diff --git a/cmd/mesh-host/backup_event_test.go b/cmd/mesh-host/backup_event_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a773cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/mesh-host/backup_event_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func backupEvent(node, module string, ok bool, at time.Time, why string) []byte {
+	raw, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{"node": node, "module": module, "ok": ok, "at": at, "error": why})
+	return raw
+}
+
+// A backup is done when the holder says so for this node and module, held on its words when it says it failed, and held
+// when it says nothing within the bound; another node's or module's event, or one from before the ask, is not the answer
+// (R6-A A5, novox/hq ADR 0429 §14).
+func TestABackupEndsWhenItsEventSaysSo(t *testing.T) {
+	since := time.Now()
+	run := func(within time.Duration, events ...[]byte) (done bool, words string) {
+		ch := make(chan []byte, len(events))
+		for _, e := range events {
+			ch <- e
+		}
+		got := awaitBackup(context.Background(), ch, "n1", "db", since, within)
+		return got.Done, got.Words
+	}
+	if done, _ := run(time.Second,
+		backupEvent("n2", "db", true, since, ""), backupEvent("n1", "web", true, since, ""),
+		backupEvent("n1", "db", false, since.Add(-time.Hour), "an old night"),
+		backupEvent("n1", "db", true, since.Add(time.Second), "")); !done {
+		t.Error("the event of this node and module was not the answer")
+	}
+	if done, words := run(time.Second, backupEvent("n1", "db", false, since, "the repository is locked")); done ||
+		!strings.Contains(words, "repository is locked") {
+		t.Errorf("a failed backup: done=%v words=%q", done, words)
+	}
+	if done, words := run(50 * time.Millisecond); done || !strings.Contains(words, "did not say it was done") {
+		t.Errorf("silence within the bound: done=%v words=%q", done, words)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent.go b/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent.go
index afa82ad..a0dc79c 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent.go
@@ -89,52 +89,61 @@ func shorten(s string) string {
 	return s[:most-1] + "…"
 }
 
-// backupWithin is how long a backup is given from its ask to say it is done (ADR 0429 §14), and backupPollEvery how
-// soon the holder is asked again how it went while it works.
-var (
-	backupWithin    = 10 * time.Minute
-	backupPollEvery = 5 * time.Second
-)
+// backupWithin is how long a backup is given from its ask to say it is done (ADR 0429 §14).
+var backupWithin = 10 * time.Minute
 
-// backupNode asks the holder of node-backup on this node to back a module up now, and waits for it to say how it went:
-// the holder answers when it has started, and its `backed-up` says the module's last night.
+// backedUpEvent is where the holder of node-backup says a backup taken by hand ended, also one that could not start.
+const backedUpEvent = "mesh.mod.restic.event.backed-up"
+
+// backupNode asks the holder of node-backup on this node to back a module up now, and waits for its event to say how it
+// went: the holder answers `now` when it has started, and says `backed-up` when the backup ends.
 func backupNode(session *link.Session) func(ctx context.Context, module string) agent.Backup {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, module string) agent.Backup {
+		// Heard before the ask, so an event that comes at once is not lost.
+		events, stop, err := session.Hear(backedUpEvent)
+		if err != nil {
+			return agent.Backup{Words: "the end of the backup cannot be heard: " + err.Error()}
+		}
+		defer stop()
 		asked := time.Now()
 		if _, err := session.AskSeat(ctx, "node-backup", "now", map[string]any{"module": module}, 30*time.Second); err != nil {
 			return agent.Backup{Words: err.Error()}
 		}
-		deadline := asked.Add(backupWithin)
-		for {
-			select {
-			case <-ctx.Done():
-				return agent.Backup{Words: "the node agent was stopped while the backup ran"}
-			case <-time.After(backupPollEvery):
+		return awaitBackup(ctx, events, session.Membership.Node, module, asked, backupWithin)
+	}
+}
+
+// awaitBackup waits for the event that says the backup of a module on this node ended, within the bound: done when it
+// says ok, held on its words when it does not, and held when it says nothing within the bound. An event of another node
+// or module, or from before the ask, is not the answer.
+func awaitBackup(ctx context.Context, events <-chan []byte, node, module string, since time.Time, within time.Duration) agent.Backup {
+	bound := time.NewTimer(within)
+	defer bound.Stop()
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return agent.Backup{Words: "the node agent was stopped while the backup ran"}
+		case <-bound.C:
+			return agent.Backup{Words: fmt.Sprintf("the backup did not say it was done within %s", within)}
+		case raw := <-events:
+			var e struct {
+				Node   string    `json:"node"`
+				Module string    `json:"module"`
+				OK     bool      `json:"ok"`
+				At     time.Time `json:"at"`
+				Error  string    `json:"error"`
 			}
-			raw, err := session.AskSeat(ctx, "node-backup", "backed-up", map[string]any{"module": module}, 10*time.Second)
-			if err == nil {
-				var read []struct {
-					Module    string `json:"module"`
-					LastNight *struct {
-						OK    bool      `json:"ok"`
-						At    time.Time `json:"at"`
-						Error string    `json:"error"`
-					} `json:"lastNight"`
-				}
-				if json.Unmarshal(raw, &read) == nil {
-					for _, m := range read {
-						if m.Module == module && m.LastNight != nil && m.LastNight.At.After(asked) {
-							if m.LastNight.OK {
-								return agent.Backup{Done: true}
-							}
-							return agent.Backup{Words: "the backup failed: " + m.LastNight.Error}
-						}
-					}
-				}
+			if json.Unmarshal(raw, &e) != nil || e.Node != node || e.Module != module || e.At.Before(since.Add(-time.Second)) {
+				continue
 			}
-			if time.Now().After(deadline) {
-				return agent.Backup{Words: fmt.Sprintf("the backup did not say it was done within %s", backupWithin)}
+			if e.OK {
+				return agent.Backup{Done: true}
 			}
+			words := "the backup failed"
+			if e.Error != "" {
+				words += ": " + e.Error
+			}
+			return agent.Backup{Words: words}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent_integration_test.go b/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent_integration_test.go
index df7f1d9..f35a722 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent_integration_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-host/nodeagent_integration_test.go
@@ -230,32 +230,19 @@ func TestNatsAWantAndItsCompositionAreAppliedWithinASecond(t *testing.T) {
 // module (nothing applied, the have says held with the backup's words); when its want then says skip, it is applied.
 func TestNatsADataModuleAsksItsBackupFirstAndIsHeldWhenItFails(t *testing.T) {
 	b := newItBed(t)
-	backupPollEvery = 20 * time.Millisecond
 	var mu sync.Mutex
 	var asked []string
 	var onDiskWhenAsked string
-	var nightOK bool
-	var at time.Time
 	if _, err := b.conn.Subscribe("mesh.seat.node-backup.tool.now."+itNode, func(m *nats.Msg) {
 		mu.Lock()
 		asked = append(asked, "now")
 		onDiskWhenAsked = b.file("db")
-		at = time.Now()
 		mu.Unlock()
 		_ = m.Respond([]byte(`{"result":{"started":"db"}}`))
-	}); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	if _, err := b.conn.Subscribe("mesh.seat.node-backup.tool.backed-up."+itNode, func(m *nats.Msg) {
-		mu.Lock()
-		defer mu.Unlock()
-		if at.IsZero() {
-			_ = m.Respond([]byte(`{"result":[]}`))
-			return
-		}
-		night, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{"module": "db", "lastNight": map[string]any{"ok": nightOK,
-			"at": time.Now().UTC(), "error": "restic: the repository is locked"}})
-		_ = m.Respond([]byte(`{"result":[` + string(night) + `]}`))
+		// The holder says the backup ended on its event.
+		ev, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{"node": itNode, "module": "db", "ok": false, "at": time.Now().UTC(),
+			"error": "restic: the repository is locked"})
+		_ = b.conn.Publish(backedUpEvent, ev)
 	}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/link/watch.go b/internal/link/watch.go
index 8b1c123..0a78e6e 100644
--- a/internal/link/watch.go
+++ b/internal/link/watch.go
@@ -127,3 +127,50 @@ func (q *Session) WhenLinked(ctx context.Context) (context.Context, context.Canc
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// EventBus is a link that can hear an event on a subject of core NATS: the node agent waits for a backup's end with it,
+// and never polls.
+type EventBus interface {
+	// Hear yields the payloads published on the subject until stop is called or the link ends.
+	Hear(subject string) (events <-chan []byte, stop func(), err error)
+}
+
+func (b OverNATS) Hear(subject string) (<-chan []byte, func(), error) {
+	out := make(chan []byte, 16)
+	sub, err := b.Conn.Subscribe(subject, func(m *nats.Msg) {
+		select {
+		case out <- m.Data:
+		default:
+		}
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	if err := b.Conn.Flush(); err != nil {
+		_ = sub.Unsubscribe()
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	return out, func() { _ = sub.Unsubscribe() }, nil
+}
+
+func (l *natsLink) Hear(subject string) (<-chan []byte, func(), error) {
+	return OverNATS{Conn: l.conn, JS: l.js}.Hear(subject)
+}
+
+var (
+	_ EventBus = OverNATS{}
+	_ EventBus = (*natsLink)(nil)
+)
+
+// Hear listens for an event on the link open now, from before the caller asks for what it waits on.
+func (q *Session) Hear(subject string) (<-chan []byte, func(), error) {
+	q.init()
+	q.mu.Lock()
+	bus := q.bus
+	q.mu.Unlock()
+	h, ok := bus.(EventBus)
+	if bus == nil || !ok {
+		return nil, nil, ErrNoLink
+	}
+	return h.Hear(subject)
+}
diff --git a/module.json b/module.json
index d92aa6c..fcb6b77 100644
--- a/module.json
+++ b/module.json
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
       }
     ]
   },
+  "consumes": [
+    "restic.backed-up"
+  ],
   "config": {
     "operator-signers": {
       "type": "string",
diff --git a/packaging/operator_keys_test.go b/packaging/operator_keys_test.go
index 723cd2b..5935047 100644
--- a/packaging/operator_keys_test.go
+++ b/packaging/operator_keys_test.go
@@ -52,3 +52,20 @@ func TestTheManifestDeclaresTheOperatorKeysFileFedByASetting(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	t.Fatal("module.json declares no operator-keys file")
 }
+
+// The node agent hears the end of a backup on the event of node-backup's holder, so the manifest consumes it.
+func TestTheManifestConsumesTheBackupEvent(t *testing.T) {
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile("../module.json")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var m struct {
+		Consumes []string `json:"consumes"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(m.Consumes) != 1 || m.Consumes[0] != "restic.backed-up" {
+		t.Fatalf("consumes %v", m.Consumes)
+	}
+}