diff --git a/lib/orgo-plans.ts b/lib/orgo-plans.ts
index 7b5faef4..4e6876ea 100644
--- a/lib/orgo-plans.ts
+++ b/lib/orgo-plans.ts
@@ -34,10 +34,16 @@ export type OrgoPlan = {
   deal?: boolean;
   /**
    * The user's one free Bops computer (orgo-web's bops_free, not counted in `inUse`): its id, or null
-   * while there's none (Bops makes it next, for a main bot). Unknown when Orgo didn't say (an Orgo
-   * from before free Bops computers): then every computer is on the plan, as before.
+   * while there's none (Bops makes it next, for a main bot). Unknown when Orgo didn't say: an Orgo
+   * from before free Bops computers, where every computer is on the plan as before, or one that
+   * didn't answer (limitsUnread).
    */
   freeComputerId?: string | null;
+  /**
+   * Orgo didn't answer for the counts, the memory and the free Bops computer (compute-limits failed or
+   * timed out, or the user owns no workspace to ask about): unknown for now, not missing from Orgo.
+   */
+  limitsUnread?: true;
   /**
    * The Bops plan's computers, when the Bops plan decides them (Bops Cloud's plan limits are on, and
    * Orgo counts them: compute-limits' bops_computers_limit): the plan, how many Bops computers it
diff --git a/lib/server/plan.ts b/lib/server/plan.ts
index 30eb8d52..8fa17a36 100644
--- a/lib/server/plan.ts
+++ b/lib/server/plan.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { botChatId, freeComputerBot, workspaceOf, type Bot } from "@/lib/types";
 import { bopsComputerShort, bopsComputers, computerRam, mainOwnShort, ownComputerShort, ownOnOrgoPlan, planComputers, planFix, planName, planShort, planShortText, type OrgoPlan, type PlanShort } from "@/lib/orgo-plans";
 import { orgoHeaders } from "./app-version";
 import { cloudOn, cloudSessionNow } from "./cloud";
-import { callOrgo, computerChanges, orgo, OrgoError, ownedWorkspace } from "./orgo";
+import { callOrgo, computerChanges, orgo, orgoProjectFor, OrgoError, ownedWorkspace } from "./orgo";
 import { loadOrgoKey, orgoOrigin } from "./orgo-auth";
 import { addMessage, getState, stateEpoch, update } from "./store";
 
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ async function readPlan(key: string): Promise<OrgoPlan | null> {
     session?.limits && typeof l?.bops_computers_limit === "number"
       ? { bops: { tier: session.tier, limit: l.bops_computers_limit, extras: Array.isArray(l.bops_max_computer_ids) ? l.bops_max_computer_ids.filter((x): x is string => typeof x === "string") : [] } }
       : {};
-  return { tier, name: tier ? planName(tier) : undefined, computers, inUse: counted?.inUse, ...(memory ? { memory } : {}), ...(deal ? { deal } : {}), ...free, ...bops };
+  return { tier, name: tier ? planName(tier) : undefined, computers, inUse: counted?.inUse, ...(memory ? { memory } : {}), ...(deal ? { deal } : {}), ...free, ...bops, ...(l ? {} : { limitsUnread: true as const }) };
 }
 
 /** Orgo's codes for a computer turned down for the plan (orgo-web lib/quota.ts validateComputerLimits, the create, fork and clone routes). */
@@ -428,6 +428,25 @@ async function planNow(short: (plan: OrgoPlan | null) => PlanShort | null | unde
   return { plan, short: short(plan) };
 }
 
+/**
+ * The plan, with whether the user's free Bops computer is made known. When Orgo didn't answer for it
+ * (limitsUnread, or nothing came back), it's asked again, after the main bot's workspace is found or
+ * made, in case the user owned none to ask about. Still unknown, nothing is made: a computer on the
+ * plan in its place would take the plan's room, or be refused for it, while the free one is still
+ * theirs. Not signed in (a self-hosted install on its own key), Orgo's own limit decides, as before.
+ */
+async function freeKnown(main: Bot, epoch: number) {
+  const plan = await orgoPlan();
+  if (!(await loadOrgoKey()) || (plan && !plan.limitsUnread)) return plan;
+  // Found or made for this user only: another's state may have come in while Orgo was asked.
+  sameUser(epoch);
+  await orgoProjectFor(workspaceOf(main));
+  sameUser(epoch);
+  const again = await orgoPlan({ fresh: true });
+  if (again && !again.limitsUnread) return again;
+  throw new Error("Orgo didn't say whether your free Bops computer is made yet");
+}
+
 /**
  * Work for one user's state (stateEpoch) stops once a hosted server has swapped in another's: their bots
  * have the same ids, and Orgo is asked with their key now.
@@ -446,12 +465,13 @@ export type MainComputer = { id: string; free?: boolean };
  * - Else one on the plan, at the plan's size (computerRam), when the plan has room for it.
  * - Else, when another workspace's main bot has the free computer, this one works there too (null,
  *   and it says so in its chat). Only one free computer is ever made.
- * Throws a PlanLimit, in plain words, when none of those can be, or Orgo turns it down for the plan.
+ * Throws a PlanLimit, in plain words, when none of those can be, or Orgo turns it down for the plan,
+ * and an Error when Orgo doesn't say whether the free one is made (freeKnown).
  */
 export function makeMainComputer(main: Bot, name: string, epoch = stateEpoch()): Promise<MainComputer | null> {
   return oneAtATime(async () => {
     sameUser(epoch);
-    const first = await orgoPlan();
+    const first = await freeKnown(main, epoch);
     if (first?.freeComputerId === null) return makeFree(main, name, epoch);
     const kept = first?.freeComputerId;
     if (kept && !getState().bots.some((b) => b.computerId === kept)) return holdFree(main, kept, epoch);
diff --git a/scripts/test-plan.mjs b/scripts/test-plan.mjs
index 9368562e..d1c45456 100644
--- a/scripts/test-plan.mjs
+++ b/scripts/test-plan.mjs
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ assert.deepEqual(plain(await L.orgoPlan({ fresh: true })), { computers: 1_000_00
 for (const [tier, deal, computers] of [["hacker_v2", null, 1], ["hacker", null, 5], ["team", null, 10], ["enterprise", { maxDesktops: 3 }, 3], ["free", null, 0]]) {
   onPlan(tier, 0, 0, { deal, replies: { "GET /api/billing/compute-limits": () => json(503, { error: "Compute limits are unavailable" }) } });
   const p = await L.orgoPlan({ fresh: true });
-  assert.deepEqual(plain(p), { tier, name: P.planName(tier), computers, ...(deal ? { deal: true } : {}) }, tier);
+  assert.deepEqual(plain(p), { tier, name: P.planName(tier), computers, ...(deal ? { deal: true } : {}), limitsUnread: true }, tier);
   assert.equal(P.planShort(p), undefined, `${tier}: unknown in use holds nothing back`);
 }
 onPlan("hacker_v2", 1, 1, { replies: { "GET /api/billing/compute-limits": () => json(200, { max_cpu: 1, max_ram_gb: 8 }) } });
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ await L.orgoPlan({ fresh: true });
 assert.equal(calls.filter((c) => c.path === "/api/billing/compute-limits").at(-1).query, "?workspace_id=ws_mine");
 onPlan("hacker_v2", 1, 0, { replies: { "GET /api/workspaces": () => json(200, { workspaces: [{ id: "ws_shared", name: "Team", role: "member" }] }) } });
 n = asked("GET", "/api/billing/compute-limits");
-assert.deepEqual(plain(await L.orgoPlan({ fresh: true })), { tier: "hacker_v2", name: "Hacker", computers: 1 }, "owns no workspace: the plan's own count");
+assert.deepEqual(plain(await L.orgoPlan({ fresh: true })), { tier: "hacker_v2", name: "Hacker", computers: 1, limitsUnread: true }, "owns no workspace: the plan's own count");
 assert.equal(asked("GET", "/api/billing/compute-limits"), n);
 assert.equal(asked("POST", "/api/workspaces"), 0, "reading the plan never makes a workspace");
 
@@ -987,6 +987,52 @@ await X.ensureComputer("kai");
 assert.equal(kai().computer, "shared");
 assert.equal(workBotOf(kai()).id, "boppy");
 
+// One read of the plan that Orgo didn't answer (compute-limits failed, or the 8 s wait ran out) when the
+// main bot's computer is made: Orgo is asked again, and the free one is made, never one on the plan in
+// its place. Before, Hacker with its one computer in use outside Bops had that one refused, and the setup
+// said the plan was full; with room, it took the plan's computer, and the free one was never made.
+for (const inUse of [1, 0]) {
+  S.update(() => {
+    Object.assign(main(), { computerId: undefined, freeComputer: undefined, computerStatus: "none" });
+    Object.assign(kai(), { computer: undefined, computerId: undefined, computerStatus: "none" });
+  });
+  fo = freeOrgo("hacker_v2", 1, { inUse });
+  const limits = fo.replies["GET /api/billing/compute-limits"];
+  let read = 0;
+  fo.replies["GET /api/billing/compute-limits"] = (c) => (read++ ? limits(c) : json(503, { error: "Failed to load compute limits" }));
+  n = calls.length;
+  assert.deepEqual(plain(await L.makeMainComputer(main(), "boppy-unread")), { id: "c-free-1", free: true }, `${inUse} in use outside Bops`);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    calls.slice(n).filter((c) => c.method === "POST" && c.path === "/api/computers").map((c) => c.body.bops_free === true),
+    [true],
+    "only the free one is asked for",
+  );
+  assert.equal(fo.inUse, inUse, "nothing on the plan");
+}
+// Orgo doesn't answer again: nothing is made, and the setup says why (the next task tries again).
+S.update(() => Object.assign(main(), { computerId: undefined, freeComputer: undefined, computerStatus: "none" }));
+fo = freeOrgo("hacker_v2", 1);
+fo.replies["GET /api/billing/compute-limits"] = () => json(503, { error: "Failed to load compute limits" });
+n = asked("POST", "/api/computers");
+await assert.rejects(L.makeMainComputer(main(), "boppy-unread"), { message: "Orgo didn't say whether your free Bops computer is made yet" });
+assert.equal(asked("POST", "/api/computers"), n, "nothing made");
+assert.equal(fo.inUse, 0);
+// Another user's state swapped in (a hosted server) while that read is out, for a user who owns no
+// workspace yet: nothing is made for either, the main bot's workspace included.
+fo = freeOrgo("hacker_v2", 1);
+fo.replies["GET /api/workspaces"] = () => json(200, { workspaces: [] });
+const subscription = fo.replies["GET /api/user/subscription"];
+const unswapped = S.getState();
+fo.replies["GET /api/user/subscription"] = (c) => {
+  if (S.getState() === unswapped) swap(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(unswapped)));
+  return subscription(c);
+};
+globalThis.bopsOrgoWorkspace = undefined;
+n = calls.length;
+await assert.rejects(L.makeMainComputer(main(), "boppy-swapped"), { message: "Another Orgo account signed in meanwhile" });
+assert.deepEqual(calls.slice(n).filter((c) => c.method === "POST").map((c) => c.path), [], "no workspace or computer made");
+swap(unswapped);
+
 /* ---------------- A computer deleted on Orgo's site: the bot moves on, once ---------------- */
 
 const V = await import(`${root}/app/api/vnc/route.ts`);