diff --git a/internal/control/reconciler/evict.go b/internal/control/reconciler/evict.go
index 7807545..212607a 100644
--- a/internal/control/reconciler/evict.go
+++ b/internal/control/reconciler/evict.go
@@ -64,9 +64,26 @@ func (r *Reconciler) makeRoomFor(ctx context.Context, m catalog.Model) bool {
 		attribute.Int("llmgw.candidates", len(candidates)))
 	defer span.End()
 	r.stopReplica(ctx, best.ID, "evicted, idle, to make room for "+m.Name)
+	r.forgetWantIfGone(best.Model, best.ID)
 	return true
 }
 
+// forgetWantIfGone takes an evicted model off the wanted list when that was
+// its last replica. Still wanted, it was placed again on the next pass —
+// ahead of the model it made room for whenever it came first in the catalog —
+// and the card went back to the model nobody was asking for. Asked again, it
+// is wanted again.
+func (r *Reconciler) forgetWantIfGone(model, stopped string) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	for _, rep := range r.replicas {
+		if rep.Model == model && rep.ID != stopped && rep.State.Counts() {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	delete(r.wanted, model)
+}
+
 // evictable lists replicas that could be stopped for a model that needs room,
 // longest idle first.
 func (r *Reconciler) evictable(wantedBy string) []evictionCandidate {
diff --git a/internal/control/reconciler/reconciler_test.go b/internal/control/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
index f504837..5a0b04a 100644
--- a/internal/control/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
+++ b/internal/control/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
@@ -1708,6 +1708,43 @@ func TestAFreshlyStartedReplicaIsNotEvicted(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestAnEvictedModelDoesNotTakeTheCardBack(t *testing.T) {
+	// flux evicted for triposr was placed again two seconds later: still
+	// wanted, and first in the catalog, it won the card it had just given up.
+	h := newHarness(t, testModel(1), gpuNode("1", 4))
+	h.r.cat.Store(twoOnDemandModels(t))
+	h.r.Want("llama")
+	h.r.Reconcile(t.Context())
+	h.markReady()
+	first := h.r.Replicas()
+	if len(first) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("setup: %d replicas", len(first))
+	}
+	h.r.RecordUsage(map[string]time.Time{first[0].ID: h.clock.now()})
+	h.advance(DefaultConfig().MinLifetime + time.Minute)
+
+	h.r.Want("second")
+	for range 4 {
+		h.r.Reconcile(t.Context())
+		h.markReady()
+		h.advance(10 * time.Second)
+	}
+	var models []string
+	for _, rep := range h.r.Replicas() {
+		if rep.State.Counts() {
+			models = append(models, rep.Model)
+		}
+	}
+	if !slices.Equal(models, []string{"second"}) {
+		t.Errorf("running after the eviction: %v, want [second]", models)
+	}
+
+	// Asked for again, it is wanted again.
+	if !h.r.Want("llama") || h.r.baseFor(mustResolve(t, h, "llama")) != 1 {
+		t.Error("an evicted model asked for again is not wanted")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAModelWaitingForAnotherOnDemandOneToStepAsideIsNotUnservable(t *testing.T) {
 	// A 3D model asked for straight after a picture, on a cluster with one
 	// card: the picture model holds it, too freshly started to evict. That