diff --git a/crates/huginn-daemon/src/daemon.rs b/crates/huginn-daemon/src/daemon.rs
index c42d644..8b831a3 100644
--- a/crates/huginn-daemon/src/daemon.rs
+++ b/crates/huginn-daemon/src/daemon.rs
@@ -70,6 +70,20 @@ impl Handled {
     }
 }
 
+/// What the log says of the hits the mind held no document for: how many, and
+/// the first few by name (a restored mind can leave hundreds), or nothing when
+/// the mind held them all.
+fn dropped_note(dropped: &[PipelineRef]) -> Option<String> {
+    if dropped.is_empty() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let named: Vec<&str> = dropped.iter().take(5).map(|hit| hit.id.0.as_str()).collect();
+    Some(format!(
+        "huginn: the index returned {} ids this mind does not hold (first {named:?}); they are left out",
+        dropped.len()
+    ))
+}
+
 /// The envelope's `source_runtime_id` on every response a daemon serving this
 /// instance sends. Also what the socket is bound under, before a daemon exists.
 pub fn runtime_id(instance: &Slug) -> String {
@@ -181,13 +195,8 @@ impl<S: MindStore, I: IndexSink<S>> Daemon<S, I> {
         };
         match self.mind.rank(&search.selection, &search.semantic, &hits) {
             Ok(ranked) => {
-                if !ranked.dropped.is_empty() {
-                    let named: Vec<&str> = ranked.dropped.iter().take(5).map(|hit| hit.id.0.as_str()).collect();
-                    eprintln!(
-                        "huginn: the index returned {} ids this mind does not hold (first {:?}); they are left out",
-                        ranked.dropped.len(),
-                        named
-                    );
+                if let Some(note) = dropped_note(&ranked.dropped) {
+                    eprintln!("{note}");
                 }
                 HuginnMindResponse::Query(ranked.page)
             }
@@ -428,6 +437,19 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         (root, daemon)
     }
 
+    /// The log names how many hits the mind did not hold and the first five, and
+    /// says nothing when it held them all.
+    #[test]
+    fn the_dropped_hits_are_reported_by_count_and_the_first_five_names() {
+        assert_eq!(dropped_note(&[]), None);
+        let dropped: Vec<PipelineRef> =
+            (0..7).map(|n| PipelineRef { kind: PipelineKind::Question, id: Short(format!("gone-{n}")) }).collect();
+        let note = dropped_note(&dropped).unwrap();
+        assert!(note.contains("returned 7 ids"), "{note}");
+        assert!(note.contains("gone-0") && note.contains("gone-4") && !note.contains("gone-5"), "{note}");
+        assert_eq!(dropped_note(&dropped[..1]).unwrap().matches("gone-").count(), 1);
+    }
+
     /// No index: for the tests whose subject is not the projection.
     pub(crate) struct NoIndex;
 
diff --git a/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/fakes.rs b/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/fakes.rs
index 3ed7560..ffb8570 100644
--- a/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/fakes.rs
+++ b/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/fakes.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ impl Gate {
 
     /// Blocks until `count` calls to `embed` have arrived at the gate.
     pub(crate) fn wait_arrived(&self, count: u32) {
-        let deadline = std::time::Instant::now() + std::time::Duration::from_secs(30);
+        let deadline = std::time::Instant::now() + std::time::Duration::from_secs(10);
         let mut state = self.0.0.lock().unwrap();
         while state.0 < count {
             let left = deadline.saturating_duration_since(std::time::Instant::now());
diff --git a/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/mod.rs b/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/mod.rs
index 1d7aaa6..c0980c8 100644
--- a/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/mod.rs
@@ -699,7 +699,9 @@ fn work<E: Embedder, V: VectorIndex>(mut projector: Projector<E, V>, shared: Loc
     // When the worker next verifies the model and the collection whether or
     // not anything has woken it: an absolute time, moved only by a
     // verification, so a steady stream of searches cannot keep pushing it out.
-    let mut recheck_at = Instant::now() + backoff.recheck;
+    // The first step is a verification (the startup reconciliation), so it is
+    // due now.
+    let mut recheck_at = Instant::now();
     loop {
         if !absorb(&mut projector, &shared, failing.as_ref().map(|(error, attempts)| (error, *attempts))) {
             return;
@@ -811,7 +813,7 @@ impl WorkerSink {
 }
 
 /// The longest `WorkerSink::wait_status` waits, in all.
-const WAIT_STATUS_MAX: Duration = Duration::from_secs(30);
+const WAIT_STATUS_MAX: Duration = Duration::from_secs(10);
 
 impl Drop for WorkerSink {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
diff --git a/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/tests.rs b/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/tests.rs
index 6cce84f..2e7387c 100644
--- a/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/huginn-daemon/src/index/tests.rs
@@ -59,8 +59,15 @@ fn counts(index: &FakeIndex) -> (usize, usize) {
     (state.recreated.len(), state.upserts.len())
 }
 
+/// Steps until the projector has nothing to do. A step that never settles is a
+/// failure of the test, not a hang: it is bounded.
 fn drain<E: Embedder, V: VectorIndex>(projector: &mut Projector<E, V>) {
-    while projector.advance().unwrap() == Advance::Progressed {}
+    for _ in 0..1000 {
+        if projector.advance().unwrap() == Advance::Idle {
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+    panic!("the projector was still stepping after 1000 steps");
 }
 
 fn point_ids(entries: &[IndexEntry]) -> BTreeSet<String> {
@@ -758,7 +765,7 @@ fn a_mind_without_an_identity_makes_no_collection_until_its_first_admission() {
 /// assertion: it polls for at most ten seconds and then says what never
 /// happened.
 fn eventually(what: &str, mut condition: impl FnMut() -> bool) {
-    for _ in 0..2000 {
+    for _ in 0..1000 {
         if condition() {
             return;
         }
@@ -1349,7 +1356,7 @@ fn steady_searches_do_not_postpone_the_workers_recheck() {
     let listed = index.state.lock().unwrap().listed;
     let started = Instant::now();
     while index.state.lock().unwrap().listed < listed + 2 {
-        assert!(started.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(10), "the worker never rechecked while searches kept arriving");
+        assert!(started.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(5), "the worker never rechecked while searches kept arriving");
         let _ = ask_sink(&mut sink, "anything", 3);
         collected(&mut sink);
         std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10));
@@ -1385,3 +1392,18 @@ fn wait_status_gives_up_at_its_overall_deadline_however_often_the_health_changes
     ticker.join().unwrap();
     assert_eq!(gave_up, Ok(true), "the wait did not end at its deadline");
 }
+
+/// An idle worker verifies once per interval, not in a loop: the recheck moves
+/// its own deadline when it runs.
+#[test]
+fn an_idle_worker_rechecks_once_per_interval() {
+    let (_root, mind) = mind_with_documents();
+    let entries = mind.index_entries(None).unwrap();
+    let (embedder, index) = pair();
+    let backoff = Backoff { recheck: Duration::from_millis(100), ..quick() };
+    let sink = WorkerSink::spawn(embedder, index.clone(), &slug(INSTANCE), Some(MIND.into()), entries, backoff);
+    sink.wait_status(|status| *status == IndexStatus::Current);
+    std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(600));
+    let listed = index.state.lock().unwrap().listed;
+    assert!((2..=40).contains(&listed), "the startup reconciliation and about five rechecks listed the collection {listed} times");
+}