diff --git a/crates/huginn-mind/src/desk.rs b/crates/huginn-mind/src/desk.rs
index ca7a341..4bdec8e 100644
--- a/crates/huginn-mind/src/desk.rs
+++ b/crates/huginn-mind/src/desk.rs
@@ -142,6 +142,15 @@ fn counts_under(answer: &PipelineDeskAnswer, current: &Sha256Hex) -> bool {
     matches!(answer.outcome, DeskOutcome::Counted | DeskOutcome::Revision { .. }) && answer.options_hash == *current
 }
 
+/// The answer already stored for `(answerer, request_id)`, if any: the one retry lookup, which
+/// `answer_desk` runs before it reads the fork and the door runs before its showability gate.
+pub(crate) fn bound_answer<'a>(docs: &'a Docs<'_>, answerer: &Short, request_id: &RequestId) -> Option<(&'a str, &'a PipelineDeskAnswer)> {
+    docs.of_kind(PipelineKind::DeskAnswer).find_map(|(key, document)| match document {
+        PipelineDocument::DeskAnswer(held) if held.answerer == *answerer && held.request_id == *request_id => Some((key, held)),
+        _ => None,
+    })
+}
+
 /// The answer that counts for `fork` now: the lowest-sequence answer whose stored
 /// outcome is Counted or Revision under the card's current options hash and that no
 /// Retraction names (R4; an answer under an older hash stops counting). Derived on
@@ -318,11 +327,7 @@ impl<S: MindStore> Mind<S> {
         // the fork is read, so a retry gets its stored outcome without re-validating and even if the
         // card has since changed. A malformed request_id binds no record and meets the probe below.
         // The key is (answerer, request_id).
-        let bound = docs.of_kind(PipelineKind::DeskAnswer).find_map(|(key, document)| match document {
-            PipelineDocument::DeskAnswer(held) if held.answerer == stamp.answerer && held.request_id == request.request_id => Some((key, held)),
-            _ => None,
-        });
-        if let Some((key, held)) = bound {
+        if let Some((key, held)) = bound_answer(&docs, &stamp.answerer, &request.request_id) {
             if held.body_sha256 != body_sha256 {
                 return Err(MindRefusal::DeskRequestIdConflict { request_id: request.request_id.0.clone() });
             }
diff --git a/crates/huginn-mind/src/desk_wire.rs b/crates/huginn-mind/src/desk_wire.rs
index b729d0a..0561b85 100644
--- a/crates/huginn-mind/src/desk_wire.rs
+++ b/crates/huginn-mind/src/desk_wire.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use eureka_pipeline::{
 use schemars::JsonSchema;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
-use crate::desk::{DeskAnswerOutcome, DeskAnswerRequest, DeskBody, DeskStamp, counted_answer};
+use crate::desk::{DeskAnswerOutcome, DeskAnswerRequest, DeskBody, DeskStamp, bound_answer, counted_answer};
 use crate::docs::Docs;
 use crate::mind::Mind;
 use crate::refusal::MindRefusal;
@@ -323,10 +323,11 @@ impl<S: MindStore> Mind<S> {
             Err(refused) => return Ok((DeskResponse::NotStored(refused), false)),
         };
         let image = self.image()?;
-        let unshowable = matches!(
-            Docs::at(image, image.head).find(PipelineKind::Question, &sent.fork.0),
-            Some(PipelineDocument::Question(question)) if !showable(question, deciders)
-        );
+        let docs = Docs::at(image, image.head);
+        // A request already stored replays whatever the list is now: the lookup is `answer_desk`'s,
+        // asked here only so the gate does not shadow it.
+        let unshowable = bound_answer(&docs, &subject, &sent.request_id).is_none()
+            && matches!(docs.find(PipelineKind::Question, &sent.fork.0), Some(PipelineDocument::Question(question)) if !showable(question, deciders));
         if unshowable {
             return Ok((DeskResponse::NotStored(fork_unknown()), false));
         }
@@ -886,6 +887,28 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(answered(ask(&mut mind, "x", asked).0).0.outcome, "Counted");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_stored_answer_replays_whatever_the_decider_list_is_now() {
+        let mut mind = desk();
+        let hash = hash_of(&mind, FORK);
+        let request = wire(FORK, &hash);
+        let (stored, replayed) = ask(&mut mind, "x", request.clone());
+        assert!(!replayed);
+        let before = head(&mind);
+        // The list Bifrost passes is empty now; the stored request still gets its stored answer.
+        let (again, replayed) = ask_as(&mut mind, "x", &[], request.clone());
+        assert!(replayed);
+        assert_eq!(encode(&again), encode(&stored));
+        assert_eq!(head(&mind), before);
+        // Another subject with the same bytes has stored nothing: the gate refuses it.
+        let (other, replayed) = ask_as(&mut mind, "y", &[], request);
+        assert_eq!((not_stored(other).code, replayed), (ForkRefusalCode::ForkUnknown, false));
+        // And a request nobody stored is fork_unknown while the list is empty.
+        let fresh = wire(FORK, &hash);
+        assert_eq!(not_stored(ask_as(&mut mind, "x", &[], fresh).0).code, ForkRefusalCode::ForkUnknown);
+        assert_eq!((head(&mind), stored_count(&mind, FORK)), (before, 1));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn showable_needs_two_options_text_depends_and_a_decider() {
         let D::Question(plain) = question("Q9", &["A", "B"], "A") else { unreachable!() };