diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/bootstrap.rs b/core/archipelago/src/bootstrap.rs
index 5a4c7b59..4e7643a2 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/bootstrap.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/bootstrap.rs
@@ -1055,6 +1055,22 @@ async fn run_nginx() -> Result<bool> {
 /// rejected. Stripped during nginx bootstrap so the backend solely owns CORS.
 const NGINX_LND_DUP_CORS: &str = "        add_header Access-Control-Allow-Origin $http_origin always;\n        add_header Access-Control-Allow-Credentials \"true\" always;\n";
 
+/// S4 follow-up (2026-08-07): pre-fix nodes proxy /aiui/api/web-search
+/// STRAIGHT to SearXNG (127.0.0.1:8888) with no session check — anyone on the
+/// LAN can run searches attributed to the node's IP. The canonical conf routes
+/// it through the session-gated daemon (5678) and forwards the Cookie. The
+/// stale target string is unique to that block, so a plain replace is safe.
+/// Pure and testable; `None` when the stale shape is absent.
+fn heal_stale_web_search_block(content: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    if !content.contains("proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8888/search;") {
+        return None;
+    }
+    Some(content.replace(
+        "proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8888/search;\n        proxy_http_version 1.1;\n        proxy_set_header Host $host;\n        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;",
+        "proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5678;\n        proxy_http_version 1.1;\n        proxy_set_header Host $host;\n        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;\n        proxy_set_header Cookie $http_cookie;",
+    ))
+}
+
 async fn patch_nginx_conf(path: &str) -> Result<bool> {
     let content = fs::read_to_string(path)
         .await
@@ -1084,6 +1100,7 @@ async fn patch_nginx_conf(path: &str) -> Result<bool> {
         content.contains("listen 80 default_server;") && !content.contains("listen [::]:80");
     let missing_v6_https =
         content.contains("listen 443 ssl default_server;") && !content.contains("listen [::]:443");
+    let stale_web_search = heal_stale_web_search_block(&content).is_some();
     if !missing_app_catalog
         && !missing_bitcoin_status
         && !missing_lnd_proxy
@@ -1093,12 +1110,18 @@ async fn patch_nginx_conf(path: &str) -> Result<bool> {
         && !needs_fedimint_css
         && !missing_v6_http
         && !missing_v6_https
+        && !stale_web_search
     {
         return Ok(false);
     }
 
     let mut patched = content.clone();
 
+    if let Some(p) = heal_stale_web_search_block(&patched) {
+        patched = p;
+    }
+
+
     if missing_v6_http {
         patched = patched.replace(
             "listen 80 default_server;",
@@ -1270,6 +1293,19 @@ mod tests {
         let outcome = PodmanHealOutcome::Unhealthy;
         assert_ne!(outcome, PodmanHealOutcome::Healthy);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn stale_web_search_block_is_gated_and_idempotent() {
+        let stale = "    location /aiui/api/web-search {\n        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8888/search;\n        proxy_http_version 1.1;\n        proxy_set_header Host $host;\n        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;\n        proxy_connect_timeout 30s;\n    }";
+        let healed = heal_stale_web_search_block(stale).expect("stale block must heal");
+        assert!(healed.contains("proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5678;"));
+        assert!(healed.contains("proxy_set_header Cookie $http_cookie;"));
+        assert!(!healed.contains("8888"));
+        // Second pass is a no-op (idempotent self-heal).
+        assert!(heal_stale_web_search_block(&healed).is_none());
+        // A config without the block is untouched.
+        assert!(heal_stale_web_search_block("location / { try_files $uri /index.html; }").is_none());
+    }
 }
 
 /// Repair this node's own systemd restart policy.