diff --git a/packages/builders/scripts/orchestration/init-stakeAtom.js b/packages/builders/scripts/orchestration/init-stakeAtom.js
index 68166a7601d..94f5ab4aea2 100644
--- a/packages/builders/scripts/orchestration/init-stakeAtom.js
+++ b/packages/builders/scripts/orchestration/init-stakeAtom.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export const defaultProposalBuilder = async (
     hostConnectionId = 'connection-1',
     controllerConnectionId = 'connection-0',
     bondDenom = 'uatom',
+    icqEnabled = true,
   } = options;
   return harden({
     sourceSpec: '@agoric/orchestration/src/proposals/start-stakeAtom.js',
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ export const defaultProposalBuilder = async (
         hostConnectionId,
         controllerConnectionId,
         bondDenom,
+        icqEnabled,
       },
     ],
   });
diff --git a/packages/orchestration/src/examples/stakeIca.contract.js b/packages/orchestration/src/examples/stakeIca.contract.js
index 8f4562220a4..cc0a6731067 100644
--- a/packages/orchestration/src/examples/stakeIca.contract.js
+++ b/packages/orchestration/src/examples/stakeIca.contract.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const meta = harden({
     hostConnectionId: M.string(),
     controllerConnectionId: M.string(),
     bondDenom: M.string(),
+    icqEnabled: M.boolean(),
   },
   privateArgsShape: {
     orchestration: M.remotable('orchestration'),
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ export const privateArgsShape = meta.privateArgsShape;
  *   hostConnectionId: IBCConnectionID;
  *   controllerConnectionId: IBCConnectionID;
  *   bondDenom: string;
+ *   icqEnabled: boolean;
  * }} StakeIcaTerms
  */
 
@@ -54,8 +56,13 @@ export const privateArgsShape = meta.privateArgsShape;
  * @param {Baggage} baggage
  */
 export const start = async (zcf, privateArgs, baggage) => {
-  const { chainId, hostConnectionId, controllerConnectionId, bondDenom } =
-    zcf.getTerms();
+  const {
+    chainId,
+    hostConnectionId,
+    controllerConnectionId,
+    bondDenom,
+    icqEnabled,
+  } = zcf.getTerms();
   const { orchestration, marshaller, storageNode, timer } = privateArgs;
 
   const zone = makeDurableZone(baggage);
@@ -74,12 +81,11 @@ export const start = async (zcf, privateArgs, baggage) => {
       hostConnectionId,
       controllerConnectionId,
     );
-    // TODO https://github.com/Agoric/agoric-sdk/issues/9326
-    // Should not fail if host does not have `async-icq` module;
-    // communicate to OrchestrationAccount that it can't send queries
-    const icqConnection = await E(orchestration).provideICQConnection(
-      controllerConnectionId,
-    );
+    // TODO permissionless queries https://github.com/Agoric/agoric-sdk/issues/9326
+    const icqConnection = icqEnabled
+      ? await E(orchestration).provideICQConnection(controllerConnectionId)
+      : undefined;
+
     const accountAddress = await E(account).getAddress();
     trace('account address', accountAddress);
     const holder = makeCosmosOrchestrationAccount(accountAddress, bondDenom, {
diff --git a/packages/orchestration/src/exos/cosmosOrchestrationAccount.js b/packages/orchestration/src/exos/cosmosOrchestrationAccount.js
index f1c10cb24ac..6ef7ea2ec8a 100644
--- a/packages/orchestration/src/exos/cosmosOrchestrationAccount.js
+++ b/packages/orchestration/src/exos/cosmosOrchestrationAccount.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ const { Fail } = assert;
  *   topicKit: RecorderKit<ComosOrchestrationAccountNotification>;
  *   account: IcaAccount;
  *   chainAddress: ChainAddress;
- *   icqConnection: ICQConnection;
+ *   icqConnection: ICQConnection | undefined;
  *   bondDenom: string;
  *   timer: Remote<TimerService>;
  * }} State
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ export const prepareCosmosOrchestrationAccountKit = (
      * @param {object} io
      * @param {IcaAccount} io.account
      * @param {Remote<StorageNode>} io.storageNode
-     * @param {ICQConnection} io.icqConnection
+     * @param {ICQConnection | undefined} io.icqConnection
      * @param {Remote<TimerService>} io.timer
      * @returns {State}
      */
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ export const prepareCosmosOrchestrationAccountKit = (
          */
         async getBalance(denom) {
           const { chainAddress, icqConnection } = this.state;
+          if (!icqConnection) throw Error('Queries not enabled.');
           // TODO #9211 lookup denom from brand
           assert.typeof(denom, 'string');
 
diff --git a/packages/orchestration/src/proposals/start-stakeAtom.js b/packages/orchestration/src/proposals/start-stakeAtom.js
index 228b4ccc9bc..2648f810beb 100644
--- a/packages/orchestration/src/proposals/start-stakeAtom.js
+++ b/packages/orchestration/src/proposals/start-stakeAtom.js
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ export const startStakeAtom = async ({
       hostConnectionId: connectionInfo.id,
       controllerConnectionId: connectionInfo.counterparty.connection_id,
       bondDenom: cosmoshub.stakingTokens[0].denom,
+      // @ts-expect-error icqEnabled exists on CosmosChainInfo type
+      icqEnabled: !!cosmoshub.icqEnabled,
     },
     privateArgs: {
       orchestration: await orchestration,
diff --git a/packages/orchestration/test/examples/stake-atom.contract.test.ts b/packages/orchestration/test/examples/stake-atom.contract.test.ts
index 31f8478b03e..3dea9945d04 100644
--- a/packages/orchestration/test/examples/stake-atom.contract.test.ts
+++ b/packages/orchestration/test/examples/stake-atom.contract.test.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import { test } from '@agoric/zoe/tools/prepare-test-env-ava.js';
 
-import { AmountMath } from '@agoric/ertp';
 import { setUpZoeForTest } from '@agoric/zoe/tools/setup-zoe.js';
 import { E } from '@endo/far';
 import path from 'path';
 import type { Installation } from '@agoric/zoe/src/zoeService/utils.js';
 import { commonSetup } from '../supports.js';
+import { type StakeAtomTerms } from '../../src/examples/stakeAtom.contract.js';
 
 const dirname = path.dirname(new URL(import.meta.url).pathname);
 
@@ -18,7 +18,13 @@ const startContract = async ({
   timer,
   marshaller,
   storage,
-  bld,
+  issuerKeywordRecord,
+  terms = {
+    hostConnectionId: 'connection-1',
+    controllerConnectionId: 'connection-2',
+    bondDenom: 'uatom',
+    icqEnabled: false,
+  } as StakeAtomTerms,
 }) => {
   const { zoe, bundleAndInstall } = await setUpZoeForTest();
   const installation: Installation<StartFn> =
@@ -43,21 +49,23 @@ const startContract = async ({
   return { publicFacet, zoe };
 };
 
-test('makeAccount, deposit, withdraw', async t => {
+test('makeAccount, getAddress, getBalances, getBalance', async t => {
   const {
     bootstrap,
     brands: { ist },
     utils,
   } = await commonSetup(t);
-  const { publicFacet } = await startContract({ ...bootstrap, bld: ist });
+  const { publicFacet } = await startContract({
+    ...bootstrap,
+    issuerKeywordRecord: { In: ist.issuer },
+  });
 
   t.log('make an ICA account');
   const account = await E(publicFacet).makeAccount();
   t.truthy(account, 'account is returned');
-  const address = await E(account).getAddress();
-  // XXX address.address is weird
-  //   t.regex(address.address, /agoric1/);
-  t.like(address, { chainId: 'cosmoshub-4', addressEncoding: 'bech32' });
+  const chainAddress = await E(account).getAddress();
+  // t.regex(address.address, /cosmos1/);
+  t.like(chainAddress, { chainId: 'cosmoshub-4', addressEncoding: 'bech32' });
 
   t.log('deposit 100 bld to account');
   await E(account).deposit(await utils.pourPayment(ist.units(100)));
@@ -65,4 +73,8 @@ test('makeAccount, deposit, withdraw', async t => {
   await t.throwsAsync(E(account).getBalances(), {
     message: 'not yet implemented',
   });
+
+  await t.throwsAsync(E(account).getBalance('uatom'), {
+    message: 'Queries not enabled.',
+  });
 });