diff --git a/nix/host-modules/glue-bao-tls.nix b/nix/host-modules/glue-bao-tls.nix
index eba4071c..3c912967 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/glue-bao-tls.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/glue-bao-tls.nix
@@ -193,8 +193,8 @@ in
         # local reads.
         #
         # Its own CN, not the reader's: the reader's leaf carries this hive's
-        # name and its policy reads the whole store, while this principal may
-        # only write one path — which is the entire point of giving the
+        # name and its policy reads every agent credential in the swarm, while this
+        # principal may only write one path — which is the entire point of giving the
         # container an identity instead of lending it the hive's.
         [ -s ${pkiDir}/matrix-ctl.pem ] || ${signLeaf} ${pkiDir} matrix-ctl \
           ${lib.escapeShellArg deployCfg.bao.matrixCtlCommonName} "" clientAuth
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/glue-queue-agent-credential.nix b/nix/host-modules/glue-queue-agent-credential.nix
index 165ff565..d8450270 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/glue-queue-agent-credential.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/glue-queue-agent-credential.nix
@@ -141,10 +141,10 @@ in
             a hive that reads the store at all is a hive that needs this pair.
 
             ⚠️ This reader's OWN leaf, not deploy.bao.clientCertFile. That one
-            is the hive's, and its grant reads every secret in the store; this
-            role reads the one queue-credential path. Pointing this option at
-            the hive's leaf would evaluate, deploy and log in — and undo the
-            split.
+            is the hive's, and its grant reads every agent credential in the
+            swarm and this hive's own secrets; this role reads the one
+            queue-credential path. Pointing this option at the hive's leaf
+            would evaluate, deploy and log in — and undo the split.
 
             On a hive that runs the store, glue-bao-tls.nix supplies both as
             defaults and there is nothing to do. Elsewhere the leaf is issued
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/hive-matrix.nix b/nix/host-modules/hive-matrix.nix
index e5a6e29f..65d63e16 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/hive-matrix.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/hive-matrix.nix
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ in
 
         ⚠️ **Not the hive's own leaf**, and that is the whole deliverable of
         giving this container an identity: the hive's certificate reads every
-        secret in the store, while this one may write a single path. Pointing
+        agent credential in the swarm, while this one may write a single path. Pointing
         this at `deploy.bao.clientCertFile` would evaluate, deploy and work —
         and give away the separation in one line.
 
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/swarm-bao.nix b/nix/host-modules/swarm-bao.nix
index b26780e0..15c9e394 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/swarm-bao.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/swarm-bao.nix
@@ -1583,8 +1583,9 @@ in
         the narrowest of the three: its grant is one path, that
         credential itself. The point of the whole arrangement is that the
         process holding the appservice token is not the hive, so handing it
-        the hive's own leaf — which reads every secret in the store — would
-        give the separation away in one line.
+        the hive's own leaf — which reads every agent credential in the swarm
+        and this hive's own secrets — would give the separation away in one
+        line.
 
         ⚠️ Same collision as its siblings, and the same answer: ./swarm.nix
         feeds this value into the guard on
@@ -2282,7 +2283,8 @@ in
             normally gets both from ./glue-bao-tls.nix.
 
             ⚠️ Not deploy.bao.clientCertFile. That one is the hive's, and its
-            grant reads every secret in the store; this role reads one path.
+            grant reads every agent credential in the swarm and this hive's
+            own secrets; this role reads one path.
           '';
         }
         {
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/swarm-grafana.nix b/nix/host-modules/swarm-grafana.nix
index 15d03ace..e9b880a1 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/swarm-grafana.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/swarm-grafana.nix
@@ -432,10 +432,10 @@ in
           band, and every other secret comes from the store with it.
 
           ⚠️ Grafana's OWN leaf, not deploy.bao.clientCertFile. That one is the
-          hive's, and its grant reads every secret in the store; this role
-          reads the one path Grafana's client secret lives at. Pointing this
-          option at the hive's leaf would evaluate, deploy and log in — and
-          undo the split.
+          hive's, and its grant reads every agent credential in the swarm and
+          this hive's own secrets; this role reads the one path Grafana's
+          client secret lives at. Pointing this option at the hive's leaf would
+          evaluate, deploy and log in — and undo the split.
 
           On a hive that runs the store, glue-bao-tls.nix supplies both as
           defaults and there is nothing to do. Elsewhere the leaf is issued
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/swarm-otel.nix b/nix/host-modules/swarm-otel.nix
index f281668f..44b12646 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/swarm-otel.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/swarm-otel.nix
@@ -576,10 +576,10 @@ in
           telemetry. That is not this host.
 
           ⚠️ The collector's OWN leaf, not deploy.bao.clientCertFile. That one
-          is the hive's, and its grant reads every secret in the store; this
-          role reads the one path this collector's client secret lives at.
-          Pointing this option at the hive's leaf would evaluate, deploy and
-          log in — and undo the split.
+          is the hive's, and its grant reads every agent credential in the
+          swarm and this hive's own secrets; this role reads the one path this
+          collector's client secret lives at. Pointing this option at the
+          hive's leaf would evaluate, deploy and log in — and undo the split.
 
           On a hive that runs the store, glue-bao-tls.nix supplies both as
           defaults and there is nothing to do. Elsewhere the leaf is issued
diff --git a/nix/module-eval/bao-matrix-reader.nix b/nix/module-eval/bao-matrix-reader.nix
index 08c049ab..051c775e 100644
--- a/nix/module-eval/bao-matrix-reader.nix
+++ b/nix/module-eval/bao-matrix-reader.nix
@@ -285,9 +285,9 @@ let
       # 🩸 The identity separation this whole arrangement buys, stated as the
       # one thing that would silently undo it. The container gets MATRIX-CTL's
       # leaf — whose grant is a single path — and not the hive's, which reads
-      # every secret in the store. Both files exist in the same directory and
+      # every agent credential in the swarm and this hive's own secrets. Both files exist in the same directory and
       # both would evaluate, deploy and work.
-      name = "matrix-ctl presents its own leaf, never the hive's store-wide one";
+      name = "matrix-ctl presents its own leaf, never the hive's";
       ok =
         let
           env =