diff --git a/go/catalogue/process_bus.go b/go/catalogue/process_bus.go
index 3477691..25dea20 100644
--- a/go/catalogue/process_bus.go
+++ b/go/catalogue/process_bus.go
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ func ToolsBusSecret(m Manifest, name string) bool {
 }
 
 // toolsSecretProblems refuses a tools bundle's bus account secret the runtime's account could not read: it is declared
-// as an own secret `broker-<binary>`, at a path in a directory resource of the module that others may pass through
-// (mode with its last digit odd, such as 0711 or 0755); the file itself is 0600 and the runtime account's.
+// as an own secret `broker-<binary>`, at `${dir:<id>}/broker-<binary>` for a directory resource every parent of which the
+// runtime's account may pass (passableDir); the file itself is 0600 and the runtime account's.
 func toolsSecretProblems(m Manifest) []string {
 	var problems []string
 	for _, a := range m.BusAccounts() {
@@ -113,24 +113,57 @@ func toolsSecretProblems(m Manifest) []string {
 			continue
 		}
 		dir, _, _ := strings.Cut(strings.TrimPrefix(own.Path, "${dir:"), "}")
-		passable := false
-		for _, r := range m.Resources {
-			if fmt.Sprint(r["type"]) != "directory" || fmt.Sprint(r["id"]) != dir || !strings.HasPrefix(own.Path, "${dir:"+dir+"}/") {
-				continue
-			}
-			mode, _ := r["mode"].(string)
-			passable = mode != "" && strings.ContainsAny(mode[len(mode)-1:], "1357")
-		}
-		if !passable {
-			problems = append(problems, fmt.Sprintf("%s's own secret %s is at %s; a tools bundle's account is read by the "+
-				"node's tool runtime, so it lies in a directory resource of the module that others may pass through "+
-				"(mode 0711 or 0755, `${dir:<id>}/%s`), the file itself the runtime account's, 0600 (novox/hq ADR 0564 "+
-				"Limits 4)", m.Module, name, own.Path, name))
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(own.Path, "${dir:"+dir+"}/") || !passableDir(m, dir, 0) {
+			problems = append(problems, fmt.Sprintf("%s's own secret %s is at %s, which the node's tool runtime cannot "+
+				"reach: a tools bundle's account lies in a directory resource the runtime's account may pass, every parent "+
+				"included, such as {\"id\":\"tools-secret\",\"type\":\"directory\",\"path\":\"%s/%s-tools\",\"mode\":\"0711\"} "+
+				"with the secret at ${dir:tools-secret}/%s; never under the module's own or mesh place, which are its "+
+				"own (novox/hq ADR 0564 Limits 4)", m.Module, name, own.Path, meshStateRoot, m.Module, name))
 		}
 	}
 	return problems
 }
 
+// meshStateRoot is the mesh's directory of every module's mesh place on a node of the default data root: root's, mode
+// 0755, so the runtime's account passes it, while each module's own place beneath it is 0700.
+const meshStateRoot = defaultDataRoot + "/" + placeMesh
+
+// passableDir says the runtime's account may pass the directory resource id and every parent the mesh makes for it: its
+// own mode lets others pass (the last digit odd), and it is either stated directly under meshStateRoot or beneath a
+// placed directory that is passable in turn. A pathless directory resolves under the module's own root or its mesh
+// place, which are the module's own, so it never is.
+func passableDir(m Manifest, id string, depth int) bool {
+	if depth > 4 {
+		return false
+	}
+	for _, r := range m.Resources {
+		if fmt.Sprint(r["type"]) != "directory" || fmt.Sprint(r["id"]) != id {
+			continue
+		}
+		mode, _ := r["mode"].(string)
+		if mode == "" || !strings.ContainsAny(mode[len(mode)-1:], "1357") {
+			return false
+		}
+		path, _ := r["path"].(string)
+		switch {
+		case strings.HasPrefix(path, "${dir:"):
+			parent, _, _ := strings.Cut(strings.TrimPrefix(path, "${dir:"), "}")
+			return passableDir(m, parent, depth+1)
+		case strings.HasPrefix(path, "/"):
+			return filepathDir(strings.TrimRight(path, "/")) == meshStateRoot
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func filepathDir(p string) string {
+	if i := strings.LastIndex(p, "/"); i > 0 {
+		return p[:i]
+	}
+	return "/"
+}
+
 // toolsBusProblems is what is wrong with a tools bundle's bus (ADR 0564 Limits 4): a bus on anything but a bundle
 // compiled to a binary the runtime loads, a removal outside the closed set, or a removal beside any other grant or by a
 // module that does not hold mesh-broker. Every other field is judged as a process's.
diff --git a/go/catalogue/process_bus_test.go b/go/catalogue/process_bus_test.go
index cbd9b37..7b3f8f3 100644
--- a/go/catalogue/process_bus_test.go
+++ b/go/catalogue/process_bus_test.go
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ func TestAProcessDeclaresItsBusAndIsAccepted(t *testing.T) {
 	// 1952 S5 (novox/hq ADR 0564 Limits 4; the lead, 2026-10-29): a tools bundle declares its own bus account, read as a
 	// process's, named after its binary and kept through resolution; a removal is from the closed set, alone, and the
 	// bus module's (mesh-broker) alone.
-	toolsIn := func(claims, bus, mode string) string {
+	toolsIn := func(claims, bus, mode, where string) string {
 		return `{"module":"nats","version":"1","claims":` + claims + `,"own-secrets":{"broker":"${dir:mesh-state}/broker",` +
 			`"broker-nats-tools":"${dir:tools-secret}/broker-nats-tools"},"resources":[{"id":"mesh-state","type":"directory",` +
 			`"mode":"0700","place":"mesh","unknown":"program"},{"id":"tools-secret","type":"directory","mode":"` + mode +
-			`","place":"mesh","unknown":"program"}],"build":{"artifacts":[{"name":"tools","kind":"bundle",` +
+			`","path":"` + where + `","unknown":"program"}],"build":{"artifacts":[{"name":"tools","kind":"bundle",` +
 			`"language":"go","system":"arch","from":"cmd/nats-tools","binary":"nats-tools","loads":["nats-tools"],"bus":` + bus + `}]}}`
 	}
-	tools := func(claims, bus string) string { return toolsIn(claims, bus, "0711") }
+	tools := func(claims, bus string) string { return toolsIn(claims, bus, "0711", "/var/lib/mesh/nats-tools") }
 	broker := `[{"name":"mesh-broker","scope":"mesh"}]`
 	for _, c := range []struct {
 		name, manifest, refused string
@@ -70,8 +70,11 @@ func TestAProcessDeclaresItsBusAndIsAccepted(t *testing.T) {
 		{name: "a tools bundle consuming a queue", manifest: tools(broker, `{"queues":["x"]}`), refused: "holds no consumer"},
 		{name: "a process removing", manifest: mailSenderProcessManifest(t, `{"removes":["mesh-host_acts"]}`), refused: "only a tools bundle"},
 		// The runtime's account reads the account's secret: it lies where others may pass (the host agent, 2026-10-29).
-		{name: "a tools secret the runtime cannot reach", manifest: toolsIn(broker, `{"removes":["mesh-host_acts"]}`, "0700"),
-			refused: "others may pass through"},
+		{name: "a tools secret the runtime cannot reach", manifest: toolsIn(broker, `{"removes":["mesh-host_acts"]}`, "0700",
+			"/var/lib/mesh/nats-tools"), refused: "cannot reach"},
+		// Its parents too: under the module's mesh place, /var/lib/mesh/nats is 0700 (the lead, read on novox 2026-10-29).
+		{name: "a tools secret beneath the module's mesh place", manifest: toolsIn(broker, `{"removes":["mesh-host_acts"]}`, "0711",
+			"${dir:mesh-state}/tools"), refused: "cannot reach"},
 	} {
 		m, err := ParseManifest([]byte(c.manifest))
 		if c.refused != "" {