diff --git a/go/compose/credentials.go b/go/compose/credentials.go
index 8d39bbd..3d7d1e9 100644
--- a/go/compose/credentials.go
+++ b/go/compose/credentials.go
@@ -257,28 +257,6 @@ func (c *composer) wouldMakeSecretForModule(node Node, module, name string) erro
 	return nil
 }
 
-// busCredentialIssued refuses an own secret called `broker` whose bus account nobody issued (novox/hq issue 203): the broker
-// credential is never invented, an account on the bus minted by `module issue`.
-func (c *composer) busCredentialIssued(node, module, name string) error {
-	var user string
-	switch name {
-	case "broker":
-		user = node + "." + module
-	case ProvisionerSecret:
-		user = "provisioner." + node
-	default:
-		return nil
-	}
-	if !slices.Contains(c.in.BusMinted, user) {
-		return fmt.Errorf(
-			"%s on %s has no bus credential: nothing was issued for %s, and a push "+
-				"would seal a placeholder its process cannot read (novox/hq issue 203). "+
-				"`module issue %s --node %s`, then push again",
-			module, node, user, module, node)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // givenUnderAnOldKey is the refusal for a value a person gave sealed to a key the machine no longer holds.
 func givenUnderAnOldKey(module, node, name string) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("%s on %s holds %q, which was given to the mesh rather than made by it, and %s has "+
@@ -354,10 +332,10 @@ func (c *composer) ownSecretsFor(node Node, plan catalogue.Resolution, handing c
 			}
 			if !held && mode == Foreseeing {
 				// Asked ahead of the send: what the send would do about it, by the send's own rules. Made by it -- a stand-in,
-				// named; refused by it -- refused here, the same words (novox/hq issue 275).
-				if err := c.busCredentialIssued(node.Name, m.Module, name); err != nil {
-					return nil, nil, err
-				}
+				// named; refused by it -- refused here, the same words (novox/hq issue 275). A bus account not yet issued is
+				// foreseen, never refused: the vault mints it from the grants part's wanted list once the placement is written
+				// on the operator's Approve (ADR 0561 §1, ADR 0567 §5), so a composition asked ahead of that cannot hold it
+				// (issue 774, 2026-10-30: every proposal placing mesh-conditions, mesh-self-check or mesh-healers refused).
 				if err := c.wouldMakeSecretForModule(node, m.Module, name); err != nil {
 					return nil, nil, err
 				}
diff --git a/go/compose/credentials_test.go b/go/compose/credentials_test.go
index 0697358..f56900d 100644
--- a/go/compose/credentials_test.go
+++ b/go/compose/credentials_test.go
@@ -116,34 +116,32 @@ func TestAnOutsideSecretIsPlacedOnlyOnceAPersonGaveIt(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// 1364/AC3 (the send's refusals, novox/hq issue 203 and 275): in the Foreseeing mode a bus credential nobody issued and a given secret
-// under an old key are refused in the controller's words; with the credential issued, the secret is foreseen. No secret value is in
-// an error.
+// 1364/AC3 (the send's refusals, novox/hq issue 275): in the Foreseeing mode a given secret under an old key is refused in the
+// controller's words. No secret value is in an error. A bus account not yet issued is foreseen, issued or not (issue 774: the vault
+// mints it once the placement is written on the Approve, ADR 0561 §1, ADR 0567 §5; mesh-self-check's proposal on ace was refused
+// "has no bus credential: nothing was issued for ace.mesh-self-check").
 func TestTheSendsRefusalsAreRefusedInTheSendsWords(t *testing.T) {
-	broker := catalogue.Manifest{Module: "gate", Version: "1",
-		OwnSecrets: catalogue.OwnSecrets{"broker": {Path: "/var/lib/mesh/gate/broker", Taken: catalogue.TakenAtStart}}}
+	broker := catalogue.Manifest{Module: "mesh-self-check", Version: "1", RunsAs: "mesh-self-check",
+		OwnSecrets: catalogue.OwnSecrets{"broker": {Path: "/var/lib/mesh/mesh-self-check/broker", Taken: catalogue.TakenAtStart}}}
 	in := withAssistant(t)
-	in.Catalogue["gate"] = broker
+	in.Catalogue["mesh-self-check"] = broker
 	laptop := nodeOf(t, &in, "laptop")
-	laptop.Assigned = append(laptop.Assigned, "gate")
-	_, err := Render(in, "laptop", Foreseeing)
-	want := "gate on laptop has no bus credential: nothing was issued for laptop.gate, and a push would seal a placeholder " +
-		"its process cannot read (novox/hq issue 203). `module issue gate --node laptop`, then push again"
-	if err == nil || err.Error() != want {
-		t.Fatalf("got %v, want %q", err, want)
-	}
-	// Reading refuses nothing for it: the machine is not running it.
-	if _, err := Render(in, "laptop", Reading); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Reading refused a secret the machine is not running: %v", err)
-	}
-	in.BusMinted = []string{"laptop.gate"}
-	if got := rendered(t, in, "laptop", Foreseeing); !got.Rendering.Foreseen["gate"]["broker"] {
-		t.Errorf("an issued bus credential is not foreseen: %v", got.Rendering.Foreseen)
+	laptop.Assigned = append(laptop.Assigned, "mesh-self-check")
+	for _, minted := range [][]string{nil, {"laptop.mesh-self-check"}} {
+		in.BusMinted = minted
+		got, err := Render(in, "laptop", Foreseeing)
+		if err != nil || !got.Rendering.Foreseen["mesh-self-check"]["broker"] {
+			t.Fatalf("minted %v: the bus account is not foreseen: %v", minted, err)
+		}
+		// Reading refuses nothing for it: the machine is not running it.
+		if _, err := Render(in, "laptop", Reading); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Reading refused a secret the machine is not running: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
 	// A given secret under an old key.
 	in.OwnSecrets = []OwnSecretRow{{Node: "laptop", Module: "assistant", Name: "password", Origin: "accepted", SealedTo: "an-old-key", Sealed: secretValue},
-		{Node: "laptop", Module: "gate", Name: "broker", Origin: "made", SealedTo: laptop.SealingKey, Sealed: secretValue}}
-	_, err = Render(in, "laptop", Foreseeing)
+		{Node: "laptop", Module: "mesh-self-check", Name: "broker", Origin: "made", SealedTo: laptop.SealingKey, Sealed: secretValue}}
+	_, err := Render(in, "laptop", Foreseeing)
 	wantOld := "assistant on laptop holds \"password\", which was given to the mesh rather than made by it, and laptop has since generated a new " +
 		"sealing key. The mesh cannot make another; issue it again"
 	if err == nil || err.Error() != wantOld {
diff --git a/go/compose/frombus/answer.go b/go/compose/frombus/answer.go
index dcdb2f2..1f56daf 100644
--- a/go/compose/frombus/answer.go
+++ b/go/compose/frombus/answer.go
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func composeEach(in compose.Input, node string, fps map[string]string, applied b
 		if err != nil {
 			module, leave := culprit(in, node, fps, mode, failed, err)
 			if module == "" {
-				return nil, nil, nil, err
+				return nil, nil, nil, firstReason(err, failed)
 			}
 			hold(module, err.Error(), leave)
 			continue
@@ -373,6 +373,23 @@ func composeEach(in compose.Input, node string, fps map[string]string, applied b
 	return out, skipped, stood, nil
 }
 
+// firstReason is err, a refusal no culprit is found for, led by the first reason of each held module it names: a held
+// module's stand-in refused later never replaces why it was held (issue 774, 2026-10-30: mesh-self-check on ace held for
+// "has no bus credential", then refused as "runs as its own account and declares no own secret broker", its bare stub's
+// words, which were all the proposal's refusal said).
+func firstReason(err error, failed map[string]string) error {
+	var named []string
+	for _, m := range sortedKeys(failed) {
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), m) {
+			named = append(named, m+" is held: "+failed[m])
+		}
+	}
+	if len(named) == 0 {
+		return err
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("%s; its stand-in is then refused: %w", strings.Join(named, "; "), err)
+}
+
 // blames says the composition with m's stub (again) makes m the culprit of err: it composes, or fails otherwise. The
 // runtime's stub is never a runtime (no build is taken in, so it carries no bundle) and always fails otherwise: it is
 // the culprit only where its stub composes (issue 774, 2026-10-30 19:30: node-tools held for any error naming it).
diff --git a/go/compose/frombus/frombus_test.go b/go/compose/frombus/frombus_test.go
index b77fa2f..4cda26e 100644
--- a/go/compose/frombus/frombus_test.go
+++ b/go/compose/frombus/frombus_test.go
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ func TestInput(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("a node refused whole says what it held", aNodeRefusedWholeSaysWhatItHeld)
 	t.Run("the runtime is blamed only where its stub composes", theRuntimeIsBlamedOnlyWhereItsStubComposes)
 	t.Run("a running module waits for its build", aRunningModuleWaitsForItsBuild)
+	t.Run("a held module's first reason leads", aHeldModulesFirstReasonLeads)
 	t.Run("another node not resolved is named", otherNodeNotResolvedIsNamed)
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	xterm, err := os.ReadFile("../../catalogue/testdata/catalogue-835bf22b-xterm.module.json")
diff --git a/go/compose/frombus/held_rows_test.go b/go/compose/frombus/held_rows_test.go
index 4deb0ce..491929d 100644
--- a/go/compose/frombus/held_rows_test.go
+++ b/go/compose/frombus/held_rows_test.go
@@ -131,3 +131,23 @@ func rawStrings(rs []json.RawMessage) []string {
 	}
 	return out
 }
+
+// Issue 774: a refusal of a held module's stand-in leads with why the module was held, its first reason, as mesh-self-check's
+// on ace should have; a refusal naming no held module is as it was.
+func aHeldModulesFirstReasonLeads(t *testing.T) {
+	held := map[string]string{"mesh-self-check": "mesh-self-check on ace has no bus credential: nothing was issued for ace.mesh-self-check"}
+	for _, row := range []struct {
+		err, want string
+	}{
+		{"mesh-self-check runs as its own account and declares no own secret broker",
+			"mesh-self-check is held: mesh-self-check on ace has no bus credential: nothing was issued for ace.mesh-self-check; " +
+				"its stand-in is then refused: mesh-self-check runs as its own account and declares no own secret broker"},
+		{"ace is the hub and has no endpoint", "ace is the hub and has no endpoint"},
+	} {
+		err := errors.New(row.err)
+		got := firstReason(err, held)
+		if got.Error() != row.want || !errors.Is(got, err) {
+			t.Errorf("refused %q, want %q", got, row.want)
+		}
+	}
+}