diff --git a/hive-jobq/src/scheduler.rs b/hive-jobq/src/scheduler.rs
index 12f061b4..337c6b2d 100644
--- a/hive-jobq/src/scheduler.rs
+++ b/hive-jobq/src/scheduler.rs
@@ -100,21 +100,6 @@ impl<N, R: Clone + Eq + Hash> Scheduler<N, R> {
         self.graph.insert(payload, deps, parent)
     }
 
-    /// [`Scheduler::append`] for a node the builder has already validated —
-    /// infallible, so the insert loop cannot abandon a half-built job.
-    ///
-    /// Not public: the only caller is [`Scheduler::insert_job`], feeding nodes
-    /// that [`crate::builder::check_job_shape`] has already proved
-    /// well-formed. See [`Graph::insert_unchecked`].
-    pub(crate) fn append_unchecked(
-        &mut self,
-        payload: N,
-        deps: Vec<Dep<R>>,
-        parent: Option<NodeId>,
-    ) -> NodeId {
-        self.graph.insert_unchecked(payload, deps, parent)
-    }
-
     /// Insert a whole job under `root_parent`, returning the id each handle's
     /// node was minted as.
     ///
@@ -125,10 +110,12 @@ impl<N, R: Clone + Eq + Hash> Scheduler<N, R> {
     /// insert one itself, so there is no way to end up with a job-shaped value
     /// being passed around as a spec.
     ///
-    /// The one insertion entry point: every node goes through
-    /// [`Scheduler::append`], so a caller never has to reach past the scheduler
-    /// at the graph underneath. Call [`Scheduler::settle`] afterwards to start
-    /// whatever became runnable.
+    /// The one insertion entry point for a job. Nodes go straight into
+    /// [`Graph::insert_unchecked`]: [`crate::builder::check_job_shape`] has
+    /// already decided every rejection the graph could raise, so re-validating
+    /// per node could only report a problem *after* the earlier nodes were
+    /// inserted. Call [`Scheduler::settle`] afterwards to start whatever became
+    /// runnable.
     ///
     /// **Atomic in the job's own shape.** A forward edge, a forward parent, or
     /// a request for a handle this job never declared is rejected *before* the
@@ -145,8 +132,9 @@ impl<N, R: Clone + Eq + Hash> Scheduler<N, R> {
     ) -> Result<Vec<NodeId>, BuildError> {
         let job = JobBuilder::new();
         let wanted = declare(&job);
+        let graph = &mut self.graph;
         job.insert_with(root_parent, &wanted, |payload, deps, parent| {
-            self.append_unchecked(payload, deps, parent)
+            graph.insert_unchecked(payload, deps, parent)
         })
     }