diff --git a/src/utils/device-output.ts b/src/utils/device-output.ts
index 0ee106b..25e545b 100644
--- a/src/utils/device-output.ts
+++ b/src/utils/device-output.ts
@@ -228,7 +228,10 @@ export function humanState(human: DeviceHumanStatus): string {
 export function humanFields(human: DeviceHumanStatus, now: number = Date.now()): Field[] {
   const fields: Field[] = [['state', humanState(human)]];
   if (human.reason) fields.push(['reason', human.reason]);
-  if (human.since) fields.push(['asked', formatWhen(human.since, now)]);
+  // A person who took control unasked: the reason is "<email> took control",
+  // and nobody asked for anything.
+  const tookControl = human.human_in_control && !!human.reason?.endsWith(' took control');
+  if (human.since) fields.push([tookControl ? 'since' : 'asked', formatWhen(human.since, now)]);
   if (human.waiting && human.expires_at) {
     fields.push(['ends', `${formatWhen(human.expires_at, now)} unless they hand it back`]);
   }
diff --git a/test/unit/device-command.test.ts b/test/unit/device-command.test.ts
index 85bf4b1..a8fb123 100644
--- a/test/unit/device-command.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/device-command.test.ts
@@ -793,6 +793,9 @@ describe('dcd device', () => {
       const labels = (h: typeof base | Record<string, unknown>) =>
         humanFields(h as typeof base, now).map(([label]) => label);
       expect(labels(base)).to.deep.equal(['state', 'reason', 'asked', 'ends']);
+      // Taken unasked: "since", not "asked". A request a person picked up stays "asked".
+      expect(labels({ ...base, human_in_control: true, reason: 'ann@x.com took control' })).to.deep.equal(['state', 'reason', 'since', 'ends']);
+      expect(labels({ ...base, human_in_control: true })).to.deep.equal(['state', 'reason', 'asked', 'ends']);
       const back = { ...base, waiting: false, reason: null, since: null, handed_back: true, note: 'Done', handed_back_at: '2026-10-19T10:00:00Z' };
       expect(humanFields(back, now)).to.deep.include(['note', 'Done']);
       expect(humanFields(back, now)[0]).to.deep.equal(['state', 'handed back']);