diff --git a/go/delivery/delivery.go b/go/delivery/delivery.go
index 1b2306f..6e51c60 100644
--- a/go/delivery/delivery.go
+++ b/go/delivery/delivery.go
@@ -410,8 +410,20 @@ type HaveNode struct {
 	// its shadow composer whenever an answer changes, removed when the candidate key goes. The node applies nothing of a
 	// candidate.
 	Candidates map[string]CandidateAnswer `json:"candidates,omitempty"`
+	// Composes is whose compositions the node applies: its own (ComposesOwn, the catalogue places it) or the
+	// controller's (ComposesController); ComposesWhy says why in words. Written by the node agent at each start, so a
+	// node returning to the controller's compositions when its placement key is deleted says so (issue 1126). Empty
+	// from an engine older than the field.
+	Composes    string `json:"composes,omitempty"`
+	ComposesWhy string `json:"composes-why,omitempty"`
 }
 
+// Whose compositions a node applies (HaveNode.Composes).
+const (
+	ComposesOwn        = "own"
+	ComposesController = "controller"
+)
+
 // Presence is whether a node or a part's instance is online; the entry's own time says since when. The watchman
 // writes it.
 type Presence struct {
@@ -506,6 +518,11 @@ func DecodeHave(data []byte) (Have, error) {
 }
 
 func (n HaveNode) check() error {
+	switch n.Composes {
+	case "", ComposesOwn, ComposesController:
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("delivery: a node composes %q, neither %s nor %s", n.Composes, ComposesOwn, ComposesController)
+	}
 	for group, a := range n.Candidates {
 		if group == "" {
 			return fmt.Errorf("delivery: a node's candidate answer names no group")
@@ -590,7 +607,8 @@ func SameHaveNode(a, b HaveNode) bool {
 	return a.V == b.V && a.Composed == b.Composed && sameJSON(a.Windows, b.Windows) && sameJSON(a.Busy, b.Busy) &&
 		sameJSON(a.Strays, b.Strays) && sameJSON(a.Filters, b.Filters) && sameJSON(a.Profile, b.Profile) &&
 		(a.Record == nil) == (b.Record == nil) && (a.Record == nil || SameNodeRecord(*a.Record, *b.Record)) &&
-		jsonEqual(a.Sealed, b.Sealed) && jsonEqual(a.Candidates, b.Candidates)
+		jsonEqual(a.Sealed, b.Sealed) && jsonEqual(a.Candidates, b.Candidates) && a.Composes == b.Composes &&
+		a.ComposesWhy == b.ComposesWhy
 }
 
 // SamePresence says whether two presences are the same value.
diff --git a/go/delivery/placement_candidate.go b/go/delivery/placement_candidate.go
index edf257b..e3736bc 100644
--- a/go/delivery/placement_candidate.go
+++ b/go/delivery/placement_candidate.go
@@ -132,8 +132,16 @@ type CandidateAnswer struct {
 	Refusals []ModuleRefused `json:"refusals,omitempty"`
 	// Refused is why the node could not compose with the candidate at all; Refusals is then empty.
 	Refused string `json:"refused,omitempty"`
+	// Returns is, for a head that deletes the node's placement file, what the node does then: it returns to the
+	// controller's compositions (ReturnsToController), as a node the catalogue does not place composes none of its own
+	// (issue 1126: the seed's revert). The verdict is then same, and nothing else is named: the node composes nothing
+	// with the candidate, and judges nothing of what the controller composes.
+	Returns string `json:"returns,omitempty"`
 }
 
+// ReturnsToController is what a node answers a head that deletes its placement file.
+const ReturnsToController = "the head deletes this node's placement: it returns to the controller's compositions"
+
 // ModuleDiffers is one module the node runs and the candidate still places whose composition is not the one it runs:
 // both digests (Composed with the candidate, Running what runs), the first resource that differs by its id, or empty
 // when every resource is equal, and why in words.
@@ -187,6 +195,9 @@ func (a CandidateAnswer) check() error {
 	if a.Refused != "" && len(a.Same)+len(a.Differs)+len(a.Added)+len(a.Removed)+len(a.Refusals) > 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("delivery: a candidate the node could not compose names modules")
 	}
+	if a.Returns != "" && (a.Refused != "" || len(a.Same)+len(a.Differs)+len(a.Added)+len(a.Removed)+len(a.Refusals) > 0) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("delivery: a candidate the node returns to the controller's compositions on names what it composed")
+	}
 	for _, d := range a.Differs {
 		if d.Module == "" || d.Why == "" {
 			return fmt.Errorf("delivery: a candidate difference names no module or no why")
diff --git a/go/delivery/placement_test.go b/go/delivery/placement_test.go
index ae77b5f..29376d0 100644
--- a/go/delivery/placement_test.go
+++ b/go/delivery/placement_test.go
@@ -229,19 +229,31 @@ func TestPlacement(t *testing.T) {
 			"refused": {Head: "h1", Revision: 3, Verdict: CandidateRefused, Refused: "unbound postgres"},
 			"added":   {Head: "h1", Verdict: CandidateDiffers, Same: []string{"node"}, Added: []ModuleAdded{{Module: "app", Unissued: []string{"app/token"}}}, Removed: []string{"old"}},
 			"a value": {Head: "h1", Verdict: CandidateRefused, Same: []string{"node"}, Refusals: []ModuleRefused{{Module: "db", Why: "stands in for db/password"}}},
+			// A head that deletes the node's placement file: the node returns to the controller's compositions (issue 1126,
+			// the seed's revert, mesh-catalog #526).
+			"returns": {Head: "h1", Verdict: CandidateSame, Returns: ReturnsToController},
 		}
-		n := HaveNode{Composed: "sha256:" + strings.Repeat("a", 64), Sealed: []string{"box"}, Candidates: answers}
+		n := HaveNode{Composed: "sha256:" + strings.Repeat("a", 64), Sealed: []string{"box"}, Candidates: answers,
+			Composes: ComposesOwn, ComposesWhy: "the catalogue places it (placement.n1)"}
 		raw, err := EncodeHaveNode(n)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		back, err := DecodeHaveNode(raw)
-		if err != nil || !SameHaveNode(back, HaveNode{V: Version, Composed: n.Composed, Sealed: n.Sealed, Candidates: answers}) {
+		if err != nil || !SameHaveNode(back, HaveNode{V: Version, Composed: n.Composed, Sealed: n.Sealed, Candidates: answers,
+			Composes: ComposesOwn, ComposesWhy: n.ComposesWhy}) {
 			t.Fatalf("a node's answers changed on the way: %+v, %v", back, err)
 		}
-		if SameHaveNode(back, HaveNode{V: Version, Composed: n.Composed, Sealed: n.Sealed}) {
+		if SameHaveNode(back, HaveNode{V: Version, Composed: n.Composed, Sealed: n.Sealed, Composes: ComposesOwn, ComposesWhy: n.ComposesWhy}) {
 			t.Error("a node's have without its answers counts as the same")
 		}
+		if SameHaveNode(back, HaveNode{V: Version, Composed: n.Composed, Sealed: n.Sealed, Candidates: answers,
+			Composes: ComposesController, ComposesWhy: n.ComposesWhy}) {
+			t.Error("a node's have composing otherwise counts as the same")
+		}
+		if _, err := EncodeHaveNode(HaveNode{Composes: "both"}); err == nil {
+			t.Error("a node composing neither its own nor the controller's was taken")
+		}
 		// CompareComposed: the bus's user list is left out on both sides; anything else that differs is named.
 		file := func(id, content string) json.RawMessage {
 			return json.RawMessage(`{"id":"` + id + `","type":"file","module":"nats","path":"/etc/` + id + `","mode":"0600","content":"` + content + `"}`)
@@ -285,6 +297,8 @@ func TestPlacement(t *testing.T) {
 			"same with an added":  {Head: "h", Verdict: CandidateSame, Added: []ModuleAdded{{Module: "a"}}},
 			"differs refusing":    {Head: "h", Verdict: CandidateDiffers, Removed: []string{"a"}, Refusals: []ModuleRefused{{Module: "b", Why: "x"}}},
 			"refused and modules": {Head: "h", Verdict: CandidateRefused, Refused: "x", Same: []string{"a"}},
+			"returns and removes": {Head: "h", Verdict: CandidateDiffers, Returns: ReturnsToController, Removed: []string{"a"}},
+			"returns refused":     {Head: "h", Verdict: CandidateRefused, Returns: ReturnsToController, Refused: "x"},
 		} {
 			if _, err := EncodeHaveNode(HaveNode{Candidates: map[string]CandidateAnswer{"g": a}}); err == nil {
 				t.Errorf("%s: taken", name)