diff --git a/src/Bifrost.Web/Features/Desk/DeskEndpoints.cs b/src/Bifrost.Web/Features/Desk/DeskEndpoints.cs
index f97a949..83cd6c1 100644
--- a/src/Bifrost.Web/Features/Desk/DeskEndpoints.cs
+++ b/src/Bifrost.Web/Features/Desk/DeskEndpoints.cs
@@ -229,6 +229,13 @@ public static class DeskEndpoints
                 if (string.Equals(result.Answer.Code, DeskStatus.StaleFork, StringComparison.Ordinal))
                 {
                     var current = await door.ReadAsync(mind.Socket, context, result.Answer.ForkId, cancellationToken);
+                    if (current is DeskReadOutcome.ForkTooLarge(var largeFork))
+                    {
+                        // Nothing is recorded for a stale answer, and the card it would carry cannot be returned: permanent.
+                        await WriteJsonAsync(http, DeskRefusals.ForkTooLargeStatus, DeskRefusals.ForkTooLargeDocument(largeFork));
+                        return;
+                    }
+
                     if (current is not DeskReadOutcome.Found(var entry))
                     {
                         await WriteUnavailableAsync(http, desk);
diff --git a/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/DeskAnswerTests.cs b/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/DeskAnswerTests.cs
index c772c25..7c31577 100644
--- a/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/DeskAnswerTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/DeskAnswerTests.cs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public sealed class DeskAnswerTests
     }
 
     [Fact]
-    public async Task A_stale_cards_read_that_is_fork_too_large_stays_unavailable_until_the_contract_says_otherwise()
+    public async Task A_stale_answers_card_read_of_an_oversize_fork_is_422_fork_too_large_naming_the_fork()
     {
         var (factory, token) = await ArrangeAsync();
         using (factory)
@@ -76,8 +76,11 @@ public sealed class DeskAnswerTests
 
             var reply = await factory.SendAsync("POST", DeskReplay.Target("answer", "gamecult-chat", null), DeskReplay.AnswerBody(DeskReplay.ChatFork), token);
 
-            Assert.Equal(503, reply.Status);
-            Assert.Equal("unavailable", (string?)JsonNode.Parse(reply.Body)!["code"]);
+            var doc = JsonNode.Parse(reply.Body)!;
+            Assert.Equal(422, reply.Status);
+            Assert.Equal("fork_too_large", (string?)doc["code"]);
+            Assert.Contains(DeskReplay.ChatFork, (string)doc["error"]!);
+            Assert.Null(doc["card"]);
         }
     }