mesh-catalog refuse the seat list (it is served from the start otherwise).
 	seatSilent atomic.Bool
+	// seatAsked counts the node's asks of the stand-in seat, answered or refused: the node reached the bus and asked.
+	seatAsked atomic.Int32
 	findings   nats.KeyValue
 }
 
@@ -904,6 +906,7 @@ func (b *itBed) standInSeat() {
 			Seat string `json:"seat"`
 		}
 		_ = json.Unmarshal(m.Data, &q)
+		b.seatAsked.Add(1)
 		var result any
 		switch {
 		case b.seatSilent.Load():
@@ -979,6 +982,17 @@ func TestNatsANodeThatCannotReadTheSeatListActsOnNothingNew(t *testing.T) {
 		defer clock.mu.Unlock()
 		return len(clock.fire) > 0
 	})
+	// A fresh node, nothing applied, reaches the bus and asks the seat while its own composition is held: the read needs
+	// the bus the node composes from and the grant it has from its start, nothing of what the hold keeps back.
+	if b.seatAsked.Load() == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("the fresh node did not ask the seat for its list while its own composition was held")
+	}
+	within(t, 5*time.Second, "the fresh node did not say it holds web and its own composition for the unread list", func() bool {
+		b.mu.Lock()
+		defer b.mu.Unlock()
+		said := strings.Join(b.said, "\n")
+		return strings.Contains(said, selfcompose.WaitsForTheSeatListOwn) && strings.Contains(said, selfcompose.WaitsForTheSeatList)
+	})
 	if b.file("web") != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("the node applied web before it read the seat list: %q", b.file("web"))
 	}