diff --git a/libink/dispatch.c b/libink/dispatch.c
index ad4ebcfe..df320e76 100644
--- a/libink/dispatch.c
+++ b/libink/dispatch.c
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ static struct link_parked *park(link_connection_t *conn, const uint8_t *frame,
 	bus->parked[i].tok   = ++bus->next_tok;
 	bus->parked[i].conn  = conn;
 	bus->parked[i].stamp = __now_ms();
+	bus->parked[i].uid   = (uid_t)-1;
 	bus->parked[i].len   = len;
 	memcpy(bus->parked[i].buf, frame, len);
 	*tok = bus->parked[i].tok;
@@ -477,13 +478,20 @@ void __dispatch_forget_conn(link_connection_t *conn)
 
 static int dispatch_call(link_connection_t *conn, const struct link_msg *m,
 			 const uint8_t *frame, size_t framelen,
-			 const uid_t *known_uid);
+			 const uid_t *known_uid, int resumed);
 
-void link_uid_resolved(link_connection_t *conn, link_authz_t tok, uid_t uid)
+/*
+ * Shared resume: copy the parked frame out, free the slot, re-enter
+ * dispatch.  `uid` NULL means "use what the slot recorded" (a
+ * handler-parked call); non-NULL is a resolver's answer.
+ */
+static void resume_parked(link_connection_t *conn, link_authz_t tok,
+			  const uid_t *uid, int resumed)
 {
 	uint8_t             buf[LINK_PARKED_MSG_MAX];
 	struct link_parked *p = NULL;
 	struct link_msg     msg;
+	uid_t               slot_uid;
 	size_t              len;
 	int                 i;
 
@@ -501,15 +509,58 @@ void link_uid_resolved(link_connection_t *conn, link_authz_t tok, uid_t uid)
 
 	/* Copy the message out and free the slot before dispatching:
 	 * the handler may park a call of its own. */
-	len = p->len;
+	len      = p->len;
+	slot_uid = p->uid;
 	memcpy(buf, p->buf, len);
 	unpark(p);
 
 	if (__msg_parse(buf, len, &msg) <= 0)
 		return;
 
-	__dbg("resumed %s, caller uid %d", msg.member ? msg.member : "call", (int)uid);
-	(void)dispatch_call(conn, &msg, NULL, 0, &uid);
+	if (!uid)
+		uid = &slot_uid;
+
+	__dbg("resumed %s, caller uid %d", msg.member ? msg.member : "call", (int)*uid);
+	(void)dispatch_call(conn, &msg, NULL, 0, uid, resumed);
+}
+
+void link_uid_resolved(link_connection_t *conn, link_authz_t tok, uid_t uid)
+{
+	resume_parked(conn, tok, &uid, 0);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Defer the reply: hold the request and re-run the handler later via
+ * link_call_resume(), where link_call_resumed() reads true.  A resumed
+ * call cannot park again -- the raw frame is gone -- so the handler
+ * must answer on the second run.  link_connection_expire() is the
+ * backstop for a resume that never comes.
+ */
+int link_call_park(link_call_t *call, link_authz_t *tok)
+{
+	struct link_parked *p;
+
+	if (!call || !tok || call->resumed)
+		return -1;
+
+	p = park(call->conn, call->frame, call->framelen, tok);
+	if (!p)
+		return -1;
+
+	p->uid = call->uid;
+	call->parked = 1;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void link_call_resume(link_connection_t *conn, link_authz_t tok)
+{
+	resume_parked(conn, tok, NULL, 1);
+}
+
+int link_call_resumed(const link_call_t *call)
+{
+	return call ? call->resumed : 0;
 }
 
 int __dispatch_message(link_connection_t *conn, const struct link_msg *m, size_t framelen)
@@ -524,7 +575,7 @@ int __dispatch_message(link_connection_t *conn, const struct link_msg *m, size_t
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	return dispatch_call(conn, m, conn->rxbuf, framelen, NULL);
+	return dispatch_call(conn, m, conn->rxbuf, framelen, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 /* Who may invoke a privileged method.  Without an authorizer, only
@@ -582,7 +633,7 @@ static int resolve_caller(link_connection_t *conn, const struct link_msg *m,
 
 static int dispatch_call(link_connection_t *conn, const struct link_msg *m,
 			 const uint8_t *frame, size_t framelen,
-			 const uid_t *known_uid)
+			 const uid_t *known_uid, int resumed)
 {
 	struct link_object       *o;
 	struct link_vtable_entry *e = NULL;
@@ -676,8 +727,8 @@ static int dispatch_call(link_connection_t *conn, const struct link_msg *m,
 		 * resolved over a broker carries only its uid, so the
 		 * authorizer sees no groups and falls back to root-only. */
 		if (!caller_may(conn->server, call_uid,
-				known_uid ? NULL : conn->peer_groups,
-				known_uid ? 0    : conn->peer_ngroups)) {
+				conn->broker ? NULL : conn->peer_groups,
+				conn->broker ? 0    : conn->peer_ngroups)) {
 			__dbg("denied %s, caller uid %d is not privileged",
 			      m->member, (int)call_uid);
 			return __send_error(conn, m,
@@ -690,10 +741,18 @@ static int dispatch_call(link_connection_t *conn, const struct link_msg *m,
 	call.conn     = conn;
 	call.uid      = call_uid;
 	call.incoming = *m;
+	call.frame    = frame;
+	call.framelen = framelen;
+	call.resumed  = resumed;
 	__r_init(&call.read_cursor, m->body, m->body_avail);
 
 	rc = meth->handler(&call, e->userdata);
 
+	/* The handler parked the call: no reply yet, it is resumed via
+	 * link_call_resume() or expired by link_connection_expire(). */
+	if (call.parked)
+		return 0;
+
 	/* Every path returns the status of whatever it put on the wire,
 	 * so a failed send propagates out and the read loop drops the
 	 * peer rather than leaving a half-written frame on a live link.
diff --git a/libink/internal.h b/libink/internal.h
index e94e4371..e101ec61 100644
--- a/libink/internal.h
+++ b/libink/internal.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ typedef enum {
  * than a number per call site. */
 #define LINK_CALL_HDR_MAX    1024
 #define LINK_CALL_BODY_MAX   1024
-#define LINK_PARKED_CAP         4	/* inbound calls awaiting a uid */
+#define LINK_PARKED_CAP         4	/* inbound calls held for later */
 /* A call parked for authorization is a privileged one: an object path
  * and at most a service name.  Finit's per-service paths alone run to
  * 512 bytes, so leave room for the header around one.  Anything that
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ struct link_parked {
 	link_authz_t        tok;
 	link_connection_t  *conn;
 	uint64_t            stamp;
+	uid_t               uid;	/* caller, for handler-parked calls */
 	size_t              len;
 	uint8_t             buf[LINK_PARKED_MSG_MAX];
 };
@@ -133,6 +134,10 @@ struct link_call {
 	int               reply_consumed;
 	int               error_sent;
 	uid_t             uid;		/* caller, resolved for a broker peer */
+	const uint8_t     *frame;	/* raw frame, for link_call_park() */
+	size_t            framelen;
+	int               parked;	/* handler deferred its reply */
+	int               resumed;	/* re-run via link_call_resume() */
 };
 
 /* A parsed AddMatch rule.  Fields are NULL when the rule omits the
diff --git a/libink/link.h b/libink/link.h
index ed571960..73e42270 100644
--- a/libink/link.h
+++ b/libink/link.h
@@ -155,6 +155,19 @@ void link_server_set_authorizer(link_server_t *server, link_authorizer_t cb,
  * asked about; a reply callback is handed it as its first argument. */
 void link_uid_resolved(link_connection_t *conn, link_authz_t tok, uid_t uid);
 
+/* ----------  handler-deferred replies  ---------- */
+
+/* A handler that cannot answer yet parks the call and returns 0
+ * without replying; the framework sends nothing.  Resume re-runs the
+ * handler with link_call_resumed() reading true, and this time it
+ * must reply -- a resumed call cannot park again.  Parked calls that
+ * are never resumed are expired by link_connection_expire() with a
+ * TimedOut error.  Room is limited (four per connection); a failed
+ * park means answer now. */
+int  link_call_park   (link_call_t *call, link_authz_t *tok);
+void link_call_resume (link_connection_t *conn, link_authz_t tok);
+int  link_call_resumed(const link_call_t *call);
+
 /* Called with the reply to an outbound link_connection_call().  `reply`
  * is NULL if the connection dropped before one arrived. */
 typedef void (*link_reply_cb_t)(link_connection_t *conn, const link_reply_t *reply,
diff --git a/libink/marshal.h b/libink/marshal.h
index 2c020db1..f40ef902 100644
--- a/libink/marshal.h
+++ b/libink/marshal.h
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ ssize_t __w_finish(struct link_writer *w);
 
 void __w_byte    (struct link_writer *w, uint8_t v);
 void __w_bool    (struct link_writer *w, int v);
-void __w_u64   (struct link_writer *w, uint64_t v);
 void __w_u32     (struct link_writer *w, uint32_t v);
+void __w_u64     (struct link_writer *w, uint64_t v);
 void __w_string  (struct link_writer *w, const char *s);  /* "s" */
 void __w_path    (struct link_writer *w, const char *s);  /* "o" */
 void __w_sig     (struct link_writer *w, const char *s);  /* "g" */