fix(search): match both slash-split and literal slash forms in FTS queries (#2380 review)

Review finding on the normalize-only approach: Postgres' text-search
parser emits the joined file-alias lexeme on the INDEX side too
(to_tsvector('english','acme/widget') -> 'acme/widget'), so replacing
'/' with whitespace in the query made documents containing the literal
slash form (file paths, URLs, pasted titles) unreachable — the split-word
AND pass can't match the joined lexeme and the OR fallback can't either.
Pre-fix, those exact-form queries DID match.

Replace the TS-side normalizeKeywordQuery with buildWebsearchQueryExpr
in sql-ranking.ts (shared by both engines, keeping them in lockstep): a
slash-bearing query now binds the raw text once and matches
(websearch_to_tsquery(translate($1,'/',' ')) || websearch_to_tsquery($1))
— split-word prose AND literal slash forms alike. Slash-free queries keep
the byte-identical single-parse SQL and identical ts_rank.

New regression test pins the literal-slash arm (verified failing under
the normalize-only expression); the two AND-vs-OR slash tests still pass.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/commands/doctor.ts

@@ -820,6 +820,10 @@ export async function doctorReportRemote(engine: BrainEngine): Promise<DoctorRep
   // v0.42.x (#1794, 4A): pool-budget nudge when GBRAIN_MAX_CONNECTIONS is set.
   checks.push(await checkPoolBudget(engine));
 
+  // #2552: warn when an explicit embed-concurrency override fans out against
+  // a local single-slot embedding endpoint (silent backfill starvation).
+  checks.push(await checkEmbedConcurrency());
+
   // v0.42.7 (#1696): link-extraction lag. Strictly SQL (single indexed COUNT),
   // safe on the thin-client/remote path — remote operators on checkout-less
   // Postgres brains are exactly who can't otherwise see the extraction backlog.
@@ -3815,6 +3819,61 @@ export function computePoolBudgetCheck(
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * #2552: warn when an explicit GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY override fans out
+ * against a local single-slot embedding endpoint (Ollama / llama-server /
+ * localhost base URL). Requests serialize on the one loaded model, so N
+ * parallel pages multiply latency xN and can exceed the fetch timeout with
+ * no surfaced error — the backfill silently starves. (When the env var is
+ * unset, embed auto-caps at LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP and this check
+ * reports ok.) Pure; exported for tests.
+ */
+export function computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck(
+  isLocalEndpoint: boolean,
+  envValue: string | undefined,
+  localCap: number,
+): Check {
+  const name = 'embed_concurrency';
+  if (!isLocalEndpoint) {
+    return { name, status: 'ok', message: 'Embedding endpoint is not a local inference server — cloud concurrency defaults apply.' };
+  }
+  const parsed = envValue ? parseInt(envValue, 10) : NaN;
+  if (envValue && Number.isFinite(parsed) && parsed > localCap) {
+    return {
+      name,
+      status: 'warn',
+      message:
+        `GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY=${parsed} against a local embedding endpoint. ` +
+        `Local inference servers serialize requests, so ${parsed} parallel pages multiply ` +
+        `latency x${parsed} and can exceed the fetch timeout — the embed backfill stalls ` +
+        `with no error. Unset GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY (auto-caps at ${localCap}) or set it <= ${localCap}.`,
+    };
+  }
+  return {
+    name,
+    status: 'ok',
+    message: `Local embedding endpoint detected; embed concurrency capped at ${envValue ? parsed : localCap}.`,
+  };
+}
+
+/** Thin gateway/env wrapper over `computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck`. */
+export async function checkEmbedConcurrency(): Promise<Check> {
+  try {
+    const { isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint, LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP } = await import('../core/ai/gateway.ts');
+    return computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck(
+      isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint(),
+      process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY,
+      LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP,
+    );
+  } catch (err) {
+    return {
+      name: 'embed_concurrency',
+      status: 'ok',
+      message: `Skipped (${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)})`,
+    };
+  }
+}
+
 /** Thin env/engine wrapper over `computePoolBudgetCheck`. */
 export async function checkPoolBudget(_engine: BrainEngine): Promise<Check> {
   try {

src/commands/embed.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { BrainEngine } from '../core/engine.ts';
 import { embedBatch, currentEmbeddingSignature } from '../core/embedding.ts';
+import { isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint, LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP } from '../core/ai/gateway.ts';
 import type { ChunkInput } from '../core/types.ts';
 import { chunkText } from '../core/chunkers/recursive.ts';
 import { createProgress, type ProgressReporter } from '../core/progress.ts';
@@ -176,6 +177,31 @@ export class EmbeddingDimMismatchError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * #2552: resolve the bulk-embed worker count. Env override or the
+ * cloud-tuned default of 20 — but when the operator did NOT set
+ * GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY and the embedding endpoint is a local inference
+ * server (Ollama / llama-server / localhost base URL), cap at
+ * LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP: 20 parallel pages against a single-slot
+ * server serialize on the one loaded model, multiply latency x20 past the
+ * fetch timeout, and starve the backfill with no surfaced error. An
+ * explicit env value always wins (`gbrain doctor` warns instead).
+ * Pacing only ever LOWERS concurrency (Codex P2).
+ */
+export function resolveEmbedConcurrency(paceMaxConcurrency?: number): number {
+  const envSet = !!process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY;
+  const base = parseInt(process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY || '20', 10);
+  let resolved = base;
+  if (!envSet && isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint() && base > LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP) {
+    resolved = LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP;
+    serr(
+      `[embed] local embedding endpoint detected — capping concurrency at ` +
+      `${LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP} (set GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY to override)`,
+    );
+  }
+  return paceMaxConcurrency ? Math.min(resolved, paceMaxConcurrency) : resolved;
+}
+
 /**
  * Pre-flight check: read the actual schema column dim and compare to the
  * gateway's resolved dim. Throws `EmbeddingDimMismatchError` on mismatch
@@ -677,10 +703,8 @@ async function embedAll(
   // Paced runs lower this to the resolved cap (the real lever vs pooler-slot
   // starvation); unpaced keeps the env/default 20. Codex P2: only ever LOWER —
   // never raise above an operator's existing env cap.
-  const BASE_CONCURRENCY = parseInt(process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY || '20', 10);
-  const CONCURRENCY = staleOpts?.paceMaxConcurrency
-    ? Math.min(BASE_CONCURRENCY, staleOpts.paceMaxConcurrency)
-    : BASE_CONCURRENCY;
+  // #2552: local endpoints auto-cap — see resolveEmbedConcurrency.
+  const CONCURRENCY = resolveEmbedConcurrency(staleOpts?.paceMaxConcurrency);
 
   async function embedOnePage(page: typeof pages[number]) {
     // #1737: bail before doing any work for this page if the run was aborted.
@@ -855,10 +879,8 @@ async function embedAllStale(
   // Paced runs lower concurrency to the resolved cap (E-1: worker count IS the
   // lever on this single pool, no separate permit). Codex P2: pacing only ever
   // LOWERS concurrency — never raise above an operator's existing env cap.
-  const BASE_CONCURRENCY = parseInt(process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY || '20', 10);
-  const CONCURRENCY = staleOpts?.paceMaxConcurrency
-    ? Math.min(BASE_CONCURRENCY, staleOpts.paceMaxConcurrency)
-    : BASE_CONCURRENCY;
+  // #2552: local endpoints auto-cap — see resolveEmbedConcurrency.
+  const CONCURRENCY = resolveEmbedConcurrency(staleOpts?.paceMaxConcurrency);
   const pacer = staleOpts?.pacer ?? createNoopPacer();
 
   // D3 + D3a + D8: wall-clock budget. 30 min default; env override.

src/core/ai/gateway.ts

@@ -683,6 +683,33 @@ export function getEmbeddingDimensions(): number {
   return requireConfig().embedding_dimensions ?? DEFAULT_EMBEDDING_DIMENSIONS;
 }
 
+/**
+ * #2552: cap for parallel bulk-embed workers against a local inference
+ * server. A single-slot Ollama/llama-server serializes requests, so the
+ * cloud-tuned 20-worker fan-out multiplies latency x20 and blows past the
+ * fetch timeout with no surfaced error (the backfill silently starves).
+ */
+export const LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP = 2;
+
+/**
+ * #2552: true when the configured embedding model routes to a local
+ * inference server — the `ollama` / `llama-server` recipes, or any recipe
+ * whose base URL was explicitly pointed at localhost. Bulk callers use this
+ * to pick CPU-safe concurrency defaults; `gbrain doctor` uses it to warn
+ * about an explicit cloud-sized override. Fail-open: unconfigured or
+ * unresolvable gateway → false (cloud behavior, the historical default).
+ */
+export function isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint(): boolean {
+  try {
+    const { recipe } = resolveRecipe(getEmbeddingModel());
+    if (recipe.id === 'ollama' || recipe.id === 'llama-server') return true;
+    const base = requireConfig().base_urls?.[recipe.id] ?? '';
+    return /\/\/(localhost|127\.0\.0\.1|\[::1\])(:|\/|$)/i.test(base);
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * v0.28.11: returns the configured multimodal embedding model when set,
  * or undefined if the brain falls back to `embedding_model` for multimodal

src/core/ai/recipes/ollama.ts

@@ -29,9 +29,17 @@ export const ollama: Recipe = {
       trust_custom_dims: true, // #2271: local models carry varied native dims
       cost_per_1m_tokens_usd: 0,
       price_last_verified: '2026-04-20',
-      // Ollama's batch capacity depends on the locally loaded model + the
-      // OLLAMA_NUM_PARALLEL config; no static cap to declare. v0.32 (#779).
-      no_batch_cap: true,
+      // #2552: Ollama's true batch capacity depends on the locally loaded
+      // model + OLLAMA_NUM_PARALLEL, but the previous `no_batch_cap: true`
+      // meant a whole page went out in ONE request — on a CPU-only box that
+      // multiplies latency past the fetch timeout and the backfill starves
+      // with no surfaced error. Ollama doesn't return a recognizable
+      // token-limit error either, so the recursive-halving safety net never
+      // fires; a conservative static pre-split cap is the only guard.
+      // 4096 tokens x 2 chars/token ~= 8K chars per request (code-dense
+      // pages run ~2 chars/token, not the tiktoken-ish 4).
+      max_batch_tokens: 4096,
+      chars_per_token: 2,
     },
   },
   setup_hint: 'Install Ollama from https://ollama.ai, then `ollama pull nomic-embed-text` and `ollama serve`.',

src/core/doctor-categories.ts

@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ export const OPS_CHECK_NAMES: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set([
   'pgbouncer_prepare',
   'pgvector',
   'pool_budget',
+  'embed_concurrency',
   'progressive_batch_audit_health',
   'queue_health',
   'reranker_health',

src/core/pglite-engine.ts

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ import { GBrainError, PAGE_SORT_SQL, ENRICH_ORDER_SQL } from './types.ts';
 import { finalizeLastSeen } from './chronicle/last-seen.ts';
 import { computeAnomaliesFromBuckets } from './cycle/anomaly.ts';
 import { resolveBoostMap, resolveHardExcludes } from './search/source-boost.ts';
-import { buildSourceFactorCase, buildHardExcludeClause, buildVisibilityClause, buildRecencyComponentSql, buildBestPerPagePoolCte, buildOrFallbackWebsearchQuery } from './search/sql-ranking.ts';
+import { buildSourceFactorCase, buildHardExcludeClause, buildVisibilityClause, buildRecencyComponentSql, buildBestPerPagePoolCte, buildOrFallbackWebsearchQuery, buildWebsearchQueryExpr } from './search/sql-ranking.ts';
 import {
   normalizeEngineColumn,
   buildVectorCastFragment,
@@ -1591,6 +1591,8 @@ export class PGLiteEngine implements BrainEngine {
     }
 
     // v0.20.0 Cathedral II Layer 10 C1/C2: language + symbol-kind filters.
+    // #2380: slash-bearing queries match both the split-word and literal
+    // slash forms — see buildWebsearchQueryExpr in ./search/sql-ranking.ts.
     const params: unknown[] = [query, innerLimit, limit, offset];
     let extraFilter = '';
     if (opts?.language) {
@@ -1630,6 +1632,7 @@ export class PGLiteEngine implements BrainEngine {
     // FTS config name (e.g. 'english', 'pt_br'). Validated by getFtsLanguage()
     // — safe to interpolate into raw SQL.
     const ftsLang = getFtsLanguage();
+    const ftsQueryExpr = buildWebsearchQueryExpr(ftsLang, '$1', query);
 
     const keywordSql =
       `WITH ranked AS (
@@ -1637,14 +1640,14 @@ export class PGLiteEngine implements BrainEngine {
            p.slug, p.id as page_id, p.title, p.type, p.source_id,
            p.effective_date, p.effective_date_source,
            cc.id as chunk_id, cc.chunk_index, cc.chunk_text, cc.chunk_source,
-           ts_rank(cc.search_vector, websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
+           ts_rank(cc.search_vector, ${ftsQueryExpr}) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
            CASE WHEN p.updated_at < (
              SELECT MAX(te.created_at) FROM timeline_entries te WHERE te.page_id = p.id
            ) THEN true ELSE false END AS stale
          FROM content_chunks cc
          JOIN pages p ON p.id = cc.page_id
          JOIN sources s ON s.id = p.source_id
-         WHERE cc.search_vector @@ websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1) ${detailFilter}${extraFilter} ${hardExcludeClause} ${visibilityClause}
+         WHERE cc.search_vector @@ ${ftsQueryExpr} ${detailFilter}${extraFilter} ${hardExcludeClause} ${visibilityClause}
            -- v0.27.1: hide image rows from default text-keyword search so
            -- OCR text doesn't drown text-page hits. Image-similarity queries
            -- run a separate vector path on embedding_image.
@@ -1712,7 +1715,10 @@ export class PGLiteEngine implements BrainEngine {
     // FTS config name (e.g. 'english', 'pt_br'). Validated by getFtsLanguage()
     // — safe to interpolate into raw SQL.
     const ftsLang = getFtsLanguage();
+    const ftsQueryExpr = buildWebsearchQueryExpr(ftsLang, '$1', query);
 
+    // #2380: slash-bearing queries match both the split-word and literal
+    // slash forms — see buildWebsearchQueryExpr in ./search/sql-ranking.ts.
     const params: unknown[] = [query, limit, offset];
     let extraFilter = '';
     if (opts?.type) {
@@ -1760,7 +1766,7 @@ export class PGLiteEngine implements BrainEngine {
          COALESCE(rep.chunk_index, 0) as chunk_index,
          COALESCE(rep.chunk_text, '') as chunk_text,
          COALESCE(rep.chunk_source, 'compiled_truth') as chunk_source,
-         ts_rank_cd(p.search_vector, websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
+         ts_rank_cd(p.search_vector, ${ftsQueryExpr}) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
          CASE WHEN p.updated_at < (
            SELECT MAX(te.created_at) FROM timeline_entries te WHERE te.page_id = p.id
          ) THEN true ELSE false END AS stale
@@ -1775,7 +1781,7 @@ export class PGLiteEngine implements BrainEngine {
          ORDER BY (cc.chunk_source = 'compiled_truth') DESC, cc.chunk_index ASC
          LIMIT 1
        ) rep ON true
-       WHERE p.search_vector @@ websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)
+       WHERE p.search_vector @@ ${ftsQueryExpr}
          ${extraFilter} ${hardExcludeClause} ${visibilityClause}
        ORDER BY score DESC, p.id ASC
        LIMIT $2 OFFSET $3`;
@@ -1962,6 +1968,8 @@ export class PGLiteEngine implements BrainEngine {
       });
     }
 
+    // #2380: slash-bearing queries match both the split-word and literal
+    // slash forms — see buildWebsearchQueryExpr in ./search/sql-ranking.ts.
     const params: unknown[] = [query, limit, offset];
     let extraFilter = '';
     if (opts?.language) {
@@ -1996,20 +2004,21 @@ export class PGLiteEngine implements BrainEngine {
     // FTS config name (e.g. 'english', 'pt_br'). Validated by getFtsLanguage()
     // — safe to interpolate into raw SQL.
     const ftsLang = getFtsLanguage();
+    const ftsQueryExpr = buildWebsearchQueryExpr(ftsLang, '$1', query);
 
     const { rows } = await this.db.query(
       `SELECT
          p.slug, p.id as page_id, p.title, p.type, p.source_id,
          p.effective_date, p.effective_date_source,
          cc.id as chunk_id, cc.chunk_index, cc.chunk_text, cc.chunk_source,
-         ts_rank(cc.search_vector, websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
+         ts_rank(cc.search_vector, ${ftsQueryExpr}) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
          CASE WHEN p.updated_at < (
            SELECT MAX(te.created_at) FROM timeline_entries te WHERE te.page_id = p.id
          ) THEN true ELSE false END AS stale
        FROM content_chunks cc
        JOIN pages p ON p.id = cc.page_id
        JOIN sources s ON s.id = p.source_id
-       WHERE cc.search_vector @@ websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1) ${detailFilter}${extraFilter} ${hardExcludeClause} ${visibilityClause}
+       WHERE cc.search_vector @@ ${ftsQueryExpr} ${detailFilter}${extraFilter} ${hardExcludeClause} ${visibilityClause}
        ORDER BY score DESC
        LIMIT $2 OFFSET $3`,
       params

src/core/postgres-engine.ts

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ import { ConnectionManager } from './connection-manager.ts';
 import { logConnectionEvent } from './connection-audit.ts';
 import { validateSlug, contentHash, rowToPage, rowToStalePage, rowToChunk, rowToSearchResult, parseEmbedding, tryParseEmbedding, takeRowToTake, takeHitRowToHit, isUndefinedTableError, warnOncePerProcess } from './utils.ts';
 import { resolveBoostMap, resolveHardExcludes } from './search/source-boost.ts';
-import { buildSourceFactorCase, buildHardExcludeClause, buildVisibilityClause, buildRecencyComponentSql, buildBestPerPagePoolCte, buildOrFallbackWebsearchQuery } from './search/sql-ranking.ts';
+import { buildSourceFactorCase, buildHardExcludeClause, buildVisibilityClause, buildRecencyComponentSql, buildBestPerPagePoolCte, buildOrFallbackWebsearchQuery, buildWebsearchQueryExpr } from './search/sql-ranking.ts';
 import { DEFAULT_EMBEDDING_MODEL, DEFAULT_EMBEDDING_DIMENSIONS } from './ai/defaults.ts';
 import { DELETE_BATCH_SIZE } from './engine-constants.ts';
 
@@ -1691,6 +1691,8 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
     const hardExcludePrefixes = resolveHardExcludes(opts?.exclude_slug_prefixes, opts?.include_slug_prefixes);
     const hardExcludeClause = buildHardExcludeClause('p.slug', hardExcludePrefixes);
 
+    // #2380: slash-bearing queries match both the split-word and literal
+    // slash forms — see buildWebsearchQueryExpr in ./search/sql-ranking.ts.
     const params: unknown[] = [query];
     let typeClause = '';
     if (type) {
@@ -1761,6 +1763,7 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
     // FTS config name (e.g. 'english', 'pt_br'). Validated by getFtsLanguage()
     // — safe to interpolate into raw SQL.
     const ftsLang = getFtsLanguage();
+    const ftsQueryExpr = buildWebsearchQueryExpr(ftsLang, '$1', query);
 
     const rawQuery = `
       WITH ranked_chunks AS (
@@ -1768,11 +1771,11 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
           p.slug, p.id as page_id, p.title, p.type, p.source_id,
           p.effective_date, p.effective_date_source,
           cc.id as chunk_id, cc.chunk_index, cc.chunk_text, cc.chunk_source,
-          ts_rank(cc.search_vector, websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score
+          ts_rank(cc.search_vector, ${ftsQueryExpr}) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score
         FROM content_chunks cc
         JOIN pages p ON p.id = cc.page_id
         JOIN sources s ON s.id = p.source_id
-        WHERE cc.search_vector @@ websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)
+        WHERE cc.search_vector @@ ${ftsQueryExpr}
           ${typeClause}
           ${typesClause}
           ${excludeSlugsClause}
@@ -1863,7 +1866,10 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
     // FTS config name (e.g. 'english', 'pt_br'). Validated by getFtsLanguage()
     // — safe to interpolate into raw SQL.
     const ftsLang = getFtsLanguage();
+    const ftsQueryExpr = buildWebsearchQueryExpr(ftsLang, '$1', query);
 
+    // #2380: slash-bearing queries match both the split-word and literal
+    // slash forms — see buildWebsearchQueryExpr in ./search/sql-ranking.ts.
     const params: unknown[] = [query];
     let typeClause = '';
     if (opts?.type) {
@@ -1923,7 +1929,7 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
         COALESCE(rep.chunk_index, 0) as chunk_index,
         COALESCE(rep.chunk_text, '') as chunk_text,
         COALESCE(rep.chunk_source, 'compiled_truth') as chunk_source,
-        ts_rank_cd(p.search_vector, websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
+        ts_rank_cd(p.search_vector, ${ftsQueryExpr}) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
         false AS stale
       FROM pages p
       JOIN sources s ON s.id = p.source_id
@@ -1936,7 +1942,7 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
         ORDER BY (cc.chunk_source = 'compiled_truth') DESC, cc.chunk_index ASC
         LIMIT 1
       ) rep ON true
-      WHERE p.search_vector @@ websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)
+      WHERE p.search_vector @@ ${ftsQueryExpr}
         ${typeClause}
         ${typesClause}
         ${excludeSlugsClause}
@@ -2000,6 +2006,8 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
     const hardExcludePrefixes = resolveHardExcludes(opts?.exclude_slug_prefixes, opts?.include_slug_prefixes);
     const hardExcludeClause = buildHardExcludeClause('p.slug', hardExcludePrefixes);
 
+    // #2380: slash-bearing queries match both the split-word and literal
+    // slash forms — see buildWebsearchQueryExpr in ./search/sql-ranking.ts.
     const params: unknown[] = [query];
     let typeClause = '';
     if (type) {
@@ -2060,18 +2068,19 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
     // FTS config name (e.g. 'english', 'pt_br'). Validated by getFtsLanguage()
     // — safe to interpolate into raw SQL.
     const ftsLang = getFtsLanguage();
+    const ftsQueryExpr = buildWebsearchQueryExpr(ftsLang, '$1', query);
 
     const rawQuery = `
       SELECT
         p.slug, p.id as page_id, p.title, p.type, p.source_id,
         p.effective_date, p.effective_date_source,
         cc.id as chunk_id, cc.chunk_index, cc.chunk_text, cc.chunk_source,
-        ts_rank(cc.search_vector, websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
+        ts_rank(cc.search_vector, ${ftsQueryExpr}) * ${sourceFactorCase} AS score,
         false AS stale
       FROM content_chunks cc
       JOIN pages p ON p.id = cc.page_id
       JOIN sources s ON s.id = p.source_id
-      WHERE cc.search_vector @@ websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', $1)
+      WHERE cc.search_vector @@ ${ftsQueryExpr}
         ${typeClause}
         ${typesClause}
         ${excludeSlugsClause}
@@ -5565,78 +5574,30 @@ export class PostgresEngine implements BrainEngine {
     });
   }
 
-  /**
-   * perf (#1694 by @Omerbahari): process-lifetime config cache. A single
-   * search fires ~85 getConfig() reads (loadConfigWithEngine x2, plus
-   * mode/cache/intent/rerank/graph-signals resolvers). On a remote pooler
-   * each read is a round-trip; serial they dominate query latency and can
-   * push the op handler past cli.ts's 10s disconnect force-exit, truncating
-   * stdout. First read batch-loads the whole `config` table into this Map
-   * (inside the same connRetry posture as the per-key read — #1603/#1891);
-   * setConfig/unsetConfig write through. TTL bounds staleness for
-   * multi-writer processes; GBRAIN_CONFIG_CACHE_TTL_MS=0 disables.
-   * Only present keys are stored — Map.has() distinguishes known-absent.
-   */
-  private _configCache: Map<string, string> | null = null;
-  private _configCacheLoadedAt = 0;
-  private _configCacheLoad: Promise<void> | null = null;
-  private get _configCacheTtlMs(): number {
-    const raw = process.env.GBRAIN_CONFIG_CACHE_TTL_MS;
-    if (raw !== undefined) {
-      const n = parseInt(raw, 10);
-      if (Number.isFinite(n) && n >= 0) return n;
-    }
-    return 30_000;
-  }
-
   async getConfig(key: string): Promise<string | null> {
     // #1603: a transient pooler drop on this read used to throw / fall through
     // to defaults silently — which on remote Postgres surfaces as the wrong
-    // search mode/knobs and empty-stdout queries. Both the batch load and the
-    // cache-off per-key read keep the connRetry reconnect posture.
-    const ttl = this._configCacheTtlMs;
-    if (ttl === 0) {
-      return this.connRetry(async () => {
-        const rows = await this.sql`SELECT value FROM config WHERE key = ${key}`;
-        return rows.length > 0 ? (rows[0].value as string) : null;
-      });
-    }
-    if (this._configCache === null || Date.now() - this._configCacheLoadedAt >= ttl) {
-      // Single-flight: concurrent cold reads share one batch load.
-      this._configCacheLoad ??= this.connRetry(async () => {
-        const rows = await this.sql`SELECT key, value FROM config` as unknown as
-          Array<{ key: string; value: string | null }>;
-        const map = new Map<string, string>();
-        for (const r of rows) if (r.value != null) map.set(r.key, r.value);
-        this._configCache = map;
-        this._configCacheLoadedAt = Date.now();
-      }).finally(() => {
-        this._configCacheLoad = null;
-      });
-      await this._configCacheLoad;
-    }
-    return this._configCache!.has(key) ? this._configCache!.get(key)! : null;
+    // search mode/knobs and empty-stdout queries.
+    return this.connRetry(async () => {
+      const rows = await this.sql`SELECT value FROM config WHERE key = ${key}`;
+      return rows.length > 0 ? (rows[0].value as string) : null;
+    });
   }
 
   async setConfig(key: string, value: string): Promise<void> {
-    await this.connRetry(async () => {
+    return this.connRetry(async () => {
       await this.sql`
         INSERT INTO config (key, value) VALUES (${key}, ${value})
         ON CONFLICT (key) DO UPDATE SET value = EXCLUDED.value
       `;
     });
-    // Write-through so a long-lived process never serves stale config.
-    this._configCache?.set(key, value);
   }
 
   async unsetConfig(key: string): Promise<number> {
-    const count = await this.connRetry(async () => {
+    return this.connRetry(async () => {
       const result = await this.sql`DELETE FROM config WHERE key = ${key}` as unknown as { count: number };
       return result.count ?? 0;
     });
-    // Write-through: known-absent, so the cache doesn't serve a stale value.
-    this._configCache?.delete(key);
-    return count;
   }
 
   async listConfigKeys(prefix: string): Promise<string[]> {

src/core/search/sql-ranking.ts

@@ -251,6 +251,28 @@ export function buildOrFallbackWebsearchQuery(query: string): string | null {
   return tokens.join(' OR ');
 }
 
+/**
+ * #2380: FTS query expression for slash-bearing queries. Postgres' default
+ * text-search parser classifies `foo/bar` as a single `file`-alias lexeme —
+ * on BOTH the query side and the index side. So a raw `foo/bar` query only
+ * matched documents carrying the identical joined lexeme (literal paths),
+ * and a slash-split query only matches documents whose text had the words
+ * separated. Neither form alone covers both document shapes; OR the two
+ * parses so a slash query matches prose ("foo and bar", stemmed, AND
+ * semantics) AND literal slash forms ("src/core/x.ts") alike.
+ *
+ * Slash-free queries return the plain single-parse expression — byte-
+ * identical SQL and identical ts_rank to the historical behavior.
+ *
+ * `ftsLang` is validated by getFtsLanguage() (safe to interpolate);
+ * `param` is a `$N` placeholder, never user text.
+ */
+export function buildWebsearchQueryExpr(ftsLang: string, param: string, query: string): string {
+  const plain = `websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', ${param})`;
+  if (!query.includes('/')) return plain;
+  return `(websearch_to_tsquery('${ftsLang}', translate(${param}, '/', ' ')) || ${plain})`;
+}
+
 // ============================================================
 // v0.29.1 — Recency component SQL builder
 // ============================================================

test/ai/no-batch-cap-suppression.serial.test.ts

@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ describe('v0.32 #779: no_batch_cap suppresses the missing-max_batch_tokens warni
     resetGateway();
   });
 
-  test('Ollama, LiteLLM, llama-server all declare no_batch_cap: true', () => {
-    for (const id of ['ollama', 'litellm', 'llama-server']) {
+  test('LiteLLM and llama-server declare no_batch_cap: true', () => {
+    for (const id of ['litellm', 'llama-server']) {
       const r = getRecipe(id);
       expect(r, `${id} not registered`).toBeDefined();
       expect(
@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ describe('v0.32 #779: no_batch_cap suppresses the missing-max_batch_tokens warni
     }
   });
 
+  test('#2552: Ollama declares a conservative static batch cap, not no_batch_cap', () => {
+    // A CPU-only Ollama box wedges when a whole page ships in one request;
+    // Ollama never returns a token-limit error so the recursive-halving
+    // safety net can't fire. The pre-split cap is the only guard.
+    const r = getRecipe('ollama');
+    expect(r).toBeDefined();
+    const e = r!.touchpoints.embedding!;
+    expect(e.no_batch_cap).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(e.max_batch_tokens).toBe(4096);
+    expect(e.chars_per_token).toBe(2);
+  });
+
   test('configureGateway does NOT warn for ollama/litellm/llama-server', () => {
     warnSpy.mockClear();
     resetGateway();

test/e2e/helpers.ts

@@ -29,13 +29,6 @@ if (existsSync(envPath)) {
   }
 }
 
-// E2E suites seed/rewrite the config table via raw SQL and expect engine
-// reads to see it immediately; disable the process-lifetime config cache
-// (#1694) so read semantics match pre-cache behavior. Spawned CLI
-// subprocesses inherit this. Cache semantics are pinned by
-// test/postgres-engine-config-cache.test.ts.
-process.env.GBRAIN_CONFIG_CACHE_TTL_MS ??= '0';
-
 const DATABASE_URL = process.env.DATABASE_URL;
 const FIXTURES_DIR = resolve(import.meta.dir, 'fixtures');
 

test/embed-local-endpoint.serial.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+/**
+ * #2552: cloud-tuned embedding defaults silently wedge CPU-only local
+ * endpoints (Ollama). Three-part fix under test:
+ *
+ *  1. `isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint()` — gateway helper detecting local
+ *     inference servers (ollama / llama-server recipes, localhost base URL).
+ *  2. `resolveEmbedConcurrency()` — embed auto-caps the 20-worker fan-out
+ *     at LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP for local endpoints unless the
+ *     operator set GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY explicitly.
+ *  3. `computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck()` — doctor warns when an explicit env
+ *     override fans out against a local endpoint.
+ *
+ * Serial: mutates process.env and the module-global gateway config.
+ */
+
+import { afterAll, afterEach, describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+import {
+  configureGateway,
+  resetGateway,
+  isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint,
+  LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP,
+} from '../src/core/ai/gateway.ts';
+import { resolveEmbedConcurrency } from '../src/commands/embed.ts';
+import { computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck } from '../src/commands/doctor.ts';
+
+const SAVED_ENV = process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY;
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  resetGateway();
+  if (SAVED_ENV === undefined) delete process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY;
+  else process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY = SAVED_ENV;
+});
+
+afterAll(() => {
+  resetGateway();
+});
+
+describe('#2552 isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint', () => {
+  test('false when the gateway is not configured (fail-open to cloud behavior)', () => {
+    resetGateway();
+    expect(isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint()).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('true for the ollama recipe', () => {
+    configureGateway({ embedding_model: 'ollama:nomic-embed-text', env: {} });
+    expect(isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('true for the llama-server recipe', () => {
+    configureGateway({ embedding_model: 'llama-server:my-gguf', env: {} });
+    expect(isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('false for a cloud recipe', () => {
+    configureGateway({
+      embedding_model: 'openai:text-embedding-3-small',
+      env: { OPENAI_API_KEY: 'fake' },
+    });
+    expect(isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint()).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('true when a cloud recipe base URL is explicitly pointed at localhost', () => {
+    configureGateway({
+      embedding_model: 'openai:text-embedding-3-small',
+      env: { OPENAI_API_KEY: 'fake' },
+      base_urls: { openai: 'http://localhost:8080/v1' },
+    });
+    expect(isLocalEmbeddingEndpoint()).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('#2552 resolveEmbedConcurrency', () => {
+  test('caps at LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP for a local endpoint when env is unset', () => {
+    delete process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY;
+    configureGateway({ embedding_model: 'ollama:nomic-embed-text', env: {} });
+    expect(resolveEmbedConcurrency()).toBe(LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP);
+  });
+
+  test('explicit env override always wins, even against a local endpoint', () => {
+    process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY = '10';
+    configureGateway({ embedding_model: 'ollama:nomic-embed-text', env: {} });
+    expect(resolveEmbedConcurrency()).toBe(10);
+  });
+
+  test('cloud endpoints keep the historical default of 20', () => {
+    delete process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY;
+    configureGateway({ env: { OPENAI_API_KEY: 'fake' } });
+    expect(resolveEmbedConcurrency()).toBe(20);
+  });
+
+  test('pacing only ever lowers concurrency', () => {
+    delete process.env.GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY;
+    configureGateway({ embedding_model: 'ollama:nomic-embed-text', env: {} });
+    expect(resolveEmbedConcurrency(1)).toBe(1);
+    expect(resolveEmbedConcurrency(16)).toBe(LOCAL_EMBED_CONCURRENCY_CAP);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('#2552 computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck (doctor)', () => {
+  test('ok for non-local endpoints', () => {
+    expect(computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck(false, '20', 2).status).toBe('ok');
+  });
+
+  test('warn when an explicit override exceeds the local cap', () => {
+    const check = computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck(true, '20', 2);
+    expect(check.status).toBe('warn');
+    expect(check.message).toContain('GBRAIN_EMBED_CONCURRENCY=20');
+  });
+
+  test('ok when env is unset against a local endpoint (auto-cap applies)', () => {
+    expect(computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck(true, undefined, 2).status).toBe('ok');
+  });
+
+  test('ok when the override is at or under the cap', () => {
+    expect(computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck(true, '2', 2).status).toBe('ok');
+    expect(computeEmbedConcurrencyCheck(true, '1', 2).status).toBe('ok');
+  });
+});

test/pglite-engine.test.ts

@@ -216,6 +216,67 @@ describe('PGLiteEngine: Search', () => {
     expect(results.length).toBe(0);
   });
 
+  // Regression (#2380): queries containing `/` used to bypass FTS AND
+  // semantics. Postgres' default text-search parser classifies `foo/bar` as
+  // a `file`-alias token mapped to the `simple` dictionary, so it became a
+  // single un-stemmed lexeme `'foo/bar'` that never matches indexed text —
+  // the primary FTS pass returned 0 and the OR fallback took over, matching
+  // pages that contain EITHER term. searchKeyword/searchTitles now normalize
+  // `/` to whitespace before websearch_to_tsquery parses, so the primary
+  // AND pass matches directly.
+  test('searchKeyword: slash query matches with AND semantics, not OR fallback', async () => {
+    // Decoy shares only ONE of the two query terms ('enterprise').
+    await engine.putPage('concepts/enterprise-pricing', {
+      type: 'concept', title: 'Widget Pricing',
+      compiled_truth: 'Enterprise pricing for widgets.',
+    });
+    await engine.upsertChunks('concepts/enterprise-pricing', [
+      { chunk_index: 0, chunk_text: 'Enterprise pricing for widgets', chunk_source: 'compiled_truth' },
+    ]);
+
+    // Both terms co-occur only in the novamind chunk. Pre-fix this returned
+    // BOTH pages (primary pass zero-hit → OR fallback); post-fix the primary
+    // AND pass returns exactly the co-occurrence page.
+    const results = await engine.searchKeyword('NovaMind/enterprise');
+    expect(results.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(results[0].slug).toBe('companies/novamind');
+  });
+
+  test('searchTitles: slash query matches with AND semantics, not OR fallback', async () => {
+    await engine.putPage('companies/novamind-enterprise', {
+      type: 'company', title: 'NovaMind Enterprise Platform',
+      compiled_truth: 'Placeholder body.',
+    });
+    await engine.putPage('guides/enterprise-sales', {
+      type: 'concept', title: 'Enterprise Sales Guide',
+      compiled_truth: 'Placeholder body.',
+    });
+
+    // Pre-fix: `NovaMind/Enterprise` parsed as one file-alias lexeme → the
+    // primary title pass returned 0 and the OR fallback matched BOTH titles.
+    const results = await engine.searchTitles('NovaMind/Enterprise');
+    expect(results.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(results[0].slug).toBe('companies/novamind-enterprise');
+  });
+
+  test('searchKeyword: slash query still matches the literal slash form (file paths)', async () => {
+    // The INDEX side also emits the joined file-alias lexeme for literal
+    // `foo/bar` text, so a query normalized to split words alone would go
+    // blind to documents containing the literal slash form (paths, URLs).
+    // buildWebsearchQueryExpr ORs both parses; this pins the raw arm.
+    await engine.putPage('runbooks/widget-deploy', {
+      type: 'concept', title: 'Widget Deploy Runbook',
+      compiled_truth: 'Runbook for the acme/widget deployment pipeline.',
+    });
+    await engine.upsertChunks('runbooks/widget-deploy', [
+      { chunk_index: 0, chunk_text: 'Runbook for the acme/widget deployment pipeline', chunk_source: 'compiled_truth' },
+    ]);
+
+    const results = await engine.searchKeyword('acme/widget');
+    expect(results.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(results[0].slug).toBe('runbooks/widget-deploy');
+  });
+
   test('tsvector trigger populates search_vector on insert', async () => {
     // Verify the PL/pgSQL trigger fires and content_chunks.search_vector is
     // populated from chunk_text. v0.20.0 Cathedral II Layer 3 moved FTS from

test/postgres-engine-config-cache.test.ts

@@ -1,112 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Process-lifetime config cache (#1694 takeover, by @Omerbahari).
- *
- * A single search fires ~85 getConfig() reads; on a remote pooler each is a
- * round-trip. The first read now batch-loads the whole `config` table into a
- * Map; setConfig/unsetConfig write through; TTL bounds multi-writer
- * staleness; GBRAIN_CONFIG_CACHE_TTL_MS=0 restores per-key reads.
- *
- * Pure: stubs `_sql` with a call-counting fake; no real DB.
- */
-
-import { describe, it, expect } from 'bun:test';
-import { PostgresEngine } from '../src/core/postgres-engine.ts';
-import { withEnv } from './helpers/with-env.ts';
-
-const FAST_RETRY = { maxRetries: 3, delayMs: 1, delayMaxMs: 1, jitter: 'none' as const };
-
-/** Engine whose `sql` records every query's template strings and returns `rows`. */
-function makeEngine(rows: unknown[]) {
-  const e = new PostgresEngine();
-  const calls: string[] = [];
-  (e as unknown as { _connectionStyle: string })._connectionStyle = 'instance';
-  (e as unknown as { _bulkRetryOptsCache: unknown })._bulkRetryOptsCache = FAST_RETRY;
-  (e as unknown as { _sql: unknown })._sql = (strings: TemplateStringsArray) => {
-    calls.push(strings.join('?'));
-    return Promise.resolve(rows);
-  };
-  return { engine: e, calls };
-}
-
-/** Run `fn` with GBRAIN_CONFIG_CACHE_TTL_MS set (or cleared when undefined). */
-const withTtl = (ttl: string | undefined, fn: () => Promise<void>) =>
-  withEnv({ GBRAIN_CONFIG_CACHE_TTL_MS: ttl }, fn);
-
-describe('PostgresEngine config cache (#1694)', () => {
-  it('batch-loads once and serves repeat reads from the cache', () => withTtl(undefined, async () => {
-    const { engine, calls } = makeEngine([
-      { key: 'search.mode', value: 'balanced' },
-      { key: 'embedding_multimodal', value: 'true' },
-    ]);
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('search.mode')).toBe('balanced');
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('embedding_multimodal')).toBe('true');
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('search.mode')).toBe('balanced');
-    // One SELECT total — this is the whole point of the fix.
-    expect(calls.length).toBe(1);
-    expect(calls[0]).toContain('SELECT key, value FROM config');
-  }));
-
-  it('returns null for a known-absent key without an extra round-trip', () => withTtl(undefined, async () => {
-    const { engine, calls } = makeEngine([{ key: 'a', value: '1' }]);
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('missing.key')).toBeNull();
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('missing.key')).toBeNull();
-    expect(calls.length).toBe(1);
-  }));
-
-  it('setConfig writes through so subsequent reads see the new value', () => withTtl(undefined, async () => {
-    const { engine, calls } = makeEngine([{ key: 'k', value: 'old' }]);
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('k')).toBe('old');
-    await engine.setConfig('k', 'new');
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('k')).toBe('new');
-    expect(calls.length).toBe(2); // batch load + upsert; no re-read
-  }));
-
-  it('unsetConfig writes through so subsequent reads see absence', () => withTtl(undefined, async () => {
-    const { engine } = makeEngine([{ key: 'k', value: 'v' }]);
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('k')).toBe('v');
-    await engine.unsetConfig('k');
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('k')).toBeNull();
-  }));
-
-  it('concurrent cold reads share a single batch load (single-flight)', () => withTtl(undefined, async () => {
-    const { engine, calls } = makeEngine([{ key: 'k', value: 'v' }]);
-    const [a, b, c] = await Promise.all([
-      engine.getConfig('k'),
-      engine.getConfig('k'),
-      engine.getConfig('other'),
-    ]);
-    expect([a, b, c]).toEqual(['v', 'v', null]);
-    expect(calls.length).toBe(1);
-  }));
-
-  it('GBRAIN_CONFIG_CACHE_TTL_MS=0 disables the cache (per-key reads)', () => withTtl('0', async () => {
-    const { engine, calls } = makeEngine([{ value: 'v' }]);
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('k')).toBe('v');
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('k')).toBe('v');
-    expect(calls.length).toBe(2);
-    expect(calls[0]).toContain('SELECT value FROM config WHERE key =');
-  }));
-
-  it('an expired TTL reloads from the database', () => withTtl('1', async () => {
-    const { engine, calls } = makeEngine([{ key: 'k', value: 'v' }]);
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('k')).toBe('v');
-    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 5));
-    expect(await engine.getConfig('k')).toBe('v');
-    expect(calls.length).toBe(2); // two batch loads
-  }));
-
-  it('the batch load keeps the connRetry reconnect posture (#1603/#1891)', () => withTtl(undefined, async () => {
-    const e = new PostgresEngine();
-    (e as unknown as { _connectionStyle: string })._connectionStyle = 'instance';
-    (e as unknown as { _sql: unknown })._sql = null; // torn-down pool → retryable
-    (e as unknown as { _bulkRetryOptsCache: unknown })._bulkRetryOptsCache = FAST_RETRY;
-    let reconnects = 0;
-    (e as unknown as { reconnect: () => Promise<void> }).reconnect = async () => {
-      reconnects++;
-      (e as unknown as { _sql: unknown })._sql = () =>
-        Promise.resolve([{ key: 'k', value: 'v' }]);
-    };
-    expect(await e.getConfig('k')).toBe('v');
-    expect(reconnects).toBe(1);
-  }));
-});

test/postgres-engine-config-reconnect.test.ts

@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@ function makeTornDownEngine(poolResult: unknown): { engine: PostgresEngine; reco
 
 describe('PostgresEngine non-batch config accessors self-heal (PR #1891 takeover)', () => {
   it('getConfig reconnects + retries a null instance pool, then returns the value', async () => {
-    // Rows carry `key` too: getConfig's default cached path batch-loads
-    // `SELECT key, value FROM config` (#1694) through the same connRetry.
-    const { engine, reconnects } = makeTornDownEngine([{ key: 'some.key', value: 'live-value' }]);
+    const { engine, reconnects } = makeTornDownEngine([{ value: 'live-value' }]);
     expect(await engine.getConfig('some.key')).toBe('live-value');
     expect(reconnects()).toBe(1); // exactly one reconnect closed the gap
   });