diff --git a/app/igneum-app/src/ember.rs b/app/igneum-app/src/ember.rs
index c3353ccd..0bb4a93c 100644
--- a/app/igneum-app/src/ember.rs
+++ b/app/igneum-app/src/ember.rs
@@ -929,6 +929,8 @@ pub fn finality_paused_line(since_unix: f64, reason: &str, held_by: &str) -> Str
 /// (empty when live), "finalityProvisional", "heldBy" {tableIndex, stayersShareBps, expiresDaa} or null,
 /// "pausedSinceMs" or null. Returns (reason, held-by words, provisional, paused_since unix seconds).
 pub struct FinalityStatus {
+    /// the node's own word on whether finality is live (b2e21447: finalityActive); None on an older node
+    pub active: Option<bool>,
     pub reason: String,
     pub held_by: String,
     pub provisional: bool,
@@ -936,7 +938,10 @@ pub struct FinalityStatus {
 }
 
 pub fn parse_finality_status(v: &serde_json::Value) -> Option<FinalityStatus> {
-    let reason = v.get("finalityReason")?.as_str().unwrap_or("").trim().to_string();
+    // the node's words begin "paused: ..." (b2e21447); the app's sentence already says "Finality paused since", so
+    // that prefix goes; a reason that already names who holds it ("held by weight table 7, ...") is not repeated
+    let reason = v.get("finalityReason")?.as_str().unwrap_or("").trim().trim_start_matches("paused:").trim().to_string();
+    let active = v.get("finalityActive").and_then(|b| b.as_bool());
     let provisional = v.get("finalityProvisional").and_then(|b| b.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false);
     let held_by = match v.get("heldBy") {
         Some(h) if h.is_object() => {
@@ -947,8 +952,9 @@ pub fn parse_finality_status(v: &serde_json::Value) -> Option<FinalityStatus> {
         }
         _ => String::new(),
     };
+    let held_by = if reason.contains("held by") { String::new() } else { held_by };
     let paused_since = v.get("pausedSinceMs").and_then(|x| x.as_u64()).filter(|ms| *ms > 0).map(|ms| ms as f64 / 1000.0);
-    Some(FinalityStatus { reason, held_by, provisional, paused_since })
+    Some(FinalityStatus { active, reason, held_by, provisional, paused_since })
 }
 
 /// The node's pause line, when it carries one: `... finality_reason=<words or "quoted words"> held_by=<id>`.
@@ -1137,15 +1143,23 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(parse_finality_line("x finality_reason=under_two_thirds"), Some(("under two thirds".into(), String::new())));
         assert_eq!(parse_finality_line("status: accepted 3 blocks"), None);
         // the structured carrier on igneum_getProvingStatus (the node lane's field names)
-        let v: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(r#"{"v1":{"active":true},"finalityReason":"under two thirds of the weight is signing","finalityProvisional":true,"heldBy":{"tableIndex":7,"stayersShareBps":6150,"expiresDaa":205000},"pausedSinceMs":1791311940000}"#).unwrap();
+        // the node's own words (b2e21447): "paused: under two thirds ... ({p}%; the table frozen at lock {j} has {q}% signing)"
+        let v: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(r#"{"v1":{"active":true},"finalityActive":false,"finalityReason":"paused: under two thirds of the weight is signing (61%; the table frozen at lock 7 has 58% signing)","finalityProvisional":false,"heldBy":null,"pausedSinceMs":1791311940000}"#).unwrap();
         let f = parse_finality_status(&v).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!((f.reason.as_str(), f.provisional, f.paused_since), ("under two thirds of the weight is signing", true, Some(1_791_311_940.0)));
-        assert_eq!(f.held_by, "weight table 7, 61.50% still signing, expires at DAA 205000");
-        assert_eq!(finality_paused_line(f.paused_since.unwrap(), &f.reason, &f.held_by), "Finality paused since 18:39 UTC: under two thirds of the weight is signing (held by weight table 7, 61.50% still signing, expires at DAA 205000)");
+        assert_eq!((f.active, f.provisional, f.paused_since), (Some(false), false, Some(1_791_311_940.0)));
+        assert_eq!(finality_paused_line(f.paused_since.unwrap(), &f.reason, &f.held_by), "Finality paused since 18:39 UTC: under two thirds of the weight is signing (61%; the table frozen at lock 7 has 58% signing)");
+        // the held-by form: the reason names the table itself, so heldBy is not repeated
+        let v2: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(r#"{"finalityActive":false,"finalityReason":"paused: held by weight table 7, 61% of it signing, expires at DAA 205000","finalityProvisional":true,"heldBy":{"tableIndex":7,"stayersShareBps":6150,"expiresDaa":205000},"pausedSinceMs":1791311940000}"#).unwrap();
+        let g = parse_finality_status(&v2).unwrap();
+        assert!(g.provisional && g.held_by.is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(finality_paused_line(g.paused_since.unwrap(), &g.reason, &g.held_by), "Finality paused since 18:39 UTC: held by weight table 7, 61% of it signing, expires at DAA 205000");
+        // a reason without the table words keeps the heldBy suffix
+        let v3: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(r#"{"finalityActive":false,"finalityReason":"paused: no checkpoint determined above the latest lock","heldBy":{"tableIndex":7,"stayersShareBps":6150,"expiresDaa":205000}}"#).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(parse_finality_status(&v3).unwrap().held_by, "weight table 7, 61.50% still signing, expires at DAA 205000");
         // live finality: an empty reason, null heldBy, null pausedSinceMs
         let live: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(r#"{"finalityReason":"","finalityProvisional":false,"heldBy":null,"pausedSinceMs":null}"#).unwrap();
         let l = parse_finality_status(&live).unwrap();
-        assert!(l.reason.is_empty() && l.held_by.is_empty() && !l.provisional && l.paused_since.is_none());
+        assert!(l.reason.is_empty() && l.held_by.is_empty() && !l.provisional && l.paused_since.is_none() && l.active.is_none());
         // a node before 0.3.16 carries none of it
         assert!(parse_finality_status(&serde_json::json!({"v1":{"active":true}})).is_none());
     }
diff --git a/app/igneum-app/src/engine.rs b/app/igneum-app/src/engine.rs
index 3eb92321..fa4577ac 100644
--- a/app/igneum-app/src/engine.rs
+++ b/app/igneum-app/src/engine.rs
@@ -1168,6 +1168,7 @@ impl Engine {
                 let mut st = self.st();
                 match f {
                     Some(f) => {
+                        st.finality.node_active = f.active;
                         st.finality.reason = f.reason;
                         st.finality.held_by = f.held_by;
                         st.finality.provisional = f.provisional;
@@ -1178,6 +1179,7 @@ impl Engine {
                     }
                     None => {
                         // a node without the fields: the log line (parse_finality_line) may still have set a cause
+                        st.finality.node_active = None;
                         if st.finality.cause_source != "node-line" {
                             st.finality.cause_source.clear();
                         }
@@ -3653,7 +3655,11 @@ impl Engine {
         // Horizon polish Q83/Q84: finality paused = a synced node with no checkpoint lock for FINALITY_PAUSE_S (the
         // last lock's age, else the engine's uptime); since the last lock (else the start); one sentence everywhere
         let gap = if st.finality.last_lock > 0 { st.finality.age_s } else { st.uptime_s as f64 };
-        let paused = st.node.synced && gap > crate::manifest::FINALITY_PAUSE_S;
+        // the node's own word wins when it carries one (0.3.16, finalityActive); else the engine's 15-minute rule
+        let paused = match st.finality.node_active {
+            Some(active) => !active,
+            None => st.node.synced && gap > crate::manifest::FINALITY_PAUSE_S,
+        };
         if paused && !st.finality.paused && st.finality.cause_source != "node" {
             st.finality.paused_since = if st.finality.last_lock > 0 { st.finality.last_lock_at } else { unix - st.uptime_s as f64 };
         }
diff --git a/app/igneum-app/src/live.rs b/app/igneum-app/src/live.rs
index 2593a05c..4a8539ab 100644
--- a/app/igneum-app/src/live.rs
+++ b/app/igneum-app/src/live.rs
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ pub struct RecentBlock {
     pub vote_key_hash: String,
     pub is_chain_block: bool,
     pub color: String,
-    /// "" or "merging_block" (the node lane: a merged non-chain block whose own header time was not at hand
-    /// carries its merging chain block's time, marked so blocks_per_minute stays honest)
+    /// "header" or "chain_block" (eec34ac3: a merged block whose own header was not at hand carries its merging
+    /// chain block's time and blue score, marked so blocks_per_minute stays honest); "" on an older row = header
     pub timestamp_source: String,
 }
 
@@ -222,10 +222,13 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn recent_blocks_parse_from_the_node_reply_and_an_empty_reply_is_empty() {
-        let v: Value = serde_json::from_str(r#"[{"hash":"0xab","blue_score":5,"daa_score":6,"timestamp_ms":7,"vote_key_hash":"cd","is_chain_block":true,"color":"blue"},{"hash":"0xcd","blue_score":5,"daa_score":6,"timestamp_ms":7,"vote_key_hash":"ef","is_chain_block":false,"color":"red","timestamp_source":"merging_block"}]"#).unwrap();
+        let v: Value = serde_json::from_str(r#"[{"hash":"0xab","blue_score":5,"daa_score":6,"timestamp_ms":7,"vote_key_hash":"cd","is_chain_block":true,"color":"blue"},{"hash":"0xcd","blue_score":5,"daa_score":6,"timestamp_ms":7,"vote_key_hash":"ef","is_chain_block":false,"color":"red","timestamp_source":"chain_block"}]"#).unwrap();
         let p = parse_recent(&v);
         assert_eq!(p.len(), 2);
-        assert_eq!((p[1].color.as_str(), p[1].timestamp_source.as_str()), ("red", "merging_block"));
+        assert_eq!((p[1].color.as_str(), p[1].timestamp_source.as_str()), ("red", "chain_block"));
+        // a null vote_key_hash (a chain block with no mergeset entry, which the executor never produces) reads as ""
+        let n: Value = serde_json::from_str(r#"[{"hash":"0xab","blue_score":5,"daa_score":6,"timestamp_ms":7,"vote_key_hash":null,"is_chain_block":true,"color":"blue","timestamp_source":"header"}]"#).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(parse_recent(&n)[0].vote_key_hash, "");
         assert_eq!((p[0].blue_score, p[0].is_chain_block, p[0].color.as_str()), (5, true, "blue"));
         assert!(parse_recent(&json!(null)).is_empty());
         assert_eq!(short("0x1234567890abcdef00"), "1234567890abcdef", "the site's 16-hex short");
diff --git a/app/igneum-app/src/state.rs b/app/igneum-app/src/state.rs
index 3ff5d3e5..966eddd1 100644
--- a/app/igneum-app/src/state.rs
+++ b/app/igneum-app/src/state.rs
@@ -268,8 +268,12 @@ pub struct FinalityState {
     pub line: String,
     /// the node's word (igneum_getProvingStatus finalityProvisional, 0.3.16): locks are provisional right now
     pub provisional: bool,
-    /// where the cause came from: "node" (the RPC's structured fields or its log line) or "" (the engine's own rule)
+    /// where the cause came from: "node" (the RPC's structured fields), "node-line" (its log line) or "" (the
+    /// engine's own rule)
     pub cause_source: String,
+    /// the node's own finalityActive (b2e21447), when it carries it: then the node decides `paused`, not the
+    /// engine's 15-minute rule
+    pub node_active: Option<bool>,
 }
 
 /// Clock skew against the network. skew_s = local time minus network time (negative = this machine is behind).