diff --git a/swarm-controller/src/wanted.rs b/swarm-controller/src/wanted.rs
index 4d5def90..a80eaf47 100644
--- a/swarm-controller/src/wanted.rs
+++ b/swarm-controller/src/wanted.rs
@@ -127,6 +127,25 @@ fn apply(
         }
         .into());
     }
+    // `Create` against a name that already has a *non-terminal* declaration
+    // is not a creation — it's the create-agent endpoint being asked to
+    // declare a name that turns out to already exist (a retried request, or
+    // an operator migrating a pre-existing agent into this bookkeeping for
+    // the first time). Creation is expected to be idempotent, so this is a
+    // no-op that leaves the existing declaration exactly as it stood rather
+    // than stomping it back to whatever state the create path passes —
+    // otherwise calling create against a name that is already `Up` would
+    // silently pause a running agent. `Destroyed` is excluded on purpose:
+    // that's the one case a fresh create *does* need to write over (see
+    // `Intent::Create`'s own doc comment).
+    if intent == Intent::Create
+        && let Some(existing) = declaration.agents.get(agent)
+        && existing.state != AgentState::Destroyed
+    {
+        let encoded =
+            serde_json::to_vec(&declaration).context("encoding the current declaration")?;
+        return Ok((declaration, encoded));
+    }
     declaration
         .agents
         .insert(agent.to_owned(), AgentWanted { state });
@@ -201,6 +220,12 @@ impl WantedWriter {
     /// the time this runs the swarm has already built that agent's identity,
     /// repo and config from nothing.
     ///
+    /// Idempotent against any other existing declaration: an agent already
+    /// declared in a non-terminal state (an operator migrating a pre-existing
+    /// agent into this bookkeeping, or a retried request) is left exactly as
+    /// it stood — creation must not silently pause an agent already running
+    /// under some other wanted state.
+    ///
     /// A separate method rather than an `Intent` parameter on `set`: the
     /// caller that may overwrite a terminal state is the agent-creation job
     /// node and nothing else, and an argument every other caller has to pass
@@ -239,6 +264,15 @@ impl WantedWriter {
                 intent,
             )?;
 
+            // `apply`'s `Intent::Create` no-op (an already-declared,
+            // non-terminal agent) re-encodes the declaration unchanged —
+            // skip the network round-trip for it entirely rather than
+            // writing identical bytes back.
+            if entry.as_ref().map(|e| e.value.as_ref()) == Some(encoded.as_slice()) {
+                tracing::debug!(hive, agent, "declaration already current, no write needed");
+                return Ok(declaration);
+            }
+
             // `update` and `create` have separate error types, and only one
             // variant of each means "someone else got there first". Every
             // other failure returns immediately: retrying a disconnect or a
@@ -402,6 +436,30 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(declaration.agents["iris"].state, AgentState::Destroyed);
     }
 
+    /// mara: "this does not match the expectation that agent creation is
+    /// idempotent so pre existing agents can be migrated" — an agent already
+    /// declared in some other, non-terminal state (say an operator migrating
+    /// a pre-existing agent into this bookkeeping) must not be stomped back
+    /// to whatever state the create path passes.
+    #[test]
+    fn creating_an_agent_does_not_disturb_an_existing_non_terminal_declaration() {
+        let current = br#"{"agents":{"atlas":{"state":"up"}}}"#;
+        let (declaration, _) =
+            apply(Some(current), "atlas", AgentState::Paused, Intent::Create).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(declaration.agents["atlas"].state, AgentState::Up);
+    }
+
+    /// The idempotent no-op only inspects the agent being created — it must
+    /// not touch any other agent's declaration on the same hive.
+    #[test]
+    fn creating_an_agent_that_already_exists_leaves_every_other_agent_alone() {
+        let current = br#"{"agents":{"atlas":{"state":"up"},"iris":{"state":"offline"}}}"#;
+        let (declaration, _) =
+            apply(Some(current), "atlas", AgentState::Paused, Intent::Create).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(declaration.agents["atlas"].state, AgentState::Up);
+        assert_eq!(declaration.agents["iris"].state, AgentState::Offline);
+    }
+
     /// `Intent::Create` relaxes exactly one rule. An undecodable current
     /// value is still an error, for the same reason it is on a redeclare:
     /// writing over it discards every other agent on the hive.