Further experimentation suggests that the problem is in the interaction between footnotes and margin placement. Endnotes work fine. \defineconstructionalternative [mylabel] [renderingsetup=constructionrenderings:mylabel, width=] \startsetups[constructionrenderings:mylabel] \dontleavehmode \inright{\flushconstructionheadbox} \stopsetups \defineenumeration [one] [alternative=mylabel, display=no, before=, after=] \definenote [endnote] \setupnotation [endnote] [way=bytext, location=none, conversion=numbers] \starttext \startchapter[title=bar] this works \startone[reference=aa]\input jojomayer \stopone \quotation{\startone[reference=bb]\input ward \stopone} this fails\footnote{\startone[reference=cc]\input jojomayer \stopone \quotation{\startone[reference=dd]\input ward \stopone}} while this works\endnote{\startone[reference=ee]\input jojomayer \stopone \quotation{\startone[reference=ff]\input ward \stopone}} whatever \in{one}[aa] whatever \in{one}[bb] whatever \in{one}[cc] whatever \in{one}[dd] whatever \in{one}[ee] whatever \in{one}[ff] \stopchapter \startchapter[title=notes] \placenotes[endnote] \stopchapter \stoptext -- Rik