diff --git a/src/app/features/desk/DeskView.test.tsx b/src/app/features/desk/DeskView.test.tsx
index 8dbb1dd6..ede59229 100644
--- a/src/app/features/desk/DeskView.test.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/desk/DeskView.test.tsx
@@ -100,8 +100,18 @@ describe('DeskView', () => {
     const html = view('noAnswers', ScreenSize.Desktop, 'void', new Set(['c:question:plain']));
     expect(html).toContain('does not match the hash it was published with');
     expect(html).not.toContain('First way');
-    expect(html).not.toContain('Just one fork');
-    expect(html).toContain('Nothing is waiting');
+    expect(html).toContain('1 open.');
+    expect(html).not.toContain('Nothing is waiting');
+  });
+  it('never claims an empty desk while the list says forks are open, whatever rows it could show', () => {
+    setDeskSource(() => undefined);
+    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+      <ScreenSizeProvider value={ScreenSize.Desktop}>
+        <DeskView mind="void" label="Void" list={{ ...STATES.empty, open_count: 3 }} />
+      </ScreenSizeProvider>
+    );
+    expect(html).toContain('3 open.');
+    expect(html).not.toContain('Nothing is waiting');
   });
   it('shows no booth for a Mind without art rather than another face', () => {
     expect(view('noAnswers', ScreenSize.Desktop, 'nobody')).not.toContain('data-pose');
diff --git a/src/app/features/desk/buildDesk.test.ts b/src/app/features/desk/buildDesk.test.ts
index 657677fa..e4a81248 100644
--- a/src/app/features/desk/buildDesk.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/desk/buildDesk.test.ts
@@ -43,9 +43,18 @@ describe('buildDesk', () => {
     ]);
     expect(d.open.map((r) => r.forkId)).toEqual(['c:question:live']);
   });
-  it('orders open rows by the card order, oldest admission first, whatever order the list came in', () => {
-    const d = buildDesk(list([entry('late', { order: 9 }), entry('early', { order: 2 })]));
-    expect(d.open.map((r) => r.forkId)).toEqual(['c:question:early', 'c:question:late']);
+  it('keeps the served order (newest first by card.order) and sorts nothing itself', () => {
+    const served = list([entry('late', { order: 9 }), entry('early', { order: 2 })]);
+    expect(buildDesk(served).open.map((r) => r.forkId)).toEqual([
+      'c:question:late',
+      'c:question:early',
+    ]);
+    const odd = list([entry('a', { order: 2 }), entry('b', { order: 9 })]);
+    expect(buildDesk(odd).open.map((r) => r.forkId)).toEqual(['c:question:a', 'c:question:b']);
+  });
+  it("takes the open count from the list's open_count, not from the rows it could verify or carries", () => {
+    const d = buildDesk({ ...list([entry('only')]), open_count: 4 }, new Set(['c:question:only']));
+    expect(d.counts.open).toBe(4);
   });
   it('marks the answer the record names as counted, and no other', () => {
     const [row] = questions(buildDesk(STATES.answered));
@@ -92,6 +101,5 @@ describe('buildDesk', () => {
   it('withdraws an unverified open card and does not count it', () => {
     const d = buildDesk(STATES.noAnswers, new Set(['c:question:plain']));
     expect(d.open).toEqual([{ kind: 'unverified', forkId: 'c:question:plain' }]);
-    expect(d.counts.open).toBe(0);
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/features/desk/buildDesk.ts b/src/app/features/desk/buildDesk.ts
index 5694df9a..e09dec1f 100644
--- a/src/app/features/desk/buildDesk.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/desk/buildDesk.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export type Desk = {
   open: DeskRow[];
   /** Closed with a ruling id. A card closed with no ruling (withdrawn) is not listed. */
   recorded: { forkId: string; title: string; rulingId: string }[];
-  /** Verified open questions on the page, for the booth mood. */
+  /** The list's own open_count: the one count the navigator, the status line and the booth share. */
   counts: { open: number };
 };
 
@@ -64,34 +64,32 @@ export const buildDesk = (
   if (!list) return { published: false, open: [], recorded: [], counts: { open: 0 } };
   const open: DeskRow[] = [];
   const recorded: Desk['recorded'] = [];
-  [...list.forks]
-    .sort((a, b) => a.card.order - b.card.order)
-    .forEach((entry) => {
-      const { card, record } = entry;
-      if (card.status === 'closed') {
-        if (card.ruling !== null)
-          recorded.push({ forkId: card.fork_id, title: card.title, rulingId: card.ruling });
-        return;
-      }
-      if (unverified.has(card.fork_id)) {
-        open.push({ kind: 'unverified', forkId: card.fork_id });
-        return;
-      }
-      open.push({
-        kind: 'question',
-        forkId: card.fork_id,
-        title: card.title,
-        context: card.context,
-        options: card.options.map((o) => ({ ...o, recommended: o.id === card.recommendation })),
-        recommended: card.options.find((o) => o.id === card.recommendation)?.text,
-        depends: card.depends,
-        answers: record.answers.map((a) => answerRow(a, entry)),
-      });
+  list.forks.forEach((entry) => {
+    const { card, record } = entry;
+    if (card.status === 'closed') {
+      if (card.ruling !== null)
+        recorded.push({ forkId: card.fork_id, title: card.title, rulingId: card.ruling });
+      return;
+    }
+    if (unverified.has(card.fork_id)) {
+      open.push({ kind: 'unverified', forkId: card.fork_id });
+      return;
+    }
+    open.push({
+      kind: 'question',
+      forkId: card.fork_id,
+      title: card.title,
+      context: card.context,
+      options: card.options.map((o) => ({ ...o, recommended: o.id === card.recommendation })),
+      recommended: card.options.find((o) => o.id === card.recommendation)?.text,
+      depends: card.depends,
+      answers: record.answers.map((a) => answerRow(a, entry)),
     });
+  });
   return {
     published: true,
     open,
     recorded,
-    counts: { open: open.filter((r) => r.kind === 'question').length },
+    counts: { open: list.open_count },
   };
 };
diff --git a/src/preview-demo/deskForks.ts b/src/preview-demo/deskForks.ts
index 50501902..a0ca67bf 100644
--- a/src/preview-demo/deskForks.ts
+++ b/src/preview-demo/deskForks.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ const list = (mind: string, forks: ForkEntry[], stamp: string): ForkList => ({
   stamp,
   open_count: forks.filter((f) => f.card.status === 'open').length,
   recorded_count: forks.filter((f) => f.card.status === 'closed').length,
-  forks,
+  forks: [...forks].sort((a, b) => b.card.order - a.card.order),
   next_cursor: null,
 });