Proposed resolution:

This wording is relative to N5032.

1. Modify [exec.simple.counting.mem] as indicated:

   template<class State>
     bool start-join-sender(State& st) noexcept;
   

   -9- Effects: If count is zero, then changes state to joined and returns `true`. Otherwise, if state is:

   • (9.1) — unused, unused-and-closed, or joined, then changes state to joined and returns `true`;

   • (9.2) — open or open-and-joining, then changes state to open-and-joining, registers `st` with `*this` and returns `false`;

   • (9.3) — closed or closed-and-joining, then changes state to closed-and-joining, registers `st` with `*this` and returns `false`.

[ Croydon 2026-03-26; move to Immediate. ]

[ 2026-03-25; Tomasz provides updated wording. ]

[ 2026-02-18; Reflector poll. ]

Set priority to 2 after reflector poll.

I discovered while implementing P3149 + P3815 in NVIDIA's stdexec that there's a bug in [exec.simple.counting.mem], paragraph 9. The status quo says:

template<class State>
  bool start-join-sender(State& st) noexcept;

-9- Effects: If state is

• (9.1) — unused, unused-and-closed, or joined, then changes state to joined and returns `true`;

• (9.2) — open or open-and-joining, then changes state to open-and-joining, registers `st` with `*this` and returns `false`;

• (9.3) — closed or closed-and-joining, then changes state to closed-and-joining, registers `st` with `*this` and returns `false`.

The problem is that if either bullet 9.2 or 9.3 applies when count happens to be zero then there's nothing to guarantee that `st.complete()` is ever invoked, leading to deadlock unless another sender is associated and disassociated with the scope (because the subsequent disassociation will trigger the join-sender's completion).

One fix is to change bullet 9.1 of the Effects element such that start-join-sender changes state to joined and returns `true` if count is zero, regardless of the value of state; bullets 9.2 and 9.3 can be left alone. I might add a note that points out that, when state is unused, unused-and-closed, or joined, count must be zero.

Another fix would be to delete bullet 9.1, to modify bullets 9.2 and 9.3 by adding "and count is greater than zero", and to add a trailing bullet that says "otherwise, changes state to joined and returns `true`."