The Zaydi theory of the imamate states that the method (tarīq) is daʿwa, that is, the qualified man should claim the imamate. If he is qualified according to the criteria, and if he is the best candidate, his imamate becomes binding on all Muslims. But who should evaluate his claim and validate it? This point is less clear, perhaps because Zaydi imams for a long time operated with a small number of followers already backing the imam before the daʿwa, making alliances with local tribes, and in any case operating as a minority, albeit with its own realm, the hijra. This paper focuses not on classical imamate theory as formulated in uṣūl and ʿaqīda chapters, but rather on how the theory is presented in fiqh texts (substantive law) from around ca. 1400-1550 CE, a time when Zaydis had much practical experience with the imamate. I draw attention to a possible sunnization of the appointment theory itself as the law was changed giving the elites around the imam explicit rights in appointing the imam, even preferring military capabilities over scholarly qualifications. This opens the door for a dynastic logic unfamiliar to traditional Zaydism, but well known from later periods. The main sources are the Kitāb al-azhār and al-Bahr al-Zakhkhār of Ibn al-Murtaḍā (d. 840/1436) as well as the Wābil by al-Miqrāʾī (d. 990/1582).