diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/id.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/id.js
index bd5d777e1e7..bd76555b6ab 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/id.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/id.js
@@ -26,12 +26,10 @@ export function insistVatID(s) {
     if (s !== `${s}`) {
       throw new Error(`not a string`);
     }
-    if (s !== 'none') {
-      if (!s.startsWith(`v`)) {
-        throw new Error(`does not start with 'v'`);
-      }
-      Nat(Number(s.slice(1)));
+    if (!s.startsWith(`v`)) {
+      throw new Error(`does not start with 'v'`);
     }
+    Nat(Number(s.slice(1)));
   } catch (e) {
     throw new Error(`'${s} is not a 'vNN'-style VatID: ${e.message}`);
   }
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernel.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernel.js
index 324e611eb06..c632fb16659 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernel.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernel.js
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ function makeError(s) {
 }
 
 const VAT_TERMINATION_ERROR = makeError('vat terminated');
-const UNKNOWN_VAT_ERROR = makeError('unknown vat');
 
 export default function buildKernel(kernelEndowments, kernelOptions = {}) {
   const {
@@ -312,8 +311,8 @@ export default function buildKernel(kernelEndowments, kernelOptions = {}) {
     const vat = ephemeral.vats.get(vatID);
     kernelKeeper.incStat('dispatches');
     kernelKeeper.incStat('dispatchDeliver');
-    if (!vat || vat.dead || vatID === 'none') {
-      resolveToError(msg.result, UNKNOWN_VAT_ERROR);
+    if (!vat) {
+      resolveToError(msg.result, VAT_TERMINATION_ERROR);
     } else {
       const kd = harden(['message', target, msg]);
       const vd = vat.translators.kernelDeliveryToVatDelivery(kd);
@@ -326,8 +325,11 @@ export default function buildKernel(kernelEndowments, kernelOptions = {}) {
     const { type } = parseKernelSlot(target);
     if (type === 'object') {
       const vatID = kernelKeeper.ownerOfKernelObject(target);
-      vatID === 'none' || insistVatID(vatID);
-      await deliverToVat(vatID, target, msg);
+      if (vatID) {
+        await deliverToVat(vatID, target, msg);
+      } else {
+        resolveToError(msg.result, VAT_TERMINATION_ERROR);
+      }
     } else if (type === 'promise') {
       const kp = kernelKeeper.getKernelPromise(target);
       if (kp.state === 'fulfilledToPresence') {
@@ -351,11 +353,15 @@ export default function buildKernel(kernelEndowments, kernelOptions = {}) {
           kernelKeeper.addMessageToPromiseQueue(target, msg);
         } else {
           insistVatID(kp.decider);
-          const vat = ephemeral.vats.get(kp.decider);
-          if (vat.enablePipelining) {
-            await deliverToVat(kp.decider, target, msg);
+          const deciderVat = ephemeral.vats.get(kp.decider);
+          if (deciderVat) {
+            if (deciderVat.enablePipelining) {
+              await deliverToVat(kp.decider, target, msg);
+            } else {
+              kernelKeeper.addMessageToPromiseQueue(target, msg);
+            }
           } else {
-            kernelKeeper.addMessageToPromiseQueue(target, msg);
+            resolveToError(msg.result, VAT_TERMINATION_ERROR);
           }
         }
       } else {
@@ -385,7 +391,7 @@ export default function buildKernel(kernelEndowments, kernelOptions = {}) {
     insistKernelType('promise', kpid);
     const vat = ephemeral.vats.get(vatID);
     kernelKeeper.incStat('dispatches');
-    if (!vat || vat.dead) {
+    if (!vat) {
       kdebug(`dropping notify of ${kpid} to ${vatID} because vat is dead`);
     } else {
       const p = kernelKeeper.getKernelPromise(kpid);
@@ -628,7 +634,7 @@ export default function buildKernel(kernelEndowments, kernelOptions = {}) {
     // the VatManager+VatWorker will see the error case, but liveslots will
     // not
     function vatSyscallHandler(vatSyscallObject) {
-      if (ephemeral.vats.get(vatID).dead) {
+      if (!ephemeral.vats.get(vatID)) {
         // This is a safety check -- this case should never happen unless the
         // vatManager is somehow confused.
         console.error(`vatSyscallHandler invoked on dead vat ${vatID}`);
@@ -712,7 +718,7 @@ export default function buildKernel(kernelEndowments, kernelOptions = {}) {
 
   function removeVatManager(vatID) {
     const old = ephemeral.vats.get(vatID);
-    ephemeral.vats.set(vatID, harden({ dead: true }));
+    ephemeral.vats.delete(vatID);
     old.notifyTermination(null);
     return old.manager.shutdown();
   }
@@ -903,7 +909,7 @@ export default function buildKernel(kernelEndowments, kernelOptions = {}) {
       for (const vatID of ephemeral.vats.keys()) {
         logStartup(`Replaying transcript of vatID ${vatID}`);
         const vat = ephemeral.vats.get(vatID);
-        if (vat.dead) {
+        if (!vat) {
           logStartup(`skipping reload of dead vat ${vatID}`);
         } else {
           // eslint-disable-next-line no-await-in-loop
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/state/kernelKeeper.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/state/kernelKeeper.js
index f56e77e6636..bbe7710a252 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/state/kernelKeeper.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/state/kernelKeeper.js
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ const enableKernelPromiseGC = true;
 // v$NN.c.$vatSlot = $kernelSlot = ko$NN/kp$NN/kd$NN
 // v$NN.t.$NN = JSON(transcript entry)
 // v$NN.t.nextID = $NN
-// v$NN.dead = missing | true
 
 // d$NN.o.nextID = $NN
 // d$NN.c.$kernelSlot = $deviceSlot = o-$NN/d+$NN/d-$NN
@@ -251,8 +250,10 @@ export default function makeKernelKeeper(storage) {
 
   function ownerOfKernelObject(kernelSlot) {
     insistKernelType('object', kernelSlot);
-    const owner = getRequired(`${kernelSlot}.owner`);
-    insistVatID(owner);
+    const owner = storage.get(`${kernelSlot}.owner`);
+    if (owner) {
+      insistVatID(owner);
+    }
     return owner;
   }
 
@@ -439,17 +440,37 @@ export default function makeKernelKeeper(storage) {
     const kpPrefix = `${vatID}.c.p`;
     const kernelPromisesToReject = [];
     for (const k of storage.getKeys(`${vatID}.`, `${vatID}/`)) {
-      // The store semantics ensure this iteration is lexicographic.  Any
-      // changes to the creation of the list of promises need to preserve this
-      // in order to preserve determinism.
+      // The current store semantics ensure this iteration is lexicographic.
+      // Any changes to the creation of the list of promises to be rejected (and
+      // thus to the order in which they *get* rejected) need to preserve this
+      // ordering in order to preserve determinism.  TODO: we would like to
+      // shift to a different deterministic ordering scheme that is less fragile
+      // in the face of potential changes in the nature of the database being
+      // used.
       if (k.startsWith(koPrefix)) {
+        // The void for an object exported by a vat will always be of the form
+        // `o+NN`.  The '+' means that the vat exported the object (rather than
+        // importing it) and therefor the object is owned by (i.e., within) the
+        // vat.  The corresponding void->koid c-list entry will thus always
+        // begin with `vMM.c.o+`.  In addition to deleting the c-list entry, we
+        // must also delete the corresponding kernel owner entry for the object,
+        // since the object will no longer be accessible.
         const koid = storage.get(k);
         const ownerKey = `${koid}.owner`;
         const ownerVat = storage.get(ownerKey);
         if (ownerVat === vatID) {
-          storage.set(ownerKey, 'none');
+          storage.delete(ownerKey);
         }
       } else if (k.startsWith(kpPrefix)) {
+        // The vpid for a promise imported or exported by a vat (and thus
+        // potentially a promise for which the vat *might* be the decider) will
+        // always be of the form `p+NN` or `p-NN`.  The corresponding vpid->kpid
+        // c-list entry will thus always begin with `vMM.c.p`.  Decider-ship is
+        // independent of whether the promise was imported or exported, so we
+        // have to look up the corresponding kernel promise table entry to see
+        // whether the vat is the decider or not.  If it is, we add the promise
+        // to the list of promises that must be rejected because the dead vat
+        // will never be able to act upon them.
         const kpid = storage.get(k);
         const p = getKernelPromise(kpid);
         if (p.state === 'unresolved' && p.decider === vatID) {
@@ -459,9 +480,10 @@ export default function makeKernelKeeper(storage) {
       storage.delete(k);
     }
     // TODO: deleting entries from the dynamic vat IDs list requires a linear
-    // scan; this collection ought to be represented in a way that makes it
-    // efficient to remove an entry from it, though this should be OK as long as
-    // we keep the list short.
+    // scan of the list; arguably this collection ought to be represented in a
+    // different way that makes it efficient to remove an entry from it, though
+    // for the time being the linear list should be OK enough as long as we keep
+    // the list short.
     const DYNAMIC_IDS_KEY = 'vat.dynamicIDs';
     const oldDynamicVatIDs = JSON.parse(getRequired(DYNAMIC_IDS_KEY));
     const newDynamicVatIDs = oldDynamicVatIDs.filter(v => v !== vatID);
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/test/vat-admin/terminate/test-terminate.js b/packages/SwingSet/test/vat-admin/terminate/test-terminate.js
index 4cf3a4e2d53..756acc70f5c 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/test/vat-admin/terminate/test-terminate.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/test/vat-admin/terminate/test-terminate.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ test('terminate', async t => {
     'GOT QUERY 3',
     'foreverP.catch vat terminated',
     'query3P.catch vat terminated',
-    'foo4P.catch unknown vat',
+    'foo4P.catch vat terminated',
     'afterForeverP.catch vat terminated',
     'done',
   ]);
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ test('dispatches to the dead do not harm kernel', async t => {
     t.deepEqual(c2.dump().log, [
       'b: p1b = I so resolve',
       'b: p2b fails vat terminated',
-      'm: live 2 failed: unknown vat',
+      'm: live 2 failed: vat terminated',
     ]);
   }
 });
@@ -139,6 +139,6 @@ test('dead vat state removed', async t => {
   controller.queueToVatExport('bootstrap', 'o+0', 'phase2', capargs([]));
   await controller.run();
   t.is(storage.get('vat.dynamicIDs'), '[]');
-  t.is(storage.get('ko26.owner'), 'none');
+  t.is(storage.get('ko26.owner'), undefined);
   t.is(Array.from(storage.getKeys('v6.', 'v6/')).length, 0);
 });