> Here's something reproducible in five minutes.

Ok, maybe not.  I just tried this test and it worked!

Very strange..  I must've saved the *dirty* package first instead of the
top-level package.  If that's the case, Monticello's "not found" message makes
sense knowing what I know now.  My natural inclination was to save the dirty
package, and I could've sworn I then saved the top-level package too, but that
apparently works now so maybe I didn't.  I'll be sure pay close attention to it
going forward in case it happens again.

Good, if main requirement we agree about, to be able to save a
guaranteed-loadable configuration of packages, is satisfied by saving the
top-level package then that is workable.  The need for consideration of
package-prereqs seems less important now, albeit not irrelevant.

 - Chris