diff --git a/go/provider/harness/retirement.go b/go/provider/harness/retirement.go
index f9162f2..b134d98 100644
--- a/go/provider/harness/retirement.go
+++ b/go/provider/harness/retirement.go
@@ -541,7 +541,8 @@ func RetirementTools(h *Harness) []stdio.Tool {
 			}},
 		{Name: "provisioner_delete",
 			Description: "Delete one RETIRED consumer — its login and its data — for good. Refused for anything active or " +
-				"asked for. Use the controller's `cleanup delete`, which records the hand act.",
+				"asked for. It asks nobody: ask the operator on the operator channel first, and name that answer in why and " +
+				"by, which the hand-act log keeps (novox/hq ADR 0604 §8).",
 			Input: withOne,
 			Run: func(args map[string]any) (any, error) {
 				consumer := argString(args, "consumer")
diff --git a/go/provider/harness/retirement_test.go b/go/provider/harness/retirement_test.go
index 0c59f84..c2533d0 100644
--- a/go/provider/harness/retirement_test.go
+++ b/go/provider/harness/retirement_test.go
@@ -482,6 +482,10 @@ func TestTheToolsAnswer(t *testing.T) {
 	tools := map[string]func(map[string]any) (any, error){}
 	for _, tool := range RetirementTools(w.h) {
 		tools[tool.Name] = tool.Run
+		// L3: the delete names no removed controller verb, and says who must be asked first (ADR 0604 §8).
+		if tool.Name == "provisioner_delete" && (strings.Contains(tool.Description, "controller") || !strings.Contains(tool.Description, "operator channel")) {
+			t.Errorf("provisioner_delete says %q", tool.Description)
+		}
 	}
 	if len(tools) != 4 {
 		t.Fatalf("%d tools", len(tools))