diff --git a/packages/discord/src/binding.mjs b/packages/discord/src/binding.mjs
index 68595f0a4..c2e492f72 100644
--- a/packages/discord/src/binding.mjs
+++ b/packages/discord/src/binding.mjs
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ import { loadWebConfig } from "./web.mjs";
 import { loadSetsparkConfig } from "./setspark.mjs";
 import { basename, isAbsolute, join, resolve, sep } from "node:path";
 import { homedir } from "node:os";
-import { DiscordError, plainKey, quietRead } from "./errors.mjs";
+import { BINDING_NAME, DiscordError, plainKey, quietRead } from "./errors.mjs";
 import { TOOL_DEFAULTS } from "./tools.mjs";
 import { loadGitConfig } from "./git.mjs";
 
 export const BINDING_VERSION = 1;
-export const BINDING_NAME = /^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9._-]{0,63}$/;
+export { BINDING_NAME };
 export const SNOWFLAKE = /^[0-9]{17,20}$/;
 export const CHANNEL_MODES = Object.freeze(["open", "mention"]);
 export const THINKING_LEVELS = Object.freeze(["off", "minimal", "low", "medium", "high", "xhigh", "max"]);
diff --git a/packages/discord/src/errors.mjs b/packages/discord/src/errors.mjs
index 1cb8eae62..7b5c968d3 100644
--- a/packages/discord/src/errors.mjs
+++ b/packages/discord/src/errors.mjs
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 // A refusal that names an unknown key quotes it only when it is a plain name;
 // a key that could carry a host path or a secret is described, never echoed (#1873).
 export const plainKey = (k) => (/^[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_-]{0,63}$/.test(String(k)) ? JSON.stringify(k) : "that is not a plain name");
+// A binding (and seat) name. Defined here, not in binding.mjs, so journal.mjs can label a
+// journal directory without importing binding.mjs and its config readers; copies of
+// journal.mjs + errors.mjs (the queue test repo) stay self-contained. binding.mjs re-exports it.
+export const BINDING_NAME = /^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9._-]{0,63}$/;
 
 // A read that fails names the file by label and the error code, never the
 // path Node puts in the message. The same error object is rethrown, so its
diff --git a/packages/discord/src/journal.mjs b/packages/discord/src/journal.mjs
index f0bce3e60..e0f5d97fa 100644
--- a/packages/discord/src/journal.mjs
+++ b/packages/discord/src/journal.mjs
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ import {
   unlinkSync, writeFileSync, writeSync,
 } from "node:fs";
 import { basename, join } from "node:path";
-import { DiscordError, quietRead } from "./errors.mjs";
-import { BINDING_NAME } from "./binding.mjs";
+import { BINDING_NAME, DiscordError, quietRead } from "./errors.mjs";
 
 // Where a refusal says a binding's journal is: its place under the data root
 // when the directory carries a valid binding name (bindingDataDir() makes it