diff --git a/app/talk-agent.hoon b/app/talk-agent.hoon
index e6bd7e01a1..b039882338 100644
--- a/app/talk-agent.hoon
+++ b/app/talk-agent.hoon
@@ -489,6 +489,14 @@
       ^+  +>
       +>(moves :_(moves [ost.hid %diff %sole-effect fec]))
     ::
+    ++  sh-update
+      ::x  adds a talk-update to ++ra's moves
+      ::
+      |=  dup/update
+      ^+  +>
+      ::TODO  is ost.hid okay here? or do we want to store bone of broker?
+      +>(moves :_(moves [ost.hid %diff %talk-update dup]))
+    ::
     ++  sh-peep                                         ::  peer to path
       ::TODO  remove.
       ::
@@ -1241,10 +1249,7 @@
             nak  (~(put ju nak) cha lix)
           ==
         %_    ..sh-work
-            ..pa
-          %-  (ra-know man.she)
-          ::TODO  send %talk-update instead.
-          |=(_pa pa-abet:(pa-report glyphers %glyph nak))
+          (sh-update %glyph cha lix)
         ==
       ::
       ++  join                                          ::  %join
@@ -1367,8 +1372,9 @@
           [%txt "{<p>}: {<u.nym>}"]
         %=  ..sh-work
           folks  ?~  u.nym
-                   (~(del by folks) u.her)
-                 (~(put by folks) u.her [true=~ hand=nym])
+                   (~(del by folks) u.her)  ::x  unset nickname
+                 (~(put by folks) u.her [true=~ hand=nym])  ::x  set nickname
+          ..sh-work  (sh-update %human [true=~ hand=nym])
         ==
       ::
       ++  wo-set                                        ::  %set
@@ -1917,7 +1923,16 @@
     ==
     ::TODO  sh-prod each shell?
   $names
-    +>(folks (~(uni by +.rad) folks))
+    %=  +>
+      folks  %-  ~(gas by *(map ship human))
+             %+  murn
+             %~  tap  by
+                 %-  ~(uni by +.rad)
+                 (~(run by folks) some)
+             |=  {s/ship h/(unit human)}
+             ?~  h  ~
+             [s u.h]
+    ==
 ::
 ++  poke-sole-action                                    ::  accept console
   ::x  incoming sole action. process it.
diff --git a/app/talk-guardian.hoon b/app/talk-guardian.hoon
index 5bc830385d..ebe1c2a4e5 100644
--- a/app/talk-guardian.hoon
+++ b/app/talk-guardian.hoon
@@ -346,12 +346,13 @@
       pa-abet:(~(pa-notify n.p.dup story) our q.dup)
     ::
     $human                                              ::x  change an identity.
-      =+  who=(~(get by folks) her)
-      ?.  ?|(?=($~ who) !.=(who q.dup))  ::TODO?  != won't work, right?
-        +>.$  ::x  no change.
-      =.  folks  (~(put by folks) her q.dup)
+      ?.  =((~(get by folks) her) q.dup)
+        +>  ::x  no change.
+      =.  folks
+        ?~  hand.q.dup  (~(del by folks) p.dup)
+        (~(put by folks) her u.q.dup)
       %+  ra-inform  %names
-      (~(put by *(map ship human)) her q.dup)
+      (~(put by *(map ship (unit human))) her q.dup)
     ::
     $bind                                               ::x  set glyph binding.
       %.  [%glyph nak]
diff --git a/sur/talk.hoon b/sur/talk.hoon
index 90beb12a56..e9e95dd389 100644
--- a/sur/talk.hoon
+++ b/sur/talk.hoon
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   ==                                                    ::
 ++  update                                              ::  change shared state
   $%  {$status (pair (set knot) status)                 ::  our status update
-      {$human (pair ship human)}                        ::  new identity
+      {$human (pair ship (unit human))}                 ::  new identity
       {$bind (pair char (set partner))}                 ::  bind a glyph
   ==                                                    ::
 ++  cabal                                               ::  metaconfiguration
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
   ==                                                    ::
 ++  lowdown                                             ::  changed shared state
   $%  {$glyph (jug char (set partner))}                 ::  new bindings
-      {$names (map ship human)}                         ::  new identities
+      {$names (map ship (unit human))}                         ::  new identities
   ==                                                    ::
 ++  speech                                              ::  narrative action
   $%  {$lan p/knot q/@t}                                ::  local announce