diff --git a/go/catalogue/seat_invokes.go b/go/catalogue/seat_invokes.go
index 583ad4e..d130b3d 100644
--- a/go/catalogue/seat_invokes.go
+++ b/go/catalogue/seat_invokes.go
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ func SeatInvoke(invoke string) (seat, verb string, ok bool) {
 
 // seatInvokeProblems are the `seat:<seat>.<verb>` a module or one of its processes invokes that nothing answers: a seat
 // no module declares and the mesh does not define, a verb the seat does not promise, or a seat with no holder (a
-// mesh seat no module claims, unless its node's engine holds it, ADR 0563 §1).
+// seat a module declares and no module claims; a mesh seat's holder, the mesh itself or a module of any repository,
+// is not judged).
 func seatInvokeProblems(shelf Shelf, declared map[string]SeatDeclaration) []string {
 	claimed := map[string]bool{}
 	for _, m := range shelf {
@@ -51,7 +52,10 @@ func seatInvokeProblems(shelf Shelf, declared map[string]SeatDeclaration) []stri
 			var verbs []Verb
 			held := claimed[seat]
 			if s, isMesh := SeatNamed(seat); isMesh {
-				verbs, held = s.Serves, held || claimed[s.Name] || s.HeldByTheEngine
+				// A mesh seat is held by the mesh itself or by a module of any repository: one repository's catalogue
+				// cannot say it has no holder, so only its verbs are judged (the lead, 2026-10-30: mesh-control's check
+				// runs over the captured mesh-catalog alone, whose mesh-self-check calls the watchman's seat).
+				verbs, held = s.Serves, true
 			} else if d, isModule := declared[seat]; isModule {
 				verbs = d.Serves
 			} else {
diff --git a/go/catalogue/seats_declared_test.go b/go/catalogue/seats_declared_test.go
index fdef894..41dfabc 100644
--- a/go/catalogue/seats_declared_test.go
+++ b/go/catalogue/seats_declared_test.go
@@ -71,8 +71,12 @@ func TestUsingASeatNobodyDeclaresIsRefused(t *testing.T) {
 			Manifest{Module: "shop", Invokes: []string{"seat:telegram-sendr.status"}}, telegram(), true},
 		{"a verb of a declared seat nobody claims", `a verb of the seat "telegram-sender", ` + UnheldSeat,
 			Manifest{Module: "shop", Invokes: []string{"seat:telegram-sender.status"}}, unclaimed, true},
-		{"a verb of a mesh seat nobody claims", `a verb of the seat "mesh-controller", ` + UnheldSeat,
-			Manifest{Module: "shop", Invokes: []string{"seat:mesh-controller.root-free"}}, telegram(), true},
+		{"a verb of a mesh seat whose holder lives in another repository", "",
+			Manifest{Module: "shop", Invokes: []string{"seat:mesh-watchdogs.signals"}}, telegram(), false},
+		{"a verb a mesh seat does not promise", `the seat mesh-controller serves no verb "root-freed"`,
+			Manifest{Module: "shop", Invokes: []string{"seat:mesh-controller.root-freed"}}, telegram(), false},
+		{"the controller's verb: the controller answers its seat", "",
+			Manifest{Module: "shop", Invokes: []string{"seat:mesh-controller.root-free"}}, telegram(), false},
 		{"the engine's verb: every node's engine holds its seat", "",
 			Manifest{Module: "shop", Invokes: []string{"seat:node-engine.root-free"}}, telegram(), false},
 		{"a verb the engine's seat does not promise", `the seat node-engine serves no verb "root-freed"`,