diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 34f54f3..d770b15 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ edition = "2021"
 readme = "README.md"
 # Own version (decoupled from workspace.version): data-beans evolves its CLI /
 # QC API independently of the shared utility crates.
-version = "0.10.1"
+version = "0.10.2"
 rust-version = "1.91"
 # Ship only the sources, README and license: nothing else in the working tree
 # (data stores, saved name lists, scratch files) can end up on crates.io.
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ ratatui = { version = "0.30", default-features = false, features = ["crossterm"]
 # Detachable sessions for the views; no pictures, so no graphics.
 legume-tui = { version = "0.3.2", optional = true, default-features = false, features = ["clap", "logs"] }
 # Its `tui` view (`data-beans mcp watch`) comes on with data-beans' `tui`.
-legume-mcp = { version = "0.3", optional = true }
+legume-mcp = { version = "0.4", optional = true }
 legume-plot = { version = "0.3.2", optional = true }
 base64 = { version = "0.22", optional = true }
 
@@ -106,5 +106,5 @@ base64 = { version = "0.22", optional = true }
 # tests/detach_session.rs.
 legume-tui = { version = "0.3.2", default-features = false, features = ["testing"] }
 # tests/mcp_server.rs follows a server through the watch pane.
-legume-mcp = { version = "0.3", features = ["tui"] }
+legume-mcp = { version = "0.4", features = ["tui"] }
 ratatui = { version = "0.30", default-features = false, features = ["crossterm"] }
diff --git a/src/mcp.rs b/src/mcp.rs
index eb08b43..7dea194 100644
--- a/src/mcp.rs
+++ b/src/mcp.rs
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ impl Arguments {
 
     /// `out`, or, when the agent names none, `{name}{ext}` in today's
     /// results folder, `-2`, `-3`… added to `name` (before `ext`) while
-    /// `taken` says a name is in use.
+    /// `taken` says a name is in use, or a running job writes it.
     fn out_or(
         &self,
         cx: &Call,
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ impl Arguments {
                 k => dir.join(format!("{name}-{k}{ext}")),
             })
             .map(|p| p.to_string_lossy().into_owned())
-            .find(|p| !taken(p))
+            .find(|p| !held(cx, &[p]) && !taken(p))
             .context("no free name in the results folder")
     }
 
@@ -518,7 +518,8 @@ impl Arguments {
         self.out_or(cx, (name, ""), |c| {
             backend_target(c).map_or(true, |t| {
                 let stem = strip_backend_suffix(&t.effective);
-                being_written(stem).is_some()
+                held(cx, &[&t.effective, &t.found])
+                    || being_written(stem).is_some()
                     || outputs_beside(stem).map_or(true, |v| !v.is_empty())
             })
         })
@@ -664,6 +665,12 @@ fn fresh(path: &str) -> Result<()> {
 /// a command has made its outputs, only this says they are spoken for.
 static WRITING: Mutex<Vec<String>> = Mutex::new(Vec::new());
 
+/// Whether a running job writes one of `paths`, however spelled.
+fn held(cx: &Call, paths: &[&str]) -> bool {
+    let paths: Vec<PathBuf> = paths.iter().map(PathBuf::from).collect();
+    cx.ensure_free(&paths).is_err()
+}
+
 /// Whether two stems name some file alike: one is the other, or a file
 /// named after it.
 fn overlap(a: &str, b: &str) -> bool {