diff --git a/cmd/tidepool/main.go b/cmd/tidepool/main.go
index 1d7bab4..b532a2a 100644
--- a/cmd/tidepool/main.go
+++ b/cmd/tidepool/main.go
@@ -655,17 +655,19 @@ func run(logger *slog.Logger) error {
 //   - Enqueuer: the real persisting enqueuer is wired whenever CONSUMER_ENABLED
 //     (this function only runs then), so intents past the rev gate always
 //     persist to outbound_activities/deliveries. OUTBOUND_WORKERS>0 additionally
-//     starts the delivery workers that POST them; the noop enqueuer is used only
-//     when the consumer is disabled (this function does not run at all).
+//     starts the delivery workers that POST them. There is no "noop enqueuer"
+//     type — with the consumer off this function does not run at all.
 //
-// The task-16/17 seams are still nil ON PURPOSE, each a no-op the consumer
-// announces rather than a silent gap:
-//
-//   - Engine (task 16) nil means postv2 events are skipped at debug.
-//   - RemoteDeleter (task 17) nil means a deleteRemote opt-out is recorded and
-//     logged rather than acted on.
-//   - Terminator (task 17) nil means a deleted account is logged rather than
-//     withdrawn — never quietly downgraded to a delivery pause.
+// The task-16/17 seams are ALL WIRED as of tasks 16-17 (see below, where Engine,
+// Terminator and RemoteDeleter are constructed and passed). This comment
+// previously said they were "still nil ON PURPOSE" and described what each nil
+// would degrade to; that was true when it was written and became false without
+// anyone editing it, while the code 130 lines down did the opposite. It is
+// restated here rather than deleted because the degradation contract still
+// matters if a seam is ever unwired again: a nil seam ANNOUNCES its no-op
+// (postv2 skipped at debug, a deleteRemote opt-out recorded but not acted on, a
+// deleted account logged rather than withdrawn) and is never quietly downgraded
+// to a delivery pause.
 func startConsumer(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	cfg *config.Config,
@@ -697,8 +699,8 @@ func startConsumer(
 	// writes outbound_activities/deliveries inside the consumer's gate tx, so an
 	// intent past the gate is never dropped. OUTBOUND_WORKERS gates only whether
 	// the delivery WORKER goroutines run — with workers=0, state accumulates but
-	// nothing is POSTed. (The noop enqueuer is reserved for the consumer-disabled
-	// path, where nothing runs at all.)
+	// nothing is POSTed. (There is no noop enqueuer type: with the consumer
+	// disabled this function does not run at all.)
 	inboxes := outbound.NewInboxResolver(apClient, outboundInboxTTL)
 	enqueuer, err := outbound.NewEnqueuer(outbound.EnqueuerOptions{
 		DB:         database,
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index ae46b8a..abb3ba9 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -129,8 +129,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	JetstreamURL string
 	// OutboundWorkers is how many delivery workers to run (OUTBOUND_WORKERS,
 	// default 0 = OFF). Delivery starts ONLY when this is >0 AND
-	// ConsumerEnabled: until a deployment is wired end to end, the consumer
-	// still records outbound state but the noop enqueuer federates nothing.
+	// ConsumerEnabled. With the consumer on and workers at 0 the REAL enqueuer
+	// still persists every intent to outbound_activities/deliveries inside the
+	// gate transaction — state accumulates and nothing is POSTed, so raising
+	// workers later drains the backlog rather than starting from empty.
 	OutboundWorkers int
 	// AdmissionMaxPerAuthorPerCommunity caps how many posts one native author may
 	// have accepted into one bridged community — the acceptance engine's flood
@@ -496,8 +498,8 @@ func Load(logger *slog.Logger) (*Config, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Outbound delivery (task 15), default OFF: workers start only when
-	// OUTBOUND_WORKERS>0 AND the consumer is on, so a not-yet-wired deployment
-	// keeps the noop enqueuer and federates nothing.
+	// OUTBOUND_WORKERS>0 AND the consumer is on. At 0 the enqueuer still writes
+	// outbound state; only the POSTing stops.
 	cfg.OutboundWorkers, err = intVarNonNegative(logger, "OUTBOUND_WORKERS", 0)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err