diff --git a/swarm-controller/src/main.rs b/swarm-controller/src/main.rs
index 053ca140..0efb130d 100644
--- a/swarm-controller/src/main.rs
+++ b/swarm-controller/src/main.rs
@@ -1434,13 +1434,21 @@ async fn create_agent(
     // path and matrix id all carry the bare name. The same name on the same
     // hive is that agent being re-created, and goes through.
     let _gate = state.create_gate.lock().await;
-    let declared = declarations_elsewhere(&state, &agent, &hive).await?;
-    let mut sched = state
-        .jobq
-        .lock()
-        .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
-    let queued = queued_placements(sched.graph());
-    let elsewhere = placed_elsewhere(&agent, &hive, &declared, &queued);
+    let elsewhere = placements_elsewhere(
+        &agent,
+        &hive,
+        || {
+            queued_placements(
+                state
+                    .jobq
+                    .lock()
+                    .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner)
+                    .graph(),
+            )
+        },
+        || declarations_elsewhere(&state, &agent, &hive),
+    )
+    .await?;
     if !elsewhere.is_empty() {
         let detail = format!(
             "agent name {agent:?} is already placed on hive {} — agent names are unique across \
@@ -1449,6 +1457,10 @@ async fn create_agent(
         );
         return Err(error_problem(axum::http::StatusCode::CONFLICT, &detail));
     }
+    let mut sched = state
+        .jobq
+        .lock()
+        .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
     let ids = sched
         .insert_job(None, |b| declare_agent_job(b, &agent, &hive))
         .map_err(|e| {
@@ -1466,6 +1478,30 @@ async fn create_agent(
     }))
 }
 
+/// [`placed_elsewhere`] over a snapshot of the queued placements and a read
+/// of the published ones, **in that order**.
+///
+/// A `SetAgentWanted` node writes its declaration before it turns terminal.
+/// Snapshotting the queue first means a node already terminal there has
+/// written, so the read that follows sees its declaration; a node still
+/// queued is in the snapshot. Reading first leaves a gap: a node finishing
+/// between the two is in neither.
+async fn placements_elsewhere<E, Fut>(
+    agent: &str,
+    hive: &str,
+    snapshot_queued: impl FnOnce() -> Vec<(String, String)>,
+    read_declared: impl FnOnce() -> Fut,
+) -> Result<Vec<String>, E>
+where
+    Fut: std::future::Future<
+            Output = Result<Vec<(String, swarm_queue_client::wanted::HiveWanted)>, E>,
+        >,
+{
+    let queued = snapshot_queued();
+    let declared = read_declared().await?;
+    Ok(placed_elsewhere(agent, hive, &declared, &queued))
+}
+
 /// Every hive but `hive`'s published wanted state, for [`placed_elsewhere`].
 ///
 /// No queue wired up means no hive has been sent a declaration, so there is
@@ -3070,6 +3106,38 @@ mod tests {
         (hive.to_owned(), declaration)
     }
 
+    /// A `SetAgentWanted` node that finishes between the two reads: whichever
+    /// read runs first sees it queued and undeclared, the second sees it
+    /// terminal and declared. Only the queue-first order catches it.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn a_placement_finishing_between_the_two_reads_is_still_caught() {
+        use swarm_queue_client::wanted::AgentState;
+        let reads = std::cell::Cell::new(0);
+        let snapshot_queued = || {
+            reads.set(reads.get() + 1);
+            if reads.get() == 1 {
+                vec![("sec0nd".to_owned(), "atlas".to_owned())]
+            } else {
+                Vec::new()
+            }
+        };
+        let read_declared = || {
+            reads.set(reads.get() + 1);
+            let declared = if reads.get() == 1 {
+                Vec::new()
+            } else {
+                vec![declaring("sec0nd", "atlas", AgentState::Paused)]
+            };
+            std::future::ready(Ok::<_, ()>(declared))
+        };
+
+        let elsewhere =
+            super::placements_elsewhere("atlas", "pr1ma", snapshot_queued, read_declared)
+                .await
+                .expect("both reads succeed");
+        assert_eq!(elsewhere, ["sec0nd"]);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn a_live_declaration_on_another_hive_is_a_placement() {
         use swarm_queue_client::wanted::AgentState;