diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 00b94f85..18b3cb77 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -5027,7 +5027,6 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "async-nats",
  "axum",
- "backon",
  "data-encoding",
  "hive-sh4re",
  "reqwest",
@@ -5067,6 +5066,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "swarm-secret-client"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "backon",
  "futures-util",
  "reqwest",
  "rustify",
diff --git a/swarm-builder/src/main.rs b/swarm-builder/src/main.rs
index 5c835f37..b0b7501f 100644
--- a/swarm-builder/src/main.rs
+++ b/swarm-builder/src/main.rs
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         deadline: BUILD_DEADLINE,
     });
     let secret =
-        swarm_queue_client::read_with_startup_retry("reading the queue client secret", || {
+        swarm_secret_client::read_with_startup_retry("reading the queue client secret", || {
             client_secret(&client_id)
         })
         .await?;
diff --git a/swarm-claude-login/src/main.rs b/swarm-claude-login/src/main.rs
index 1efcf0b0..f9dce040 100644
--- a/swarm-claude-login/src/main.rs
+++ b/swarm-claude-login/src/main.rs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         STEP_DEADLINE,
     ));
     let secret =
-        swarm_queue_client::read_with_startup_retry("reading the queue client secret", || {
+        swarm_secret_client::read_with_startup_retry("reading the queue client secret", || {
             client_secret(&client_id)
         })
         .await?;
diff --git a/swarm-controller/src/queue_identity.rs b/swarm-controller/src/queue_identity.rs
index 1ff98e52..7bc11062 100644
--- a/swarm-controller/src/queue_identity.rs
+++ b/swarm-controller/src/queue_identity.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ pub async fn init() -> Result<()> {
     let identity = match coordinates_from(|name| std::env::var(name).ok())? {
         None => None,
         Some(coordinates) => {
-            let secret = swarm_queue_client::read_with_startup_retry(
+            let secret = swarm_secret_client::read_with_startup_retry(
                 "fetching the queue client secret from the swarm secret store",
                 fetch_secret,
             )
diff --git a/swarm-queue-client/Cargo.toml b/swarm-queue-client/Cargo.toml
index 90d0987c..ec73a487 100644
--- a/swarm-queue-client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/swarm-queue-client/Cargo.toml
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ agents-md-initial = ["async-nats/jetstream"]
 # Bare (no `kv`/`jetstream`) unless a consumer opts into the `kv` feature
 # above - the connect itself needs none of them.
 async-nats.workspace = true
-backon.workspace = true
 hive-sh4re = { workspace = true, optional = true }
 # `blocking` on top of the workspace default (`form`/`json`/`rustls`) —
 # `mint_token_for_blocking` needs `reqwest::blocking::Client` for a caller
@@ -100,9 +99,6 @@ utoipa = { workspace = true, optional = true }
 # A loopback stand-in token endpoint for the client secret re-read tests.
 axum.workspace = true
 data-encoding.workspace = true
-# `test-util` for `#[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]`: the startup-read
-# retry tests run on paused time.
-tokio = { workspace = true, features = ["test-util"] }
 
 [lints]
 workspace = true
diff --git a/swarm-queue-client/src/lib.rs b/swarm-queue-client/src/lib.rs
index cc74a575..018d29fe 100644
--- a/swarm-queue-client/src/lib.rs
+++ b/swarm-queue-client/src/lib.rs
@@ -496,9 +496,6 @@ pub mod subagent_term;
 /// same shapes.
 pub mod review_classifier;
 
-mod startup_read;
-pub use startup_read::read_with_startup_retry;
-
 /// Only the fields this needs; authelia returns several.
 #[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
 struct TokenResponse {
diff --git a/swarm-review-classifier/src/main.rs b/swarm-review-classifier/src/main.rs
index 4d2e133c..653ed2e2 100644
--- a/swarm-review-classifier/src/main.rs
+++ b/swarm-review-classifier/src/main.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ async fn serve() -> Result<()> {
         },
     };
     let secret =
-        swarm_queue_client::read_with_startup_retry("reading the queue client secret", || {
+        swarm_secret_client::read_with_startup_retry("reading the queue client secret", || {
             client_secret(&client_id)
         })
         .await?;
diff --git a/swarm-secret-client/Cargo.toml b/swarm-secret-client/Cargo.toml
index 70202ed6..96a37bc3 100644
--- a/swarm-secret-client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/swarm-secret-client/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ version.workspace = true
 edition.workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
+# `read_with_startup_retry`'s backoff schedule.
+backon.workspace = true
 # `Shared`, so every caller refused while a secret re-read runs waits on that
 # one read (`stored_secret`).
 futures-util.workspace = true
diff --git a/swarm-secret-client/src/lib.rs b/swarm-secret-client/src/lib.rs
index 45e70020..1a53f597 100644
--- a/swarm-secret-client/src/lib.rs
+++ b/swarm-secret-client/src/lib.rs
@@ -44,9 +44,11 @@ pub mod path;
 pub mod policy;
 pub mod queue;
 pub mod review_classifier;
+pub mod startup_read;
 pub mod stored_secret;
 
 pub use client::SecretStore;
+pub use startup_read::read_with_startup_retry;
 
 /// What can go wrong between "we have a client certificate" and "we have the
 /// credential".
diff --git a/swarm-queue-client/src/startup_read.rs b/swarm-secret-client/src/startup_read.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from swarm-queue-client/src/startup_read.rs
rename to swarm-secret-client/src/startup_read.rs