diff --git a/go/buildstep/askrun.go b/go/buildstep/askrun.go
index f1ef95b..c9fa172 100644
--- a/go/buildstep/askrun.go
+++ b/go/buildstep/askrun.go
@@ -228,8 +228,10 @@ func (s AskSteps) level(ctx context.Context, job delivery.CheckJob, level string
 		_ = json.Unmarshal(r, &t)
 		return t.Passed, nil
 	}
-	// Every test step of the level runs, also after one that did not pass, so one check names every failing test of the
-	// level and not only the first (issue 1921); the level as a whole passes only when each of its steps did.
+	// The packages (or Node directories) whose tests the change touches run first, and a failure among them ends the level
+	// there, so a change's own failing test is answered without the rest of the suite (issue 1289; ADR 0444). Past them every
+	// test step of the level runs, also after one that did not pass, so one check names every failing test of the rest of
+	// the level and not only the first (issue 1921); the level passes only when each of its steps did.
 	all := true
 	if s.Digest == nil {
 		// A module with no digest (Node) tests each module directory of the tree, those whose tests changed first.
@@ -244,6 +246,9 @@ func (s AskSteps) level(ctx context.Context, job delivery.CheckJob, level string
 				}
 				all = all && passed
 			}
+			if !all {
+				return false, nil // the change's own tests failed: the others are not run (issue 1289)
+			}
 		}
 		return all, nil
 	}
@@ -279,7 +284,10 @@ func (s AskSteps) level(ctx context.Context, job delivery.CheckJob, level string
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, fmt.Errorf("the %s level: %w", level, err)
 		}
-		all = all && passed // the packages left still run (issue 1921)
+		all = all && passed // past the change's own packages the others still run (issue 1921)
+		if priority && !all {
+			return false, nil // the change's own tests failed: the others are not run (issue 1289)
+		}
 	}
 	return all, nil
 }
diff --git a/go/buildstep/askrun_test.go b/go/buildstep/askrun_test.go
index 49ea614..a2dbefe 100644
--- a/go/buildstep/askrun_test.go
+++ b/go/buildstep/askrun_test.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func TestRunAskRefusesAnotherToolchain(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // 1887/A3, A5a: a check ask runs the levels of one check after one fetch: it digests the unit level, takes the kept
-// verdicts, tests the packages whose tests changed first, then the rest also after a failure (issue 1921), and runs no
+// verdicts, tests the packages whose tests changed first and, when one of them fails, no other (issue 1289), and runs no
 // level after one that did not pass (ADR 0484 clause 13).
 func TestRunAskChecksTheLevelsOfOneCheck(t *testing.T) {
 	r := &recorder{
@@ -129,8 +129,7 @@ func TestRunAskChecksTheLevelsOfOneCheck(t *testing.T) {
 	got := strings.Join(r.calls, "\n")
 	want := `fetch {"base":"` + runCommit + `","commit":"` + runCommit + `","repository":"novox/x"}
 digest {"level":"unit","workspace":"/w"}
-test {"level":"unit","packages":["x/pkg/b"],"workspace":"/w"}
-test {"level":"unit","packages":["x/pkg/a"],"workspace":"/w"}`
+test {"level":"unit","packages":["x/pkg/b"],"workspace":"/w"}`
 	if got != want {
 		t.Fatalf("calls:\n%s\nwant:\n%s", got, want)
 	}
@@ -139,7 +138,7 @@ test {"level":"unit","packages":["x/pkg/a"],"workspace":"/w"}`
 		t.Fatalf("levels %+v, want the unit level alone", a.Levels)
 	}
 	u := a.Levels[0]
-	if u.Level != delivery.LevelUnit || len(u.Kept) != 1 || u.Kept[0].Package != "x/pkg/k" || u.Kept[0].Tests != 7 || len(u.Tests) != 2 || u.Digest == nil {
+	if u.Level != delivery.LevelUnit || len(u.Kept) != 1 || u.Kept[0].Package != "x/pkg/k" || u.Kept[0].Tests != 7 || len(u.Tests) != 1 || u.Digest == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("the unit level %+v", u)
 	}
 
@@ -254,41 +253,64 @@ func TestRunAskChecksNodeModulesAndConflicts(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Issue 1921: a failure in the packages whose tests changed does not stop the level: the other packages still run, so two
-// failing packages, one changed and one not, are two test results of the one level, and the level does not pass. A Node
-// check runs every module directory after one fails too.
-func TestRunAskRunsEveryPackageAfterAFailure(t *testing.T) {
-	r := &recorder{
-		fetch:   map[string]any{"workspace": "/w", "changed": []string{"pkg/b/b_test.go"}},
-		digests: map[string]string{"x/pkg/a": "d-a", "x/pkg/b": "d-b"},
-		tests:   map[string]bool{"x/pkg/a": false, "x/pkg/b": false},
-	}
-	out, err := RunAsk(context.Background(), r.steps(), ask(delivery.CheckJob{Levels: []string{delivery.LevelIntegration, delivery.LevelUnit},
-		Fetch: map[string]any{"repository": "novox/x", "commit": runCommit}}))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	a := out.(delivery.CheckAnswer)
-	if len(a.Levels) != 1 || len(a.Levels[0].Tests) != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("levels %+v, want the one level with both packages' results", a.Levels)
-	}
-	for i, raw := range a.Levels[0].Tests {
-		var res struct{ Passed bool }
-		if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &res); err != nil || res.Passed {
-			t.Errorf("result %d %s, want a failure", i, raw)
+// Issue 1289: a failure in the packages whose tests changed ends the level there, the others are not run, and no later level
+// runs. Issue 1921: past the change's own packages every package still runs, so two failing packages none of which the
+// change touched are two test results of the one level. A Node check does the same with its module directories.
+func TestRunAskStopsAtTheChangesOwnFailureAndRunsTheRestAfterOthers(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, row := range []struct {
+		name    string
+		changed []string
+		tests   map[string]bool
+		want    []string // the packages tested, in order
+	}{
+		{"the change's own test fails: nothing else runs", []string{"pkg/b/b_test.go"}, map[string]bool{"x/pkg/a": false, "x/pkg/b": false}, []string{"x/pkg/b"}},
+		{"the change's own test passes: the rest runs, also after a failure", []string{"pkg/b/b_test.go"}, map[string]bool{"x/pkg/a": false, "x/pkg/b": true, "x/pkg/c": false}, []string{"x/pkg/b", "x/pkg/a x/pkg/c"}},
+		{"no test changed: every failure is named", nil, map[string]bool{"x/pkg/a": false, "x/pkg/b": false}, []string{"x/pkg/a x/pkg/b"}},
+	} {
+		r := &recorder{fetch: map[string]any{"workspace": "/w", "changed": row.changed}, tests: row.tests,
+			digests: map[string]string{"x/pkg/a": "d-a", "x/pkg/b": "d-b"}}
+		if _, ok := row.tests["x/pkg/c"]; ok {
+			r.digests["x/pkg/c"] = "d-c"
+		}
+		out, err := RunAsk(context.Background(), r.steps(), ask(delivery.CheckJob{Levels: []string{delivery.LevelUnit, delivery.LevelIntegration},
+			Fetch: map[string]any{"repository": "novox/x", "commit": runCommit}}))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		var got []string
+		for _, c := range r.calls[1:] {
+			if strings.HasPrefix(c, "test ") {
+				var a struct{ Packages []string }
+				_ = json.Unmarshal([]byte(strings.TrimPrefix(c, "test ")), &a)
+				got = append(got, strings.Join(a.Packages, " "))
+			}
+		}
+		// the passing row goes on to the integration level, which tests the same packages again; the first level is what is judged
+		if n := len(row.want); len(got) < n || fmt.Sprint(got[:n]) != fmt.Sprint(row.want) {
+			t.Errorf("%s: tested %v, want %v first", row.name, got, row.want)
+		}
+		a := out.(delivery.CheckAnswer)
+		failed := false
+		for _, raw := range a.Levels[0].Tests {
+			var res struct{ Passed bool }
+			_ = json.Unmarshal(raw, &res)
+			failed = failed || !res.Passed
+		}
+		if failed && (len(a.Levels) != 1 || len(got) != len(row.want)) {
+			t.Errorf("%s: a failed level went on: levels %d, tests %v", row.name, len(a.Levels), got)
 		}
 	}
 
-	r = &recorder{fetch: map[string]any{"workspace": "/w", "modules": []string{"a", "b"}, "changed": []string{"b/test/x.test.ts"}},
+	r := &recorder{fetch: map[string]any{"workspace": "/w", "modules": []string{"a", "b"}, "changed": []string{"b/test/x.test.ts"}},
 		tests: map[string]bool{"a": true, "b": false}}
 	s := r.steps()
 	s.Digest = nil
-	out, err = RunAsk(context.Background(), s, ask(delivery.CheckJob{Levels: []string{delivery.LevelUnit, delivery.LevelIntegration},
+	out, err := RunAsk(context.Background(), s, ask(delivery.CheckJob{Levels: []string{delivery.LevelUnit, delivery.LevelIntegration},
 		Fetch: map[string]any{"repository": "novox/x", "commit": runCommit}}))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if a := out.(delivery.CheckAnswer); len(r.calls) != 3 || len(a.Levels) != 1 || len(a.Levels[0].Tests) != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("calls %v, levels %+v: want both directories of the unit level and no integration level", r.calls, a.Levels)
+	if a := out.(delivery.CheckAnswer); len(r.calls) != 2 || len(a.Levels) != 1 || len(a.Levels[0].Tests) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("calls %v, levels %+v: want the changed directory b alone and no integration level", r.calls, a.Levels)
 	}
 }