diff --git a/changelog.d/fixes/10976-skip-default-searxng.md b/changelog.d/fixes/10976-skip-default-searxng.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a317979b4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/fixes/10976-skip-default-searxng.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- **fix(search):** skip catalog-default SearXNG `http://localhost:8888/search` so Docker/K8s search does not ECONNREFUSED then 502 into the next provider ([#10976](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/issues/10976))
diff --git a/open-sse/config/searchRegistry.ts b/open-sse/config/searchRegistry.ts
index 9230fa1b0e..9043bf38e7 100644
--- a/open-sse/config/searchRegistry.ts
+++ b/open-sse/config/searchRegistry.ts
@@ -327,6 +327,24 @@ export function resolveSearchProviderId(providerId: string): string {
  * Request routing should use resolveSearchProvider() so aliases work
  * without colliding with the Foundation jina-ai provider id.
  */
+const CATALOG_SEARXNG_DEFAULT_URL = "http://localhost:8888/search";
+
+/**
+ * Catalog default SearXNG URL is a desktop convenience. In Docker/K8s nothing
+ * listens on :8888, and OMNIROUTE_ALLOW_PRIVATE_PROVIDER_URLS (needed for
+ * ClusterIP providers) lets ProxyFetch attempt it, producing ECONNREFUSED and
+ * a 502 that then burns the next fallback's quota. Skip unless the operator
+ * overrode baseUrl.
+ */
+export function isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider(
+  provider: SearchProviderConfig | null | undefined
+): boolean {
+  if (!provider || provider.id !== "searxng-search") return false;
+  const configured = String(provider.baseUrl || "").replace(/\/+$/, "");
+  const catalog = CATALOG_SEARXNG_DEFAULT_URL.replace(/\/+$/, "");
+  return configured === catalog;
+}
+
 export function getSearchProvider(providerId: string): SearchProviderConfig | null {
   return SEARCH_PROVIDERS[providerId] || null;
 }
diff --git a/open-sse/handlers/search.ts b/open-sse/handlers/search.ts
index ca6221538a..be52413ad4 100644
--- a/open-sse/handlers/search.ts
+++ b/open-sse/handlers/search.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ import { randomUUID } from "crypto";
  * }
  */
 
-import { getSearchProvider, type SearchProviderConfig } from "../config/searchRegistry.ts";
+import {
+  getSearchProvider,
+  isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider,
+  type SearchProviderConfig,
+} from "../config/searchRegistry.ts";
 import { buildPerplexityRequest, parsePerplexitySearchOptions } from "./search/perplexitySearch.ts";
 import * as fcSearch from "./search/firecrawlSearch.ts";
 import { type FirecrawlSearchEnvelope } from "./search/firecrawlSearch.ts";
@@ -1309,7 +1313,37 @@ export async function handleSearch(options: SearchHandlerOptions): Promise<Searc
     }
   }
 
-  // 4. Try primary provider
+  // 4. Try primary provider (skip catalog-default SearXNG localhost:8888)
+  if (isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider(primaryConfig)) {
+    if (log) {
+      log.warn(
+        "SEARCH",
+        "skipping catalog-default searxng-search at http://localhost:8888/search; set a real SearXNG URL"
+      );
+    }
+    if (
+      alternateConfig &&
+      alternateCredentials &&
+      !isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider(alternateConfig)
+    ) {
+      return tryProvider(
+        alternateConfig,
+        requestParams,
+        alternateCredentials,
+        startTime,
+        log,
+        alternateCredentials?.connectionId,
+        apiKeyId
+      );
+    }
+    return {
+      success: false,
+      status: 503,
+      error:
+        "SearXNG is still on the catalog default http://localhost:8888/search. Configure a real SearXNG URL or disable the provider.",
+    };
+  }
+
   const result = await tryProvider(
     primaryConfig,
     requestParams,
diff --git a/src/app/api/v1/search/route.ts b/src/app/api/v1/search/route.ts
index 0158e4947c..c7e3613fbd 100644
--- a/src/app/api/v1/search/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/v1/search/route.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   resolveSearchProvider,
   selectProvider,
   supportsSearchType,
+  isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider,
   SEARCH_PROVIDERS,
   SEARCH_CREDENTIAL_FALLBACKS,
 } from "@omniroute/open-sse/config/searchRegistry.ts";
@@ -286,6 +287,7 @@ async function postHandler(request: Request, context: unknown) {
     if (!alternateProviderId) {
       for (const provider of Object.values(SEARCH_PROVIDERS)) {
         if (!provider.fallbackOnly || provider.id === providerConfig.id) continue;
+        if (isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider(provider)) continue;
         if (!supportsSearchType(provider, body.search_type)) continue;
         const fallbackCreds = await resolveSearchExecutionCredentials(provider);
         if (fallbackCreds && !isAllRateLimitedCredentials(fallbackCreds)) {
diff --git a/tests/unit/searxng-loopback-default.test.ts b/tests/unit/searxng-loopback-default.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..133cd20a6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/searxng-loopback-default.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+import {
+  SEARCH_PROVIDERS,
+  isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider,
+} from "../../open-sse/config/searchRegistry.ts";
+
+test("catalog searxng-search default is an unconfigured loopback URL", () => {
+  const searxng = SEARCH_PROVIDERS["searxng-search"];
+  assert.ok(searxng);
+  assert.equal(isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider(searxng), true);
+});
+
+test("overridden SearXNG URL is not skipped", () => {
+  const searxng = SEARCH_PROVIDERS["searxng-search"];
+  assert.equal(
+    isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider({
+      ...searxng,
+      baseUrl: "http://searxng.inference.svc/search",
+    }),
+    false
+  );
+});
+
+test("other fallback providers are not treated as unconfigured loopback", () => {
+  assert.equal(isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider(SEARCH_PROVIDERS["duckduckgo-free"]), false);
+  assert.equal(isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider(SEARCH_PROVIDERS["brave-search"]), false);
+  assert.equal(isUnconfiguredLoopbackSearchProvider(null), false);
+});