diff --git a/mcp-server/dashboard.html b/mcp-server/dashboard.html
index f69a0b5..796a522 100644
--- a/mcp-server/dashboard.html
+++ b/mcp-server/dashboard.html
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ body{font-family:'Inter','SF Pro',system-ui,sans-serif;background:#0a0a0f;color:
 </div>
 
 <script>
+window.onerror = function(msg, url, line) {
+  document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('afterbegin',
+    '<div style="background:#7f1d1d;color:#fca5a5;padding:12px;font-size:12px">JS Error: ' + msg + ' (line ' + line + ')</div>');
+};
+
 const base = window.location.pathname.replace(/\/+$/, '');
 const GW = window.location.origin + base;
 let mode = 'ai';
@@ -139,9 +144,10 @@ async function doSearch() {
 
   const t0 = Date.now();
 
-  // If ANY filter is set, always use hybrid — filters only work through SQL
-  const hasFilters = state || role || rel > 0.5;
-  const effectiveMode = (mode === 'crm') ? 'crm' : (hasFilters ? 'hybrid' : mode);
+  // ALWAYS use hybrid for AI modes — it handles filters AND works even
+  // when HNSW isn't loaded (falls back to brute-force). Pure HNSW mode
+  // hangs when the RAM index isn't built.
+  const effectiveMode = (mode === 'crm') ? 'crm' : 'hybrid';
 
   try {
     let data;
@@ -159,33 +165,29 @@ async function doSearch() {
       data = await r.json();
       renderCRMResults(data, query, Date.now() - t0);
 
-    } else if (effectiveMode === 'ai') {
-      // Pure AI vector search — no filters, just meaning
-      const r = await fetch(GW + '/api/vectors/hnsw/search', {
-        method: 'POST', headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
-        body: JSON.stringify({index_name: 'workers_500k_v1', query: query, top_k: 10})
-      });
-      data = await r.json();
-      renderAIResults(data, query, Date.now() - t0);
-
     } else {
       // Hybrid — SQL filters enforce structure, AI ranks by relevance
+      // Always works — uses brute-force when HNSW isn't loaded
       let filter = "CAST(reliability AS DOUBLE) >= " + rel;
       if (state) filter += " AND state = '" + state + "'";
       if (role) filter += " AND role = '" + role + "'";
+      const controller = new AbortController();
+      const timeout = setTimeout(function() { controller.abort(); }, 15000);
       const r = await fetch(GW + '/search', {
         method: 'POST', headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
         body: JSON.stringify({
           question: query, index_name: 'workers_500k_v1',
           sql_filter: filter, dataset: 'workers_500k',
           id_column: 'worker_id', top_k: 10, generate: false
-        })
+        }),
+        signal: controller.signal
       });
+      clearTimeout(timeout);
       data = await r.json();
       renderHybridResults(data, query, Date.now() - t0);
     }
   } catch (e) {
-    document.getElementById('results').innerHTML = '<div class="empty">Error: ' + e.message + '</div>';
+    document.getElementById('results').innerHTML = '<div class="empty">Search error: ' + e.message + '<br><br>If filters were set, try Hybrid mode. If the search is slow, the AI index may be loading — try again in 10 seconds.</div>';
   }
 
   btn.disabled = false;