diff --git a/js/directions.js b/js/directions.js
index 11d2d34..5e29746 100644
--- a/js/directions.js
+++ b/js/directions.js
@@ -105,13 +105,12 @@ export function createDirections({ key, consent = () => false, maps = loadMaps,
   const ready = () => (consent() && globalThis.navigator?.onLine !== false ? maps(key, doc) : Promise.reject(new Error('unavailable')));
 
   return {
-    // Bumped by the caller whenever the origin or the date moves. A response
-    // that comes back against an old generation is dropped rather than
-    // rendered, which is the rule docs/research/walking-routes-115.md sets: a
-    // stale answer must never reorder or relabel a list already on screen.
-    get generation() {
-      return generation;
-    },
+    // Bumped by the caller whenever the origin or the date moves, and handed
+    // back so the caller can tell generations apart without this object
+    // keeping a second, readable copy of the count. A response that comes
+    // back against an old generation is dropped rather than rendered, which
+    // is the rule docs/research/walking-routes-115.md sets: a stale answer
+    // must never reorder or relabel a list already on screen.
     invalidate() {
       generation += 1;
       return generation;
diff --git a/scripts/test/directions.test.mjs b/scripts/test/directions.test.mjs
index 1b75f33..7443bc5 100644
--- a/scripts/test/directions.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/test/directions.test.mjs
@@ -139,10 +139,8 @@ test('an answer against an old generation is dropped', async () => {
 test('invalidate counts up so a caller can tell generations apart', () => {
   const { maps } = fakeMaps({ leg: LEG });
   const d = createDirections({ key: 'k', consent: yes, maps });
-  assert.equal(d.generation, 0);
   assert.equal(d.invalidate(), 1);
   assert.equal(d.invalidate(), 2);
-  assert.equal(d.generation, 2);
 });
 
 // --- the matrix, all or nothing