diff --git a/library/packet/countrySheet.js b/library/packet/countrySheet.js
index 78acd1625..4d05f8c51 100644
--- a/library/packet/countrySheet.js
+++ b/library/packet/countrySheet.js
@@ -99,11 +99,12 @@ const largeOf = (item) => (item && LARGE_SHEETS[String(item.iso3 || '').toUpperC
 export const WITHHELD = { IND: { poster: true, rows: true, preview: true } }
 export const previewUnreleased = () => Boolean(import.meta.env && import.meta.env.DEV && globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED === true)
 const withheldOf = (item) => (item && !item.indiaState && WITHHELD[String(item.iso3 || '').toUpperCase()]) || null
-export function posterWithheld(item, open = previewUnreleased()) { const w = withheldOf(item); return Boolean(w?.poster) && !(w.preview && open) }
+// No caller can open it: the preview state is read HERE, never passed in (so a built bundle cannot print it).
+export function posterWithheld(item) { const w = withheldOf(item); return Boolean(w?.poster) && !(w.preview && previewUnreleased()) }
 export function rowsWithheld(item) { return Boolean(withheldOf(item)?.rows) }
 /** The poster's withholding (the name Poster Design reads). */
 export function sheetWithheld(item) { return posterWithheld(item) }
-export function largeSheet(item, open = previewUnreleased()) { return posterWithheld(item, open) ? null : largeOf(item) }
+export function largeSheet(item) { return posterWithheld(item) ? null : largeOf(item) }
 // The sheet format a request gets: a large-sheet country prints at the large size ASKED FOR when it has one (66x66,
 // 36x60), else at its default (60x96); a packet's page 1 stays a page; every other country gets exactly what it asked.
 export function sheetFormatFor(item, format) {
diff --git a/plugin-designs/country-posters/scripts/check-country-sheet-one-path.mjs b/plugin-designs/country-posters/scripts/check-country-sheet-one-path.mjs
index 7181239bd..31a7251fa 100644
--- a/plugin-designs/country-posters/scripts/check-country-sheet-one-path.mjs
+++ b/plugin-designs/country-posters/scripts/check-country-sheet-one-path.mjs
@@ -197,8 +197,10 @@ export async function armG(cs, srcs, mfeSrc = '') {
     if (!cs.posterWithheld(ind) || cs.largeSheet(ind)) fails.push("(a) India's whole-country poster is NOT withheld by default: it would ship to every host")
   } finally { if (was === undefined) delete globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED; else globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED = was }
   if (!cs.rowsWithheld(ind)) fails.push("India's rows are not withheld: its list/packet/cards (~1,000 pages) would print")
-  const big = cs.largeSheet(ind, true)
-  if (cs.posterWithheld(ind, true) || !big || big.format !== '60x96' || big.formats.join() !== '60x96') fails.push(`(b) an open preview does not print India's poster at 60x96 only (${big && big.formats})`)
+  // (b) the open preview itself is proved under Vite (import.meta.env.DEV true) by check:poster-section; here, the size:
+  const big = cs.LARGE_SHEETS && cs.LARGE_SHEETS.IND
+  if (!big || big.format !== '60x96' || big.formats.join() !== '60x96') fails.push(`India's whole-country poster is not 60x96 ONLY (${big && big.formats})`)
+  if (cs.posterWithheld.length > 1 || cs.largeSheet.length > 1) fails.push('posterWithheld()/largeSheet() take a second argument again: a production caller could open the withheld poster')
   if (cs.sheetWithheld(ind) !== cs.posterWithheld(ind)) fails.push('sheetWithheld() no longer means the poster')
   if (cs.rowsWithheld({ iso3: 'IND', indiaState: true, id: 'india-state-gujarat' })) fails.push('an India STATE card has withheld rows (only the whole country may)')
   for (const [name, src] of Object.entries(srcs)) {
@@ -275,7 +277,7 @@ async function main() {
       ['a locale loses a state name', () => armD(states, { ...areas, ro: { ...areas.ro, stateNames: Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(areas.ro.stateNames).filter(([k]) => k !== 'IN-GJ')) } }, meta)],
       ['the names lose their licence line', () => armD(states, areas, { ...meta, licence: '' })],
       ['India\'s poster released by default', async () => armG({ ...CS, posterWithheld: () => false, largeSheet: () => CS.LARGE_SHEETS.IND }, { wall: files[wall], regions: REG }, MFE)],
-      ['the preview flag ignored', async () => armG({ ...CS, posterWithheld: () => true, largeSheet: () => null }, { wall: files[wall], regions: REG }, MFE)],
+      ['an opener argument comes back', async () => armG({ ...CS, posterWithheld: (it, open) => CS.posterWithheld(it) }, { wall: files[wall], regions: REG }, MFE)],
       ['the preview read without DEV (a global opens production)', async () => armG({ ...CS, previewUnreleased: () => globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED === true }, { wall: files[wall], regions: REG }, MFE)],
       ['India\'s rows un-withheld', async () => armG({ ...CS, rowsWithheld: () => false }, { wall: files[wall], regions: REG }, MFE)],
       ['the India tab shown without the preview flag', async () => armG(CS, { wall: files[wall], regions: REG }, MFE.replace('...(import.meta.env && import.meta.env.DEV && globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED === true ? [INDIA_PANE] : []),', 'INDIA_PANE,'))],
diff --git a/plugin-designs/country-posters/scripts/check-poster-section.mjs b/plugin-designs/country-posters/scripts/check-poster-section.mjs
index 7efd3b9d8..8ed3edc9d 100644
--- a/plugin-designs/country-posters/scripts/check-poster-section.mjs
+++ b/plugin-designs/country-posters/scripts/check-poster-section.mjs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
 const ROOT = join(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '..', '..', '..')
 const DXL = ['africa', 'asia', 'europe', 'latin-america-and-caribbean', 'middle-east', 'north-america-and-non-spanish-caribbean', 'oceania', 'other']
 
-async function arms({ types, country, element, sectionSrc }) {
+async function arms({ types, country, element, sectionSrc, cs }) {
   const fails = []
   // A
   if (!types.posterTypeNames().includes('country')) fails.push("A: the registry has no 'country' type")
@@ -49,6 +49,17 @@ async function arms({ types, country, element, sectionSrc }) {
     if (!/countryPosterTooMany/.test(String(why))) fails.push(`C: withheld India's rows are not withheld (${why})`)
     if (fetched) fails.push('C: withheld India fetched records')
   }
+  // C2. THE PREVIEW, under Vite (import.meta.env.DEV is true here, as on the pilot's dev server): only with the global
+  //     set does India's whole-country poster open, at 60x96; its rows stay withheld; without it, withheld.
+  const was = globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED
+  try {
+    globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED = true
+    const big = cs.largeSheet({ iso3: 'IND' })
+    if (cs.posterWithheld({ iso3: 'IND' }) || !big || big.format !== '60x96') fails.push(`C2: in a DEV preview India's poster does not open at 60x96 (${big && big.format})`)
+    if (!cs.rowsWithheld({ iso3: 'IND' })) fails.push("C2: the preview also released India's rows")
+    delete globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED
+    if (!cs.posterWithheld({ iso3: 'IND' })) fails.push('C2: without the preview global India is not withheld')
+  } finally { if (was === undefined) delete globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED; else globalThis.DXM_PREVIEW_UNRELEASED = was }
   // D
   const fake = (attrs) => ({ getAttribute: (n) => (n in attrs ? attrs[n] : null), hasAttribute: (n) => n in attrs })
   const d0 = element.posterSectionConfig(fake({ scope: 'africa' }))
@@ -78,11 +89,13 @@ try {
   const country = (await load('library/components/poster/types/countryPosterType.js')).default
   const element = await load('library/elements/posterSectionConfig.js')
   const sectionSrc = readFileSync(join(ROOT, 'library/components/poster/PosterSection.vue'), 'utf8')
-  const real = { types, country, element, sectionSrc }
+  const cs = await load('library/packet/countrySheet.js')
+  const real = { types, country, element, sectionSrc, cs }
   if (process.argv.includes('--self-test')) {
     const poisons = [
       ["a registry without 'country'", { ...real, types: { ...types, posterTypeNames: () => [] } }, /^A:/],
       ['a region key without "&" → "and"', { ...real, country: { ...country, items: (s, l) => (/-and-/.test(String(s)) ? [] : country.items(s, l)) } }, /^B:/],
+      ['the preview ignored under DEV', { ...real, cs: { ...cs, posterWithheld: () => true, largeSheet: () => null } }, /^C2:/],
       ['a section that uses a name it does not inject', { ...real, sectionSrc: sectionSrc.replace('</template>', '{{ notProvided }}</template>') }, /^E:/],
     ]
     for (const [name, inp, rx] of poisons) {