diff --git a/docs/swarm/credentials.md b/docs/swarm/credentials.md
index 938ddedd..94d31f4b 100644
--- a/docs/swarm/credentials.md
+++ b/docs/swarm/credentials.md
@@ -89,10 +89,11 @@ The same unit mints the client secrets, straight into the store. It reads
 only when the store answers and holds none does it run `authelia crypto hash generate`,
 create the leaf and write the digest. Authelia keeps only the digest on disk, in
 `oidc-clients/<id>.digest`, and starts from it while the store is down. A store that
-can't answer a read never mints, because a second secret would rotate the first. A client with
-a secret in the store but no digest, or a plaintext file but no digest, stops the unit
-with exit status 3 and an `err` line naming the client; restore the digest, or delete the
-leaf to mint again. `swarm-authelia-bridge` fetches its own secret from
+can't answer a read never mints, because a second secret would rotate the first. A client with a
+secret but no digest, in the store or in a leftover plaintext file, gets the digest of
+that secret and keeps the secret; `authelia crypto hash generate` computes the digest,
+with the password typed into its prompt through a pty, never in a command line.
+`swarm-authelia-bridge` fetches its own secret from
 `swarm/services/swarm-authelia-bridge/oidc/client` into
 `/run/swarm-authelia-bridge/client-secret` before each start, and a store that doesn't
 answer keeps the bridge down while it retries. A container without the publisher's
@@ -102,7 +103,8 @@ identity keeps the plaintext in `oidc-clients/<id>.secret`, as before.
 release left. For each, it stores the file's value when the store holds none, reads it
 back, and removes the file only when the store holds the same value; it logs one line per
 client containing `removed the file`. A store that holds a different value keeps both and
-logs an `err` line, and a store that doesn't answer keeps the file and retries. Once no
+logs an `err` line, and the unit stays failed without retrying, because only an operator can
+say which value is right; a store that doesn't answer keeps the file and retries. Once no
 file remains the unit does nothing. A file for a client that's no longer registered stays
 in place, with a log line.
 
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/lib/oidc-client-secrets.nix b/nix/host-modules/lib/oidc-client-secrets.nix
index 37824a25..a3af762e 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/lib/oidc-client-secrets.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/lib/oidc-client-secrets.nix
@@ -3,24 +3,27 @@
 # digest of each, in `$clients/<id>.digest`, and starts from it whether or not
 # the store answers.
 #
-# `mint_client_secret` is the only writer of a new secret. It creates the
-# store's leaf (`-cas=0`, so an existing value is never replaced) before it
-# writes the digest, so a digest on disk always has a secret behind it. It mints
-# only after a read that says the store holds none; a store that cannot be read
-# never mints, because a second secret would rotate the first.
+# `mint_client_secret` keeps every client with a digest. A client without one
+# gets it from the secret that exists: the plaintext file an earlier release
+# left, else the store's value. Only a client with none of the three is minted,
+# and then the store's leaf is created (`-cas=0`, so an existing value is never
+# replaced) before the digest is written, so a digest on disk always has a
+# secret behind it. A store that cannot be read never mints, because a second
+# secret would rotate the first.
 #
 # `migrate_client_secret` moves the plaintext file an earlier release left in
 # `$clients/<id>.secret` into the store and removes it once a read-back shows
 # the store holds the same value. It never overwrites a store value and never
 # removes a file the store does not match.
 #
-# Return statuses of both: 0 done, 1 retry later (the store could not answer),
-# 3 an operator has to look (logged at `err`; retrying changes nothing).
+# Return statuses: 0 done, 1 retry later (the store could not answer, or a
+# digest could not be computed), 3 (migration only) the file and the store hold
+# different secrets, and only an operator can say which is right.
 #
 # Pure function — NOT a NixOS module. Call it after `./store-seeded-secret.nix`
 # and `./atomic-write-secret.nix`, with `store_init` and `store_login` run and
-# `$clients` set to the digest directory. Needs `authelia`, `bao`, `coreutils`
-# and `sed` on the caller's `path`.
+# `$clients` set to the digest directory. Needs `authelia`, `bao`, `script`
+# (util-linux), `coreutils`, `grep` and `sed` on the caller's `path`.
 { }:
 ''
   # <leaf>. Sets CLIENT_SECRET_VALUE. 0: the store holds a value. 1: it holds
@@ -40,25 +43,50 @@
     return 2
   }
 
-  # <client id> <leaf>. Sets MINTED when it created a secret.
+  # <secret>. Prints authelia's digest of it, the form `mint` would have
+  # written. The CLI takes a password only on a terminal prompt or in argv,
+  # and argv is world-readable in /proc, so the prompt is answered through a
+  # pty from stdin. The pty echoes the password into the pipe, and only the
+  # `Digest:` line leaves it.
+  client_secret_digest() {
+    printf '%s\n' "$1" \
+      | timeout 60 script -qec "authelia crypto hash generate pbkdf2 --variant sha512 --no-confirm" /dev/null \
+      | tr -d '\r' | sed -n 's/^Digest: *//p'
+  }
+
+  # <client id> <secret> <where the secret came from>. Writes the digest of an
+  # existing secret; the secret itself is untouched.
+  client_secret_derive_digest() {
+    local id="$1" secret="$2" source="$3" digest
+    digest="$(client_secret_digest "$secret")" || digest=""
+    if [ -z "$digest" ]; then
+      echo "<3>oidc client $id: could not compute a digest from the secret in $source" >&2
+      return 1
+    fi
+    atomic_write_secret 0600 "" "$clients/$id.digest" "$digest" || return 1
+    MINTED=1
+    echo "oidc client $id: wrote the digest from the secret in $source; the secret is unchanged"
+  }
+
+  # <client id> <leaf>. Sets MINTED when it wrote a digest.
   mint_client_secret() {
     local id="$1" leaf="$2" dig="$clients/$1.digest" legacy="$clients/$1.secret"
     local state=0 out secret digest
-    if [ -e "$legacy" ]; then
+    if [ -s "$legacy" ]; then
       if [ -s "$dig" ]; then
         return 0
       fi
-      echo "<3>oidc client $id: $legacy exists but its digest does not; not minting a second secret. Restore the digest, or remove the file and the store's leaf $leaf to mint again." >&2
-      return 3
+      client_secret_derive_digest "$id" "$(< "$legacy")" "$legacy"
+      return
     fi
     client_secret_read "$leaf" || state=$?
     if [ "$state" = 0 ]; then
-      if [ ! -s "$dig" ]; then
-        echo "<3>oidc client $id: the store holds a secret at $leaf but $dig is missing; not minting a second secret. Restore the digest, or remove the leaf to mint again." >&2
-        return 3
+      if [ -s "$dig" ]; then
+        chmod 0600 "$dig"
+        return 0
       fi
-      chmod 0600 "$dig"
-      return 0
+      client_secret_derive_digest "$id" "$CLIENT_SECRET_VALUE" "the store at $leaf"
+      return
     fi
     if [ "$state" = 2 ]; then
       if [ -s "$dig" ]; then
@@ -83,8 +111,9 @@
     fi
     client_secret_read "$leaf" || return 1
     if [ "$CLIENT_SECRET_VALUE" != "$secret" ]; then
-      echo "<3>oidc client $id: $leaf holds a different value than the one minted; not writing a digest" >&2
-      return 3
+      echo "oidc client $id: $leaf holds a value another run created; using it"
+      client_secret_derive_digest "$id" "$CLIENT_SECRET_VALUE" "the store at $leaf"
+      return
     fi
     atomic_write_secret 0600 "" "$dig" "$digest" || return 1
     MINTED=1
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/swarm-authelia.nix b/nix/host-modules/swarm-authelia.nix
index fa90795e..9fa57198 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/swarm-authelia.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/swarm-authelia.nix
@@ -522,9 +522,8 @@ let
   # The plaintext goes straight into the store and only the digest is written
   # to disk. A digest on disk is enough for authelia to start while the store is
   # down; a client with no digest cannot be rendered, so that run fails and
-  # retries (./lib/store-retry.nix). A status of 3 is a state a retry does not
-  # change, and `RestartPreventExitStatus` leaves the unit failed for an
-  # operator.
+  # retries (./lib/store-retry.nix). A client whose digest is missing gets it
+  # from the secret that exists, so nothing is minted again.
   storeMintScript = ''
     ${oidcClientSecrets}
     ${lib.concatMapStrings (c: ''
@@ -1246,6 +1245,7 @@ in
               deployCfg.bao.package
               pkgs.gnugrep
               pkgs.systemd
+              pkgs.util-linux
             ];
             # A store that cannot answer, with a key missing on disk, is a
             # failed run that retries (./lib/store-retry.nix).
@@ -1266,9 +1266,6 @@ in
               // {
                 LoadCredential = lib.attrNames storeFiles;
                 TimeoutStartSec = 120;
-                # A secret that has no digest, or a digest that has no secret,
-                # is for an operator; minting again would rotate it.
-                RestartPreventExitStatus = 3;
               }
             );
             environment = lib.optionalAttrs publishes (
diff --git a/nix/module-eval/secret-publisher.nix b/nix/module-eval/secret-publisher.nix
index c40142f1..01884f72 100644
--- a/nix/module-eval/secret-publisher.nix
+++ b/nix/module-eval/secret-publisher.nix
@@ -488,7 +488,8 @@ let
         && !(lib.hasInfix "swarmctl" migrate.script)
         && !(lib.hasInfix "mint_client_secret swarmctl" mint.script)
         && migrate.serviceConfig.RestartPreventExitStatus == 3
-        && mint.serviceConfig.RestartPreventExitStatus == 3
+        # The mint answers authelia's password prompt through a pty.
+        && lib.any (p: lib.hasPrefix "util-linux" (p.name or "")) mint.path
         && migrate.serviceConfig.Restart == "on-failure"
         && migrate.serviceConfig.Type == "oneshot";
     }
diff --git a/nix/script-tests/oidc-client-secrets.nix b/nix/script-tests/oidc-client-secrets.nix
index c0ae6aaf..ac438220 100644
--- a/nix/script-tests/oidc-client-secrets.nix
+++ b/nix/script-tests/oidc-client-secrets.nix
@@ -55,12 +55,33 @@ let
     esac
   '';
 
-  # Prints what `authelia crypto hash generate pbkdf2 --random` prints, or
-  # nothing when `FAKE_AUTHELIA_EMPTY` is set. Every call is logged.
+  # With `--random`, prints what `authelia crypto hash generate pbkdf2 --random`
+  # prints. Without it, answers the password prompt from stdin the way the CLI
+  # does on a terminal: echo, then the digest of what was typed. Prints nothing
+  # when `FAKE_AUTHELIA_EMPTY` is set, and fails without a digest when
+  # `FAKE_AUTHELIA_NODIGEST` is set. Every call is logged.
   fakeAuthelia = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "authelia" ''
     echo "$*" >> "$FAKE_AUTHELIA_LOG"
     [ -z "''${FAKE_AUTHELIA_EMPTY-}" ] || exit 0
-    printf 'Random Password: minted-secret\n\nDigest: $pbkdf2-sha512$fake\n'
+    case " $* " in
+      *" --random "*)
+        printf 'Random Password: minted-secret\n\nDigest: $pbkdf2-sha512$fake\n'
+        ;;
+      *)
+        [ -z "''${FAKE_AUTHELIA_NODIGEST-}" ] || exit 1
+        IFS= read -r typed
+        printf 'Enter Password: %s\r\nDigest: digest-of-%s\r\n' "$typed" "$typed"
+        ;;
+    esac
+  '';
+
+  # Runs the command it is given, as util-linux's `script -qec <cmd> /dev/null`
+  # does, without needing a pty in the build sandbox. The real pty is checked
+  # against the real authelia by hand.
+  fakeScript = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "script" ''
+    echo "script $1 $3" >> "$FAKE_AUTHELIA_LOG"
+    [ "$1" = -qec ] || exit 99
+    exec ${pkgs.bash}/bin/bash -c "$2"
   '';
 in
 pkgs.runCommand "hyperhive-script-test-oidc-client-secrets"
@@ -75,6 +96,7 @@ pkgs.runCommand "hyperhive-script-test-oidc-client-secrets"
       paths = [
         fakeBao
         fakeAuthelia
+        fakeScript
       ];
     };
     nativeBuildInputs = [
diff --git a/nix/script-tests/oidc-client-secrets.sh b/nix/script-tests/oidc-client-secrets.sh
index 3edee189..4a0a128f 100644
--- a/nix/script-tests/oidc-client-secrets.sh
+++ b/nix/script-tests/oidc-client-secrets.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ setup() {
   mkdir "$dir/kv" "$dir/clients"
   export FAKE_BAO_KV=$dir/kv FAKE_BAO_LOG=$dir/bao.log FAKE_BAO_LOGIN_RC=0
   export FAKE_AUTHELIA_LOG=$dir/authelia.log
-  unset FAKE_BAO_DENY_READ FAKE_BAO_DENY_WRITE FAKE_BAO_RACE FAKE_AUTHELIA_EMPTY
+  unset FAKE_BAO_DENY_READ FAKE_BAO_DENY_WRITE FAKE_BAO_RACE FAKE_AUTHELIA_EMPTY FAKE_AUTHELIA_NODIGEST
   : >"$FAKE_BAO_LOG"
   : >"$FAKE_AUTHELIA_LOG"
   clients=$dir/clients
@@ -76,8 +76,9 @@ digest_is() {
   fi
 }
 
+# Whether a new secret was minted, as opposed to a digest computed.
 ran_authelia() {
-  [ -s "$FAKE_AUTHELIA_LOG" ]
+  grep -q -e "--random" "$FAKE_AUTHELIA_LOG"
 }
 
 store_called() {
@@ -158,14 +159,18 @@ expect 1
 digest_is ""
 if ran_authelia; then fail "minted although the read was refused"; fi
 
-setup "mint: no digest but a secret in the store is for an operator, and nothing is minted"
+setup "mint: no digest but a secret in the store gets the digest of that secret, and the secret is unchanged"
 printf 'old-secret' >"$stored"
 run mint_client_secret
-expect 3
+expect 0
 held old-secret
-digest_is ""
+digest_is digest-of-old-secret
 if ran_authelia; then fail "minted over the store's secret"; fi
-if ! logged "<3>oidc client $id"; then fail "no err-priority line"; fi
+if grep -q '^kv put' "$FAKE_BAO_LOG"; then fail "wrote to a leaf that held a value"; fi
+if [ "$minted" != 1 ]; then fail "did not report the new digest"; fi
+if [ "$(stat -c %a "$digest")" != 600 ]; then fail "digest mode is $(stat -c %a "$digest")"; fi
+if ! logged "oidc client $id: wrote the digest from the secret in the store"; then fail "no info line"; fi
+no_secret_in_argv
 
 setup "mint: a plaintext file with its digest is left for the migration"
 printf 'old-secret\n' >"$legacy"
@@ -176,14 +181,25 @@ digest_is old-digest
 if ran_authelia; then fail "minted although a file held the secret"; fi
 if store_called; then fail "called the store"; fi
 
-setup "mint: a plaintext file with no digest is for an operator, and nothing is minted"
+setup "mint: a plaintext file with no digest gets the digest of the file's secret, and the file and the store are untouched"
 printf 'old-secret\n' >"$legacy"
 run mint_client_secret
-expect 3
-digest_is ""
+expect 0
+digest_is digest-of-old-secret
 held ""
+if [ "$(cat "$legacy")" != old-secret ]; then fail "changed the file"; fi
 if ran_authelia; then fail "minted over the file's secret"; fi
-if ! logged "<3>oidc client $id"; then fail "no err-priority line"; fi
+if store_called; then fail "called the store"; fi
+if ! logged "oidc client $id: wrote the digest from the secret in $legacy"; then fail "no info line"; fi
+no_secret_in_argv
+
+setup "mint: a secret whose digest cannot be computed is a failure and writes no digest"
+printf 'old-secret' >"$stored"
+export FAKE_AUTHELIA_NODIGEST=1
+run mint_client_secret
+expect 1
+digest_is ""
+held old-secret
 
 setup "mint: an authelia that prints nothing writes nothing"
 export FAKE_AUTHELIA_EMPTY=1
@@ -199,12 +215,12 @@ expect 1
 held ""
 digest_is ""
 
-setup "mint: losing the race to another run writes no digest and keeps the winner's secret"
+setup "mint: losing the race to another run takes the winner's secret and writes its digest"
 export FAKE_BAO_RACE=winner-secret
 run mint_client_secret
-expect 3
+expect 0
 held winner-secret
-digest_is ""
+digest_is digest-of-winner-secret
 
 if [ "$(id -u)" != 0 ]; then
   setup "mint: a digest that cannot be written is a failure, not a mint"
diff --git a/swarm-nats-auth/src/oidc_secret.rs b/swarm-nats-auth/src/oidc_secret.rs
index 6580ea38..c31c7270 100644
--- a/swarm-nats-auth/src/oidc_secret.rs
+++ b/swarm-nats-auth/src/oidc_secret.rs
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ use crate::introspect::{Answer, Caller};
 use crate::keystore::KeyStore;
 
 /// The path under the store's KV mount holding `client_id`'s secret.
-/// `swarm-secret-publisher.nix` writes it, and `natsAuthReaders` in
-/// `swarm-bao.nix` grants this responder's role the read.
+/// Authelia's mint (`authelia-swarm-secrets`) writes it, at the path
+/// `swarm-secret-publisher.nix` lists, and `natsAuthReaders` in `swarm-bao.nix`
+/// grants this responder's role the read.
 ///
 /// # Errors
 /// When `client_id` is not a single path segment.
diff --git a/swarm-secret-client/src/builder.rs b/swarm-secret-client/src/builder.rs
index 2e3444c2..1151f7d7 100644
--- a/swarm-secret-client/src/builder.rs
+++ b/swarm-secret-client/src/builder.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ pub struct AtticPushToken {
 }
 
 /// The path holding the queue client secret of the builder's OIDC client
-/// `client_id`, where `swarm-secret-publisher.nix` puts every swarm service's.
+/// `client_id`, where authelia's mint puts every swarm service's.
 ///
 /// # Errors
 /// [`Error::PathSegment`] when `client_id` is not a single path segment.
diff --git a/swarm-secret-client/src/ci_metrics.rs b/swarm-secret-client/src/ci_metrics.rs
index 37ecfbae..f2d095aa 100644
--- a/swarm-secret-client/src/ci_metrics.rs
+++ b/swarm-secret-client/src/ci_metrics.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ pub fn forge_token_path() -> Result<String, Error> {
 }
 
 /// The path holding the secret of the poller's OIDC client `client_id`, where
-/// `swarm-secret-publisher.nix` puts every swarm service's.
+/// authelia's mint puts every swarm service's.
 ///
 /// # Errors
 /// [`Error::PathSegment`] when `client_id` is not a single path segment.
diff --git a/swarm-secret-client/src/claude_login.rs b/swarm-secret-client/src/claude_login.rs
index 3cfcda4b..f5477454 100644
--- a/swarm-secret-client/src/claude_login.rs
+++ b/swarm-secret-client/src/claude_login.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ impl std::fmt::Debug for Credentials {
 }
 
 /// The path holding the queue client secret of the minter's OIDC client
-/// `client_id`, where `swarm-secret-publisher.nix` puts every swarm service's.
+/// `client_id`, where authelia's mint puts every swarm service's.
 ///
 /// # Errors
 /// [`Error::PathSegment`] when `client_id` is not a single path segment.
diff --git a/swarm-secret-client/src/queue.rs b/swarm-secret-client/src/queue.rs
index 0c32251d..70e78744 100644
--- a/swarm-secret-client/src/queue.rs
+++ b/swarm-secret-client/src/queue.rs
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ pub fn agent_queue_path(agent: &str) -> Result<String, Error> {
 /// Under [`Kind::Controller`] because no hive's policy reads that kind, and
 /// this client may read every hive's status.
 ///
-/// The nix half is `swarm-secret-publisher.nix`, which writes it, and
-/// `swarm-bao.nix`'s `controllerPolicyText`, which grants the read.
+/// The nix half is `swarm-secret-publisher.nix`, which lists the path
+/// authelia's mint writes it at, and `swarm-bao.nix`'s `controllerPolicyText`,
+/// which grants the read.
 ///
 /// # Errors
 /// Never in practice: the name segment is a constant. The `Result` is
@@ -70,7 +71,8 @@ pub struct ControllerCredential {
 /// Under the hive's own prefix, which the hive's policy reads
 /// ([`crate::policy::render_shared_hives`]).
 ///
-/// The nix half is `swarm-secret-publisher.nix`, which writes it.
+/// The nix half is `swarm-secret-publisher.nix`, which lists the path authelia's
+/// mint writes it at.
 ///
 /// # Errors
 /// [`Error::PathSegment`] when `hive` contains anything but `[A-Za-z0-9_-]`.
diff --git a/swarm-secret-client/src/review_classifier.rs b/swarm-secret-client/src/review_classifier.rs
index 7d573e2a..7c6a0b54 100644
--- a/swarm-secret-client/src/review_classifier.rs
+++ b/swarm-secret-client/src/review_classifier.rs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ pub fn forge_token_path() -> Result<String, Error> {
 }
 
 /// The path holding the queue client secret of the classifier's OIDC client
-/// `client_id`, where `swarm-secret-publisher.nix` puts every swarm service's.
+/// `client_id`, where authelia's mint puts every swarm service's.
 ///
 /// # Errors
 /// [`Error::PathSegment`] when `client_id` is not a single path segment.