diff --git a/go/process/account_test.go b/go/process/account_test.go
index 2d6e54e0..12fbc3b8 100644
--- a/go/process/account_test.go
+++ b/go/process/account_test.go
@@ -294,3 +294,50 @@ func TestModuleAccountNamesAndDialOptions(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("a fingerprint did not pin the connection")
 	}
 }
+
+// W1.3 (design 47 *The fingerprint handover*): a process's own build is the fingerprint the node-engine handed it, read
+// once at its start; with none, or with one that is no single word, it says its own build is unknown and why.
+func TestTheOwnBuildIsTheFingerprintTheProcessWasStartedWith(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, c := range []struct{ name, env, fp, unknown string }{
+		{"handed", "src2:1480985e", "src2:1480985e", ""},
+		{"handed with spaces around", " src2:1480985e\n", "src2:1480985e", ""},
+		{"not handed", "", "", "own build unknown: started without MESH_FINGERPRINT"},
+		{"not one word", "src2:1 src2:2", "", `own build unknown: MESH_FINGERPRINT "src2:1 src2:2" is not one fingerprint`},
+	} {
+		b := ReadOwnBuild(func(k string) string {
+			if k != FingerprintEnv {
+				t.Fatalf("%s: read %s", c.name, k)
+			}
+			return c.env
+		})
+		if b.Fingerprint != c.fp || b.Unknown != c.unknown {
+			t.Errorf("%s: got %+v, want fingerprint %q, unknown %q", c.name, b, c.fp, c.unknown)
+		}
+	}
+	var said []Build
+	keptSay, keptOnce := sayOwnBuild, ownBuild
+	t.Cleanup(func() { sayOwnBuild, ownBuild = keptSay, keptOnce })
+	sayOwnBuild, ownBuild = func(b Build) { said = append(said, b) }, sync.OnceValue(readAndSay)
+	t.Setenv(FingerprintEnv, "src2:aaaa")
+	first := OwnBuild()
+	t.Setenv(FingerprintEnv, "src2:bbbb")
+	if again := OwnBuild(); again != first || first.Fingerprint != "src2:aaaa" {
+		t.Errorf("read once: first %+v, then %+v", first, again)
+	}
+	if len(said) != 1 || said[0].String() != "src2:aaaa" {
+		t.Errorf("the journal is told once, at the first read: %+v", said)
+	}
+	// Both ways a process reaches the bus read it at the start, before they dial: a refused dial still said it.
+	for name, dial := range map[string]func(Account) error{
+		"Connect": func(a Account) error { _, err := Connect(a); return err },
+		"Dial":    func(a Account) error { _, _, err := a.Dial(nats.RetryOnFailedConnect(false)); return err },
+	} {
+		said, ownBuild = nil, sync.OnceValue(readAndSay)
+		if err := dial(Account{URL: "nats://127.0.0.1:1", User: "n1.m", Password: "pw"}); err == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: dialled a port nothing listens on", name)
+		}
+		if len(said) != 1 || said[0].Fingerprint != "src2:bbbb" {
+			t.Errorf("%s: the process's own build is not said at its start: %+v", name, said)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/go/process/conn.go b/go/process/conn.go
index ca469221..3809c429 100644
--- a/go/process/conn.go
+++ b/go/process/conn.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ var refusedPublish = regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)Publish to "(\S+)"`)
 // permission violation refusing a publish this connection is waiting an answer to, and cancels that wait
 // at once.
 func Connect(account Account, opts ...nats.Option) (*Conn, error) {
+	OwnBuild()
 	c := &Conn{account: account, pending: map[string]map[uint64]context.CancelCauseFunc{}}
 	nc, err := nats.Connect(account.URL, c.options(opts)...)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/go/process/module.go b/go/process/module.go
index de682222..f4b73678 100644
--- a/go/process/module.go
+++ b/go/process/module.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ func (a Account) DialOptions(opts ...nats.Option) []nats.Option {
 // Dial connects as the module's own principal and opens JetStream on the connection. The caller closes the
 // connection.
 func (a Account) Dial(opts ...nats.Option) (*nats.Conn, jetstream.JetStream, error) {
+	OwnBuild()
 	nc, err := nats.Connect(a.URL, a.DialOptions(opts...)...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("connecting to the bus: %w", err)
diff --git a/go/process/ownbuild.go b/go/process/ownbuild.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c9a18ad4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/process/ownbuild.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package process
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+// FingerprintEnv is the environment value the node-engine starts each process with, a service and a container alike:
+// the fingerprint of the want it applies (novox/hq ADR 0656; design 47 *The fingerprint handover*).
+const FingerprintEnv = "MESH_FINGERPRINT"
+
+// OwnBuildUnknown is what a process started with no fingerprint says of its own build, in its journal and to whoever
+// reads it (the node-engine's process builds, the indexer acting on it as ADR 0639 §8 has it).
+const OwnBuildUnknown = "own build unknown"
+
+// Build is the build a process was started with: its fingerprint, or why it is unknown.
+type Build struct {
+	Fingerprint string `json:"fingerprint,omitempty"`
+	// Unknown says why there is no fingerprint, starting with OwnBuildUnknown; empty when there is one.
+	Unknown string `json:"unknown,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// String is the fingerprint, or why the build is unknown.
+func (b Build) String() string {
+	if b.Fingerprint != "" {
+		return b.Fingerprint
+	}
+	return b.Unknown
+}
+
+// ReadOwnBuild is the build getenv's FingerprintEnv names: one word, or unknown with the reason.
+func ReadOwnBuild(getenv func(string) string) Build {
+	fp := strings.TrimSpace(getenv(FingerprintEnv))
+	switch {
+	case fp == "":
+		return Build{Unknown: OwnBuildUnknown + ": started without " + FingerprintEnv}
+	case strings.ContainsAny(fp, " \t\r\n"):
+		return Build{Unknown: fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s %q is not one fingerprint", OwnBuildUnknown, FingerprintEnv, fp)}
+	}
+	return Build{Fingerprint: fp}
+}
+
+// sayOwnBuild writes the process's own build in its journal; a variable so a test reads what it says.
+var sayOwnBuild = func(b Build) { log.Printf("own build: %s", b) }
+
+// readAndSay reads the build from this process's environment and says it.
+func readAndSay() Build {
+	b := ReadOwnBuild(os.Getenv)
+	sayOwnBuild(b)
+	return b
+}
+
+// ownBuild is read once; a test that reads it makes it again (sync.OnceValue(readAndSay)) and puts it back.
+var ownBuild = sync.OnceValue(readAndSay)
+
+// OwnBuild is this process's own build, read once from its environment at the first ask and said in its journal then;
+// every later ask answers the same, whatever the environment says since. Connect and Dial ask it, so every process
+// that reaches the bus says it at its start.
+func OwnBuild() Build { return ownBuild() }