diff --git a/rugnux/RugnuxFirstPass.cpp b/rugnux/RugnuxFirstPass.cpp
index b0fc41f99..0feb426d9 100644
--- a/rugnux/RugnuxFirstPass.cpp
+++ b/rugnux/RugnuxFirstPass.cpp
@@ -746,8 +746,8 @@ bool Rugnux::FirstPassRotationIndexing(PipelineLocals &p) {
         {"spread", spread_ordinals},
         {"wedge",  all_consecutive},
     };
-    // A third sample of the same frames, asked only when the two above index no majority (see
-    // pick_best): the wedge read back from the END of the first part. Which orientations a sweep
+    // A third sample of the same frames, asked only when nothing else indexes a majority (see
+    // add_end_wedge): the wedge read back from the END of the first part. Which orientations a sweep
     // passes through first is chance, and the first part can open on frames that see the long axis
     // badly - measured on a sparse crystal with a ~390 A axis, the spread and the wedge over its
     // first 120 deg returned wrong cells (5/60 and 0/60 validation frames) at every spread density
@@ -982,9 +982,14 @@ bool Rugnux::FirstPassRotationIndexing(PipelineLocals &p) {
         return bp;
     };
 
-    // Where the schemes index no majority of the validation frames, the end wedge is asked too and
-    // judged against them as any later scheme is. Only then: on a run the schemes index it would be
-    // one more lattice for the axis-harmonic arbiter, which is not decided on frame counts.
+    // Where the first pass indexes no majority of the validation frames, the end wedge is asked too
+    // and judged against the standing pass as any later scheme is. Only then: on a run the schemes
+    // index it would be one more lattice for the axis-harmonic arbiter, which is not decided on
+    // frame counts. Asked once, after the axis-sign, beam-centre and long-axis rescues (below), not
+    // inside every pass they run: a consecutive wedge indexes part of the validation frames at the
+    // WRONG axis sign too (measured: 33/60 where the spread at the right sign indexes 60/60), and
+    // counted in the pass a rescue is gated on, it lifts that pass past the gate and the rescue
+    // that would have indexed every frame is never asked.
     auto add_end_wedge = [&](FirstPass bp, IndexerThreadPool &pool, IndexAndRefine &idx) -> FirstPass {
         if (cancelled_ || bp.score > static_cast<int>(validation.size()) / 2)
             return bp;
@@ -994,7 +999,7 @@ bool Rugnux::FirstPassRotationIndexing(PipelineLocals &p) {
         return score_schemes(ris, idx, &end_wedge, std::move(bp));
     };
 
-    // Feed the schemes, index them concurrently, and keep the best (score_schemes, add_end_wedge).
+    // Feed the schemes, index them concurrently, and keep the best (score_schemes).
     // alongside: started once the schemes are fed and before they are indexed, to run beside them.
     auto pick_best = [&](IndexerThreadPool &pool, IndexAndRefine &idx,
                          const std::function<void()> &alongside = {}) -> FirstPass {
@@ -1005,7 +1010,7 @@ bool Rugnux::FirstPassRotationIndexing(PipelineLocals &p) {
         for (const auto &ri : ris)
             rp.push_back(ri.get());
         run_indexing(rp);
-        return add_end_wedge(score_schemes(ris, idx), pool, idx);
+        return score_schemes(ris, idx);
     };
 
     // Powder-ring rescue - and, with it, the lean seed the rotation first pass never had.
@@ -1677,7 +1682,7 @@ bool Rugnux::FirstPassRotationIndexing(PipelineLocals &p) {
                         entries.emplace_back(centre_spec->key, centre_spec->spots);
                     }
                 }
-                alt = add_end_wedge(score_schemes(centre_spec->ris, *indexer), *indexer_pool, *indexer);
+                alt = score_schemes(centre_spec->ris, *indexer);
             } else
                 alt = pick_best(*indexer_pool, *indexer);
             centre_spec.reset();
@@ -2044,6 +2049,8 @@ bool Rugnux::FirstPassRotationIndexing(PipelineLocals &p) {
     if (!long_axis_asked)
         if (auto rescued = long_axis_rescue(best))
             best = *rescued;
+    // The end wedge (above), at the geometry the rescues settled on.
+    best = add_end_wedge(std::move(best), *indexer_pool, *indexer);
     release_spot_engines();   // no more frames to read; give the cards their memory back
 
     if (!cancelled_) {