diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/search/route.ts b/src/app/api/v1/search/route.ts
index 313b72dece..ceb78643ec 100644
--- a/src/app/api/v1/search/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/search/route.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export async function OPTIONS() {
  * GET /v1/search — list available search providers
  */
 export async function GET() {
-  const settings = await getSettings().catch(() => ({} as any));
+  const settings = await getSettings().catch(() => ({}) as any);
   const blockedProviders = settings?.blockedProviders || [];
   const providers = getAllSearchProviders(blockedProviders);
   const timestamp = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ async function postHandler(request: Request, context: unknown) {
   const policy = await enforceApiKeyPolicy(request, "search");
   if (policy.rejection) return policy.rejection;
 
-  const settings = await getSettings().catch(() => ({} as any));
+  const settings = await getSettings().catch(() => ({}) as any);
   const blockedProviders = settings?.blockedProviders || [];
 
   // Resolve provider and credentials
@@ -247,6 +247,34 @@ async function postHandler(request: Request, context: unknown) {
       }
     }
 
+    // Last resort before failing: promote a fallback-only free provider (e.g.
+    // duckduckgo-free) to the primary pick so out-of-the-box search works when
+    // no credentialed provider is configured at all.
+    if (!credentials) {
+      const fallbackProviders = Object.values(SEARCH_PROVIDERS)
+        .filter(
+          (provider) =>
+            provider.fallbackOnly &&
+            supportsSearchType(provider, body.search_type) &&
+            !isProviderBlockedByIdOrAlias(provider.id, blockedProviders)
+        )
+        .sort((a, b) => a.costPerQuery - b.costPerQuery);
+
+      for (const fallbackProvider of fallbackProviders) {
+        providerConfig = fallbackProvider;
+        if (fallbackProvider.id === "duckduckgo-free") {
+          credentials = {};
+          break;
+        }
+        const fallbackCreds = await resolveSearchCredentials(fallbackProvider.id);
+        if (isAllRateLimitedCredentials(fallbackCreds)) continue;
+        if (fallbackCreds) {
+          credentials = fallbackCreds;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
     if (!credentials) {
       if (firstRateLimitedCredentials) {
         return rateLimitedProviderResponse(
diff --git a/src/shared/components/OmniRouteLogo.tsx b/src/shared/components/OmniRouteLogo.tsx
index 32a09cb6fa..a6520fa680 100644
--- a/src/shared/components/OmniRouteLogo.tsx
+++ b/src/shared/components/OmniRouteLogo.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export default function OmniRouteLogo({ size = 20, className = "" }: OmniRouteLo
       fill="none"
       xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
       className={className}
+      suppressHydrationWarning
     >
       {/* Central node */}
       <circle cx="16" cy="16" r="3" fill="currentColor" />