diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/RunStart.cs b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/RunStart.cs
index 2e1245bab..20269e84c 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/RunStart.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/RunStart.cs
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ public static class RunStart
             player.SetIff(placed.Entity, hostile);
             arena.Admit(placed.Entity, placed.Piloted, placed.Task);
         }
+
+        // A start state includes what a pilot knows (ruling stage-states-pilot-knowledge): its anchor is tracked from the first
+        // step, by the sensors' own path (info gathered past the detection threshold), so they can lose it like any track.
+        foreach (var placed in stage.Placed)
+            if (placed.Knows != null && placed.Piloted)
+                placed.Entity.EntityInfoGathered[placed.Knows] = (itemManager.GameplaySettings.TargetDetectionInfoThreshold + 1f) / 2f;
         return new Staged { Player = player, Credits = stage.Credits, Entities = stage.Placed.Select(placed => placed.Entity).ToList() };
     }
 
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/ScenarioStage.cs b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/ScenarioStage.cs
index f0df352e9..a9e2db5d0 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/ScenarioStage.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/ScenarioStage.cs
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ public sealed class ScenarioStage
         public ScenarioStance Stance;
         public bool Piloted;
         public AgentTask Task;
+        // What the pilot already knows at the start: an entity its sensors hold a track of (Approach). Seeded through the
+        // sensors' own state at admission, so they may lose it honestly.
+        public Entity Knows;
     }
 
     // A hull fitted slot by slot: each slot a design or a product, the hull cell it goes in, and its rotation. A name is
@@ -137,7 +140,7 @@ public sealed class ScenarioStage
     }
 
     // The task a piloted entity starts on: it closes on the target and holds there (the flight's follow task, standoff
-    // nothing), in place of the patrol circuit the zone would draw for it. A check that rests on where a pilot goes states
+    // nothing), in place of the patrol circuit the zone would draw for it. The pilot starts knowing it (RunStart seeds a sensor track). A check that rests on where a pilot goes states
     // it here, so the pilot's course is the scenario's and not a draw. An entity that is not placed and piloted, or a
     // target that is not placed, is a failure.
     public void Approach(Entity entity, Entity target)
@@ -146,6 +149,7 @@ public sealed class ScenarioStage
         if (placement == null || !placement.Piloted) { _failures.Add($"approach: {entity?.Name ?? "no entity"} is not a placed, piloted ship"); return; }
         if (target == null) { _failures.Add("approach: no target to close on"); return; }
         placement.Task = new FollowTask { Anchor = PilotView.Handle(target), Standoff = 0f };
+        placement.Knows = target;
     }
 
     // Items in the entity's first cargo bay, one per name. A name is an equippable or consumable design (open: the stage
diff --git a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/ApproachKnowledgeTests.cs b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/ApproachKnowledgeTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..98f857913
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/ApproachKnowledgeTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+using System.Linq;
+using CultMath;
+using Xunit;
+using static CultMath.math;
+using float2 = CultMath.float2;
+using float3 = CultMath.float3;
+
+// A staged Approach states what its pilot already knows (ruling stage-states-pilot-knowledge): the anchor is a sensor
+// track from the first step, and the pilot follows it only as long as the sensors keep it.
+public sealed partial class RunStartTests
+{
+    private (Zone arena, Ship east, Ship west) StagedApproach()
+    {
+        Ship east = null, west = null;
+        var (_, arena, _, failures) = Launch(new Scripted(false, stage =>
+        {
+            stage.Player(stage.Bare("Djinni"), float2(-50000, -50000));
+            east = stage.Place(EvLonginus(stage), float2(450, 0), facing: float2(-1, 0), piloted: true) as Ship;
+            west = stage.Place(EvLonginus(stage), float2(-450, 0), facing: float2(1, 0), piloted: true) as Ship;
+            stage.Approach(east, west);
+        }));
+        Assert.True(failures.Count == 0, string.Join("; ", failures));
+        return (arena, east, west);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void AStagedApproachFollowerClosesOnItsAnchorFromTheFirstStep()
+    {
+        var (arena, east, west) = StagedApproach();
+        var view = arena.Agents.Single(a => a.Ship == east).View;
+        var startGap = east.Position.x - west.Position.x;
+
+        arena.Update(1f / 60f);
+        arena.Update(1f / 60f);
+
+        Assert.NotNull(view.TrackOf(east, PilotView.Handle(west)));
+        Assert.True(east.Velocity.x < -.5f, $"the follower thrusts toward its anchor from the first steps (vx {east.Velocity.x})");
+        for (var i = 0; i < 120; i++) arena.Update(1f / 60f);
+        Assert.True(east.Position.x - west.Position.x < startGap - 20f, "the follower closed on its anchor");
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void AStagedApproachFollowerStopsFollowingOnceTheSensorsLoseTheTrack()
+    {
+        var (arena, east, west) = StagedApproach();
+        var view = arena.Agents.Single(a => a.Ship == east).View;
+        var sentinel = new float3(0, 0, 12345);
+        for (var i = 0; i < 3; i++) arena.Update(1f / 60f);
+
+        east.Command.Aim = sentinel;
+        arena.Update(1f / 60f);
+        Assert.NotEqual(sentinel, east.Command.Aim.Value);
+
+        east.EntityInfoGathered[west] = 0f;
+        Assert.Null(view.TrackOf(east, PilotView.Handle(west)));
+        east.Command.Aim = sentinel;
+        arena.Update(1f / 60f);
+        Assert.Equal(sentinel, east.Command.Aim.Value);
+    }
+}