diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 58a240dab..3c9507b5d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -143,7 +143,10 @@ jobs:
             full_scope=true
             files=""
           else
-            git fetch --quiet --depth=1 origin "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"
+            # Full base history (no --depth) so the three-dot
+            # origin/<base>...HEAD diff can resolve a merge base;
+            # a shallow depth-1 base fetch fails with "no merge base".
+            git fetch --quiet origin "$GITHUB_BASE_REF"
             files="$(git diff --name-only "origin/$GITHUB_BASE_REF"...HEAD)"
             echo "---changed files---"
             echo "$files"
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/api/searchMessages/index.ts b/chat-frontend/src/api/searchMessages/index.ts
index 603b9c062..2437f8589 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/api/searchMessages/index.ts
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/api/searchMessages/index.ts
@@ -8,27 +8,34 @@ export interface SearchMessagesArgs {
   size: number
 }
 
+/** Mirrors pkg/model.SearchMessage (the search.messages reply projection). */
 export interface SearchMessageHit {
   messageId: string
   roomId: string
   siteId: string
-  userId: string
   userAccount: string
   content: string
   createdAt: string
+  editedAt?: string
+  updatedAt?: string
   threadParentMessageId?: string
   threadParentMessageCreatedAt?: string
 }
 
 export interface SearchMessagesResponse {
+  messages: SearchMessageHit[]
   total: number
-  results: SearchMessageHit[]
 }
 
 /** Full-text search across messages. Optionally scope to a room subset. */
 export async function searchMessages(
   { user, request }: Nats,
-  args: SearchMessagesArgs,
+  { searchText, roomIds, size }: SearchMessagesArgs,
 ): Promise<SearchMessagesResponse> {
-  return request<SearchMessagesResponse>(searchMessagesSubject(user.account), args)
+  const payload: { query: string; roomIds?: string[]; size: number } = {
+    query: searchText,
+    size,
+  }
+  if (roomIds) payload.roomIds = roomIds
+  return request<SearchMessagesResponse>(searchMessagesSubject(user.account), payload)
 }
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/api/searchRooms/index.ts b/chat-frontend/src/api/searchRooms/index.ts
index ac5cf4fc9..aaa5dae2b 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/api/searchRooms/index.ts
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/api/searchRooms/index.ts
@@ -3,33 +3,36 @@ import type { Nats, RoomType } from '../types'
 
 export interface SearchRoomsArgs {
   searchText: string
-  /** Server-accepted scope values; mirrors search-service's query_rooms.go.
-   *  `'all'` returns rooms anyone can see; the type-specific values narrow. */
-  scope: 'all' | 'channel' | 'dm' | 'app'
+  /** Server-accepted roomType filter; mirrors search-service's
+   *  query_rooms.go. `'all'` (default) returns every accessible room;
+   *  the type-specific values narrow. The server rejects any other value. */
+  roomType: 'all' | 'channel' | 'dm'
   size: number
 }
 
+/** Mirrors pkg/model.SearchRoom (the search.rooms reply projection). */
 export interface SearchRoomHit {
   roomId: string
-  roomName: string
-  roomType: RoomType
+  name: string
+  roomType?: RoomType
   siteId: string
-  userAccount: string
-  joinedAt: string
 }
 
 export interface SearchRoomsResponse {
-  total: number
-  results: SearchRoomHit[]
+  rooms: SearchRoomHit[]
 }
 
 /**
- * Search rooms the caller is a member of (or all rooms if scope='all').
+ * Search rooms the caller is a member of (or all rooms if roomType='all').
  * Mirrors search-service's `search.rooms` handler — hits sorted by relevance.
  */
 export async function searchRooms(
   { user, request }: Nats,
-  args: SearchRoomsArgs,
+  { searchText, roomType, size }: SearchRoomsArgs,
 ): Promise<SearchRoomsResponse> {
-  return request<SearchRoomsResponse>(searchRoomsSubject(user.account), args)
+  return request<SearchRoomsResponse>(searchRoomsSubject(user.account), {
+    query: searchText,
+    roomType,
+    size,
+  })
 }
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/AppHeader/SearchBar/SearchBar.jsx b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/AppHeader/SearchBar/SearchBar.jsx
index ab4a78380..049efc193 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/AppHeader/SearchBar/SearchBar.jsx
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/AppHeader/SearchBar/SearchBar.jsx
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ export default function SearchBar({ onSelectRoom, onEnterSearch }) {
 
   const fetcher = useCallback(
     async (q) => {
-      const resp = await searchRooms(nats, { searchText: q, scope: 'all', size: 8 })
+      const resp = await searchRooms(nats, { searchText: q, roomType: 'all', size: 8 })
       setActiveIdx(0)
-      return resp.results ?? []
+      return resp.rooms ?? []
     },
     [nats]
   )
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ export default function SearchBar({ onSelectRoom, onEnterSearch }) {
               <div className="result-type">
                 {searchRoomPrefix(hit.roomType)}
               </div>
-              <div className="result-name">{hit.roomName}</div>
+              <div className="result-name">{hit.name}</div>
             </div>
           ))}
           <div className="search-footer">
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/AppHeader/SearchBar/SearchBar.test.jsx b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/AppHeader/SearchBar/SearchBar.test.jsx
index d8c4ede98..944793ec8 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/AppHeader/SearchBar/SearchBar.test.jsx
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/AppHeader/SearchBar/SearchBar.test.jsx
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ describe('SearchBar', () => {
 
   it('fetches rooms after 250ms debounce when query >= 2 chars', async () => {
     const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      results: [
-        { roomId: 'r1', roomName: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
+      rooms: [
+        { roomId: 'r1', name: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
       ],
       total: 1,
     })
@@ -53,16 +53,16 @@ describe('SearchBar', () => {
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         'chat.user.alice.request.search.rooms',
-        { searchText: 'fro', scope: 'all', size: 8 }
+        { query: 'fro', roomType: 'all', size: 8 }
       )
     })
   })
 
   it('shows results in dropdown', async () => {
     const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      results: [
-        { roomId: 'r1', roomName: 'frontend-team', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
-        { roomId: 'r2', roomName: 'frontend-perf', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
+      rooms: [
+        { roomId: 'r1', name: 'frontend-team', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
+        { roomId: 'r2', name: 'frontend-perf', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
       ],
       total: 2,
     })
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ describe('SearchBar', () => {
   it('clicking result calls onSelectRoom and clears input', async () => {
     const onSelectRoom = vi.fn()
     const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      results: [
-        { roomId: 'r1', roomName: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
+      rooms: [
+        { roomId: 'r1', name: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
       ],
       total: 1,
     })
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ describe('SearchBar', () => {
     const onEnterSearch = vi.fn()
     useNats.mockReturnValue({
       user: { account: 'alice' },
-      request: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ results: [], total: 0 }),
+      request: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ rooms: [], total: 0 }),
     })
 
     render(<SearchBar onSelectRoom={vi.fn()} onEnterSearch={onEnterSearch} />)
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ describe('SearchBar', () => {
     useNats.mockReturnValue({
       user: { account: 'alice' },
       request: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-        results: [{ roomId: 'r1', roomName: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' }],
+        rooms: [{ roomId: 'r1', name: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' }],
         total: 1,
       }),
     })
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/InRoomSearch/InRoomSearch.jsx b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/InRoomSearch/InRoomSearch.jsx
index 45e5c8b43..5837cb2fb 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/InRoomSearch/InRoomSearch.jsx
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/InRoomSearch/InRoomSearch.jsx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export default function InRoomSearch({ roomId, onClose, onJumpToMessage }) {
     setSubmitted(true)
     try {
       const resp = await searchMessages(nats, { searchText: q, roomIds: [roomId], size: 50 })
-      setResults(resp.results ?? [])
+      setResults(resp.messages ?? [])
     } catch {
       setResults([])
     } finally {
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/InRoomSearch/InRoomSearch.test.jsx b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/InRoomSearch/InRoomSearch.test.jsx
index a99ef15a9..d7b1d4556 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/InRoomSearch/InRoomSearch.test.jsx
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/InRoomSearch/InRoomSearch.test.jsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ describe('InRoomSearch', () => {
   })
 
   it('does not fetch on typing; fetches on Enter scoped to roomIds: [roomId]', async () => {
-    const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ results: [], total: 0 })
+    const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ messages: [], total: 0 })
     useNats.mockReturnValue({
       user: { account: 'alice' },
       request,
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe('InRoomSearch', () => {
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         'chat.user.alice.request.search.messages',
-        { searchText: 'hi', roomIds: ['r1'], size: 50 }
+        { query: 'hi', roomIds: ['r1'], size: 50 }
       )
     })
   })
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ describe('InRoomSearch', () => {
     const onJumpToMessage = vi.fn()
     const onClose = vi.fn()
     const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      results: [
+      messages: [
         { messageId: 'msg-1', roomId: 'r1', content: 'hello world' },
       ],
       total: 1,
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ describe('InRoomSearch', () => {
     const onClose = vi.fn()
     useNats.mockReturnValue({
       user: { account: 'alice' },
-      request: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ results: [], total: 0 }),
+      request: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ messages: [], total: 0 }),
     })
 
     render(
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/ManageMembersDialog/MemberPicker/MemberPicker.jsx b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/ManageMembersDialog/MemberPicker/MemberPicker.jsx
index b0b24e666..a973423a1 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/ManageMembersDialog/MemberPicker/MemberPicker.jsx
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/ManageMembersDialog/MemberPicker/MemberPicker.jsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const identity = (e) => e
 
 const renderChannelResult = (r) => (
   <div className="picker-result-line">
-    <strong>{r.roomName}</strong>
+    <strong>{r.name}</strong>
     <span className="picker-result-sub"> — {r.siteId}</span>
   </div>
 )
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ const MemberPicker = forwardRef(function MemberPicker(
 
   const channelFetcher = useCallback(
     async (q) => {
-      const resp = await searchRooms(nats, { searchText: q, scope: 'all', size: 8 })
-      return resp.results ?? []
+      const resp = await searchRooms(nats, { searchText: q, roomType: 'all', size: 8 })
+      return resp.rooms ?? []
     },
     [nats]
   )
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/ManageMembersDialog/MemberPicker/MemberPicker.test.jsx b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/ManageMembersDialog/MemberPicker/MemberPicker.test.jsx
index bda7a55de..8988b22cc 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/ManageMembersDialog/MemberPicker/MemberPicker.test.jsx
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/ChatPage/ManageMembersDialog/MemberPicker/MemberPicker.test.jsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ vi.mock('@/context/NatsContext', () => ({
 import { useNats } from '@/context/NatsContext'
 
 function setup(overrides = {}) {
-  const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ results: [] })
+  const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ rooms: [] })
   useNats.mockReturnValue({
     user: { account: 'alice', siteId: 'site-A' },
     request,
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ describe('MemberPicker', () => {
 
   it('debounces search.rooms (channels) and adds a ChannelRef when a result is clicked', async () => {
     const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      results: [{ roomId: 'r-x', roomName: 'project-x', siteId: 'site-B', roomType: 'c' }],
+      rooms: [{ roomId: 'r-x', name: 'project-x', siteId: 'site-B', roomType: 'c' }],
     })
     const onChannelsChange = vi.fn()
     useNats.mockReturnValue({ user: { account: 'alice', siteId: 'site-A' }, request })
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ describe('MemberPicker', () => {
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         'chat.user.alice.request.search.rooms',
-        expect.objectContaining({ searchText: 'pro' })
+        expect.objectContaining({ query: 'pro' })
       )
     })
     await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText('project-x')).toBeInTheDocument())
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/SearchResultsPane/SearchResultsPane.jsx b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/SearchResultsPane/SearchResultsPane.jsx
index 3d4083f36..b3bf01efa 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/SearchResultsPane/SearchResultsPane.jsx
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/SearchResultsPane/SearchResultsPane.jsx
@@ -31,11 +31,12 @@ export default function SearchResultsPane({
     setRoomsError(null)
     setMsgsError(null)
 
-    searchRooms(nats, { searchText: query, scope: 'all', size: 50 })
+    searchRooms(nats, { searchText: query, roomType: 'all', size: 50 })
       .then((resp) => {
         if (cancelled) return
-        setRoomResults(resp.results ?? [])
-        setRoomTotal(resp.total ?? 0)
+        const rooms = resp.rooms ?? []
+        setRoomResults(rooms)
+        setRoomTotal(rooms.length)
       })
       .catch((err) => {
         if (!cancelled) setRoomsError(err?.message || 'Search failed')
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ export default function SearchResultsPane({
     searchMessages(nats, { searchText: query, size: 50 })
       .then((resp) => {
         if (cancelled) return
-        setMsgResults(resp.results ?? [])
+        setMsgResults(resp.messages ?? [])
         setMsgTotal(resp.total ?? 0)
       })
       .catch((err) => {
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ export default function SearchResultsPane({
                 <span className="result-type">
                   {searchRoomPrefix(hit.roomType)}
                 </span>
-                <span className="result-name">{hit.roomName}</span>
+                <span className="result-name">{hit.name}</span>
               </button>
             ))}
           </div>
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/SearchResultsPane/SearchResultsPane.test.jsx b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/SearchResultsPane/SearchResultsPane.test.jsx
index c2856efaf..cce308163 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/SearchResultsPane/SearchResultsPane.test.jsx
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/components/MainApp/SearchResultsPane/SearchResultsPane.test.jsx
@@ -15,10 +15,9 @@ describe('SearchResultsPane', () => {
 
   it('fetches and displays room results immediately', async () => {
     const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      results: [
-        { roomId: 'r1', roomName: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
+      rooms: [
+        { roomId: 'r1', name: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
       ],
-      total: 1,
     })
     useNats.mockReturnValue({
       user: { account: 'alice' },
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ describe('SearchResultsPane', () => {
 
     expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       'chat.user.alice.request.search.rooms',
-      expect.objectContaining({ searchText: 'gen' })
+      { query: 'gen', roomType: 'all', size: 50 }
     )
   })
 
@@ -48,13 +47,12 @@ describe('SearchResultsPane', () => {
     const request = vi.fn().mockImplementation((subject) => {
       if (subject.includes('.search.rooms')) {
         return Promise.resolve({
-          results: [{ roomId: 'r1', roomName: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' }],
-          total: 1,
+          rooms: [{ roomId: 'r1', name: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' }],
         })
       }
       if (subject.includes('.search.messages')) {
         return Promise.resolve({
-          results: [
+          messages: [
             { messageId: 'm1', roomId: 'r1', content: 'hello', createdAt: '2026-04-17T10:00:00Z', userAccount: 'bob' },
           ],
           total: 1,
@@ -93,10 +91,9 @@ describe('SearchResultsPane', () => {
     const onSelectRoom = vi.fn()
     const onClose = vi.fn()
     const request = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      results: [
-        { roomId: 'r1', roomName: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
+      rooms: [
+        { roomId: 'r1', name: 'general', roomType: 'c', siteId: 'site-A' },
       ],
-      total: 1,
     })
     useNats.mockReturnValue({
       user: { account: 'alice' },
@@ -130,11 +127,11 @@ describe('SearchResultsPane', () => {
     const onClose = vi.fn()
     const request = vi.fn().mockImplementation((subject) => {
       if (subject.includes('.search.rooms')) {
-        return Promise.resolve({ results: [], total: 0 })
+        return Promise.resolve({ rooms: [] })
       }
       if (subject.includes('.search.messages')) {
         return Promise.resolve({
-          results: [
+          messages: [
             { messageId: 'm1', roomId: 'r1', content: 'hello world', createdAt: '2026-04-17T10:00:00Z', userAccount: 'bob' },
           ],
           total: 1,
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/lib/roomFormat.js b/chat-frontend/src/lib/roomFormat.js
index db20bbad3..efcb55c8b 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/lib/roomFormat.js
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/lib/roomFormat.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export function roomDisplayName(room) {
 export function roomFromSearchHit(hit) {
   return {
     id: hit.roomId,
-    name: hit.roomName,
+    name: hit.name,
     type: hit.roomType,
     siteId: hit.siteId,
   }
diff --git a/chat-frontend/src/lib/roomFormat.test.js b/chat-frontend/src/lib/roomFormat.test.js
index 1fe75c652..1c7b302ec 100644
--- a/chat-frontend/src/lib/roomFormat.test.js
+++ b/chat-frontend/src/lib/roomFormat.test.js
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ describe('roomDisplayName', () => {
 
 describe('roomFromSearchHit', () => {
   it('maps search-hit field names onto the room shape', () => {
-    const hit = { roomId: 'r1', roomName: 'frontend', roomType: 'channel', siteId: 'site-A' }
+    const hit = { roomId: 'r1', name: 'frontend', roomType: 'channel', siteId: 'site-A' }
     expect(roomFromSearchHit(hit)).toEqual({
       id: 'r1',
       name: 'frontend',
diff --git a/docker-local/setup.sh b/docker-local/setup.sh
index 3fd0e8fba..98ed6478e 100755
--- a/docker-local/setup.sh
+++ b/docker-local/setup.sh
@@ -68,7 +68,11 @@ docker run --rm \
   '
 
 cp "$TMPDIR/backend.creds" "$BACKEND_CREDS"
-chmod 600 "$BACKEND_CREDS"
+# 0644, not 0600: service containers run as non-root (uid 10001) and
+# bind-mount this file read-only at /etc/nats/backend.creds, so the
+# in-container user must be able to read it. Acceptable only because
+# this is a throwaway local-dev credential generated by this script.
+chmod 644 "$BACKEND_CREDS"
 
 OPERATOR_JWT=$(cat "$TMPDIR/operator.jwt")
 ACCOUNT_JWT=$(cat "$TMPDIR/account.jwt")
diff --git a/docs/client-api.md b/docs/client-api.md
index dae218651..fa17fb056 100644
--- a/docs/client-api.md
+++ b/docs/client-api.md
@@ -1575,7 +1575,7 @@ See [Error envelope](#6-error-envelope-reference).
 **Subject:** `chat.user.{account}.request.search.rooms`
 **Reply subject:** auto-generated `_INBOX.>` (NATS request/reply)
 
-Full-text search across rooms the requester is subscribed to. Results are returned as `SearchRoom` projections hydrated from MongoDB (the caller's per-room subscription documents), not raw ES index fields.
+Full-text search across rooms the requester is subscribed to. Results are served directly from the spotlight ES index (one document per `(account, room)` pair), in ES relevance order.
 
 ##### Request body
 
@@ -1600,13 +1600,14 @@ Full-text search across rooms the requester is subscribed to. Results are return
 |---------|-------------------|-------|
 | `rooms` | array<SearchRoom> | Page of room results. Empty slice when no matches, never null. |
 
-`SearchRoom` (field list mirrors the legacy HTTP shape — see implementation):
+`SearchRoom` (projection of the spotlight ES document):
 
 | Field      | Type   | Notes |
 |------------|--------|-------|
 | `roomId`   | string | The room's ID. |
 | `name`     | string | The room's display name. |
 | `roomType` | string | `"channel"`, `"dm"`, or omitted for other types. |
+| `siteId`   | string | The room's home site. |
 
 ```json
 {
@@ -1614,7 +1615,8 @@ Full-text search across rooms the requester is subscribed to. Results are return
     {
       "roomId": "01970a4f8c2d7c9aQ",
       "name": "engineering-announcements",
-      "roomType": "channel"
+      "roomType": "channel",
+      "siteId": "site-a"
     }
   ]
 }
@@ -1622,12 +1624,12 @@ Full-text search across rooms the requester is subscribed to. Results are return
 
 ##### Error response
 
-See [Error envelope](#5-error-envelope-reference).
+See [Error envelope](#6-error-envelope-reference).
 
 | Code          | Reason |
 |---------------|--------|
 | `bad_request` | `query` is missing, empty, or whitespace-only; or `roomType` is `"app"` or an unrecognized value; or `size`/`offset` is negative. |
-| `internal`    | ES or MongoDB backend failure (transient or permanent). The raw error is never leaked to the client. |
+| `internal`    | Elasticsearch backend failure (transient or permanent). The raw error is never leaked to the client. |
 
 ##### Triggered events — success path
 
diff --git a/pkg/model/model_test.go b/pkg/model/model_test.go
index 7bbb307ec..a77e330d2 100644
--- a/pkg/model/model_test.go
+++ b/pkg/model/model_test.go
@@ -1769,14 +1769,14 @@ func TestSearchRoomsRequestJSON(t *testing.T) {
 func TestSearchRoomsResponseJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	resp := model.SearchRoomsResponse{
 		Rooms: []model.SearchRoom{
-			{RoomID: "r1", Name: "engineering-announcements", RoomType: "channel"},
-			{RoomID: "r2", Name: "alice-bob", RoomType: "dm"},
+			{RoomID: "r1", Name: "engineering-announcements", RoomType: "channel", SiteID: "site-a"},
+			{RoomID: "r2", Name: "alice-bob", RoomType: "dm", SiteID: "site-b"},
 		},
 	}
 	roundTrip(t, &resp, &model.SearchRoomsResponse{})
 }
 
-func TestSearchRoomsResponseJSON_EmptySubscriptions(t *testing.T) {
+func TestSearchRoomsResponseJSON_EmptyRooms(t *testing.T) {
 	resp := model.SearchRoomsResponse{Rooms: []model.SearchRoom{}}
 	data, err := json.Marshal(&resp)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/pkg/model/search.go b/pkg/model/search.go
index ce2126436..2ec321f3c 100644
--- a/pkg/model/search.go
+++ b/pkg/model/search.go
@@ -61,14 +61,15 @@ type SearchRoomsResponse struct {
 	Rooms []SearchRoom `json:"rooms"`
 }
 
-// SearchRoom is the per-user-room projection returned by
-// search.rooms. Field list mirrors the legacy HTTP shape for
-// the /rooms endpoint — fill in additional fields per the legacy
-// response during implementation.
+// SearchRoom is the per-user-room projection returned by search.rooms,
+// built directly from the spotlight ES index hit (one doc per
+// (account, room)). SiteID is the room's home site, carried on the
+// spotlight doc by search-sync-worker.
 type SearchRoom struct {
-	RoomID   string `json:"roomId"             bson:"roomId"`
-	Name     string `json:"name"               bson:"name"`
-	RoomType string `json:"roomType,omitempty" bson:"roomType,omitempty"`
+	RoomID   string `json:"roomId"`
+	Name     string `json:"name"`
+	RoomType string `json:"roomType,omitempty"`
+	SiteID   string `json:"siteId"`
 }
 
 // SearchAppsRequest is the NATS payload for `chat.user.{account}.request.search.apps`.
diff --git a/pkg/oidc/oidc.go b/pkg/oidc/oidc.go
index a32fe2428..18dbf8373 100644
--- a/pkg/oidc/oidc.go
+++ b/pkg/oidc/oidc.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func NewValidator(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (*Validator, error) {
 		transport := &http.Transport{
 			TLSClientConfig: &tls.Config{
 				// #nosec G402 -- InsecureSkipVerify is opt-in via TLSSkipVerify config for dev environments
-				InsecureSkipVerify: true, //nolint:gosec // intentional for dev environments
+				InsecureSkipVerify: true, //nolint:gosec
 				MinVersion:         tls.VersionTLS12,
 			},
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/searchengine/factory.go b/pkg/searchengine/factory.go
index 5ea117dcf..86a4e04bd 100644
--- a/pkg/searchengine/factory.go
+++ b/pkg/searchengine/factory.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (SearchEngine, error) {
 			httpTransport := dt.Clone()
 			httpTransport.TLSClientConfig = &tls.Config{
 				// #nosec G402 -- InsecureSkipVerify is opt-in via TLSSkipVerify config for self-signed ES certs
-				InsecureSkipVerify: true, //nolint:gosec // intentional: opt-in via config for self-signed ES certs
+				InsecureSkipVerify: true, //nolint:gosec
 				MinVersion:         tls.VersionTLS12,
 			}
 			esCfg.Transport = httpTransport
diff --git a/search-service/handler.go b/search-service/handler.go
index 7e1239b8f..3be54d0b8 100644
--- a/search-service/handler.go
+++ b/search-service/handler.go
@@ -159,26 +159,12 @@ func (h *handler) searchRooms(c *natsrouter.Context, req model.SearchRoomsReques
 		return nil, natsrouter.ErrInternal("search backend unavailable")
 	}
 
-	roomIDs, err := parseRoomIDs(raw)
+	rooms, err := parseRooms(raw)
 	if err != nil {
-		slog.Error("parse subscription room IDs failed", "account", account, "error", err)
+		slog.Error("parse spotlight rooms failed", "account", account, "error", err)
 		return nil, natsrouter.ErrInternal("unexpected search response")
 	}
-
-	if len(roomIDs) == 0 {
-		return &model.SearchRoomsResponse{Rooms: []model.SearchRoom{}}, nil
-	}
-
-	subs, err := h.mongo.HydrateRooms(ctx, account, roomIDs)
-	if err != nil {
-		slog.Error("subscription hydration failed", "account", account, "error", err)
-		return nil, natsrouter.ErrInternal("subscription hydration unavailable")
-	}
-
-	if subs == nil {
-		subs = []model.SearchRoom{}
-	}
-	return &model.SearchRoomsResponse{Rooms: subs}, nil
+	return &model.SearchRoomsResponse{Rooms: rooms}, nil
 }
 
 // loadRestricted implements the 2-tier Valkey → ES read. Cache errors
diff --git a/search-service/handler_test.go b/search-service/handler_test.go
index c716bd0fc..a16c875d7 100644
--- a/search-service/handler_test.go
+++ b/search-service/handler_test.go
@@ -228,10 +228,6 @@ type fakeMongo struct {
 	searchAppsCalls   []searchAppsCall
 	searchAppsResults []model.App
 	searchAppsErr     error
-
-	hydrateRoomsCalls   []hydrateRoomsCall
-	hydrateRoomsResults []model.SearchRoom
-	hydrateRoomsErr     error
 }
 
 type searchAppsCall struct {
@@ -242,11 +238,6 @@ type searchAppsCall struct {
 	limit            int
 }
 
-type hydrateRoomsCall struct {
-	account string
-	roomIDs []string
-}
-
 func (f *fakeMongo) SearchAppsByName(
 	_ context.Context,
 	query, account string,
@@ -262,46 +253,24 @@ func (f *fakeMongo) SearchAppsByName(
 	return f.searchAppsResults, nil
 }
 
-func (f *fakeMongo) HydrateRooms(
-	_ context.Context,
-	account string,
-	roomIDs []string,
-) ([]model.SearchRoom, error) {
-	f.hydrateRoomsCalls = append(f.hydrateRoomsCalls, hydrateRoomsCall{
-		account: account, roomIDs: roomIDs,
-	})
-	if f.hydrateRoomsErr != nil {
-		return nil, f.hydrateRoomsErr
-	}
-	return f.hydrateRoomsResults, nil
-}
-
 func TestHandler_SearchRooms_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 	store := &fakeStore{
-		searchBody: json.RawMessage(`{"hits":{"total":{"value":2},"hits":[{"_source":{"roomId":"r1"}},{"_source":{"roomId":"r2"}}]}}`),
-	}
-	mongo := &fakeMongo{
-		hydrateRoomsResults: []model.SearchRoom{
-			{RoomID: "r1", Name: "general", RoomType: "channel"},
-			{RoomID: "r2", Name: "alice-bob", RoomType: "dm"},
-		},
+		searchBody: json.RawMessage(`{"hits":{"total":{"value":2},"hits":[` +
+			`{"_source":{"roomId":"r1","roomName":"general","roomType":"channel","siteId":"site-a"}},` +
+			`{"_source":{"roomId":"r2","roomName":"alice-bob","roomType":"dm","siteId":"site-b"}}]}}`),
 	}
-	h := newTestHandler(store, mongo, nil, newFakeCache())
+	h := newTestHandler(store, &fakeMongo{}, nil, newFakeCache())
 
 	resp, err := h.searchRooms(ctxWithAccount("alice"), model.SearchRoomsRequest{Query: "general"})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NotNil(t, resp)
 	require.Len(t, resp.Rooms, 2)
-	assert.Equal(t, "r1", resp.Rooms[0].RoomID)
-	assert.Equal(t, "general", resp.Rooms[0].Name)
+	assert.Equal(t, model.SearchRoom{RoomID: "r1", Name: "general", RoomType: "channel", SiteID: "site-a"}, resp.Rooms[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, "r2", resp.Rooms[1].RoomID)
+	assert.Equal(t, "site-b", resp.Rooms[1].SiteID)
 
 	require.Len(t, store.searchCalls, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{testSpotlightIndex}, store.searchCalls[0].indices)
-
-	require.Len(t, mongo.hydrateRoomsCalls, 1)
-	call := mongo.hydrateRoomsCalls[0]
-	assert.Equal(t, "alice", call.account)
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{"r1", "r2"}, call.roomIDs)
 }
 
 func TestHandler_SearchRooms_EmptyQueryRejected(t *testing.T) {
@@ -352,33 +321,17 @@ func TestHandler_SearchRooms_ESErrorSanitized(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotContains(t, rerr.Message, "es failed")
 }
 
-func TestHandler_SearchRooms_MongoErrorSanitized(t *testing.T) {
-	store := &fakeStore{
-		searchBody: json.RawMessage(`{"hits":{"total":{"value":1},"hits":[{"_source":{"roomId":"r1"}}]}}`),
-	}
-	mongo := &fakeMongo{hydrateRoomsErr: errors.New("mongo down")}
-	h := newTestHandler(store, mongo, nil, newFakeCache())
-	_, err := h.searchRooms(ctxWithAccount("alice"), model.SearchRoomsRequest{Query: "general"})
-	require.Error(t, err)
-	var rerr *natsrouter.RouteError
-	require.True(t, errors.As(err, &rerr))
-	assert.Equal(t, natsrouter.CodeInternal, rerr.Code)
-	assert.NotContains(t, rerr.Message, "mongo down")
-}
-
-func TestHandler_SearchRooms_EmptyESResultSkipsMongo(t *testing.T) {
+func TestHandler_SearchRooms_EmptyESResult(t *testing.T) {
 	store := &fakeStore{
 		searchBody: json.RawMessage(`{"hits":{"total":{"value":0},"hits":[]}}`),
 	}
-	mongo := &fakeMongo{}
-	h := newTestHandler(store, mongo, nil, newFakeCache())
+	h := newTestHandler(store, &fakeMongo{}, nil, newFakeCache())
 
 	resp, err := h.searchRooms(ctxWithAccount("alice"), model.SearchRoomsRequest{Query: "nope"})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NotNil(t, resp)
 	assert.NotNil(t, resp.Rooms, "must be empty slice, not nil")
 	assert.Empty(t, resp.Rooms)
-	assert.Len(t, mongo.hydrateRoomsCalls, 0, "no Mongo call when ES returns no hits")
 }
 
 func TestHandler_SearchRooms_SizeClamped(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/search-service/integration_test.go b/search-service/integration_test.go
index b3b55462c..14dcd5780 100644
--- a/search-service/integration_test.go
+++ b/search-service/integration_test.go
@@ -889,17 +889,16 @@ func TestIntegration_SearchUsers_ThirdPartyErrorReturnsInternal(t *testing.T) {
 
 // --- search.rooms integration ----------------------------------------
 
-// roomsFixture wires a real Mongo container alongside a real ES container
-// (for the spotlight index) and NATS. ES is needed to seed spotlight docs;
-// Mongo is needed to seed subscription docs for hydration.
+// roomsFixture wires a real ES container (for the spotlight index) and
+// NATS. search.rooms is served directly from the spotlight index, so no
+// Mongo is involved.
 type roomsFixture struct {
 	clientNATS *nats.Conn
-	mongoDB    *mongo.Database
 	esURL      string
 }
 
-// setupRoomsFixture stands up ES (spotlight index), Mongo (subscriptions), and
-// NATS. It registers t.Cleanup for all containers and returns a ready fixture.
+// setupRoomsFixture stands up ES (spotlight index) and NATS. It registers
+// t.Cleanup for all containers and returns a ready fixture.
 func setupRoomsFixture(t *testing.T) *roomsFixture {
 	t.Helper()
 	ctx := context.Background()
@@ -936,8 +935,6 @@ func setupRoomsFixture(t *testing.T) *roomsFixture {
 	spotlightIndex := "spotlight-subs-test"
 	putTestSpotlightIndex(t, esURL, spotlightIndex)
 
-	mongoDB := testutil.MongoDB(t, "search_service_test")
-
 	natsURL := startNATS(t)
 	serverNC, err := natsutil.Connect(natsURL, "")
 	require.NoError(t, err, "connect nats (server side)")
@@ -951,9 +948,8 @@ func setupRoomsFixture(t *testing.T) *roomsFixture {
 	require.NoError(t, err, "build searchengine for subs fixture")
 
 	esStore := newESStore(engine, testUserRoomIndex)
-	mStore := newMongoStore(mongoDB)
 	cache := newValkeyCache(newSubsValkeyClient(t))
-	h := newHandler(esStore, mStore, nil, cache, handlerConfig{
+	h := newHandler(esStore, nil, nil, cache, handlerConfig{
 		DocCounts:               25,
 		MaxDocCounts:            100,
 		RestrictedRoomsCacheTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
@@ -969,7 +965,7 @@ func setupRoomsFixture(t *testing.T) *roomsFixture {
 	require.NoError(t, serverNC.NatsConn().Flush())
 	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = router.Shutdown(context.Background()) })
 
-	return &roomsFixture{clientNATS: clientNC, mongoDB: mongoDB, esURL: esURL}
+	return &roomsFixture{clientNATS: clientNC, esURL: esURL}
 }
 
 // newSubsValkeyClient starts a Valkey testcontainer and returns a connected
@@ -1021,7 +1017,6 @@ func putTestSpotlightIndex(t *testing.T, esURL, index string) {
 
 func TestIntegration_SearchRooms_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 	f := setupRoomsFixture(t)
-	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	const account = "alice"
 	now := time.Now().UTC()
@@ -1043,25 +1038,17 @@ func TestIntegration_SearchRooms_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 		"siteId":      "site-local",
 		"joinedAt":    now.Add(-24 * time.Hour).Format(time.RFC3339),
 	})
-
-	// Seed subscription docs for those rooms.
-	_, err := f.mongoDB.Collection("subscriptions").InsertMany(ctx, []any{
-		map[string]any{
-			"_id":      "sub-r1",
-			"roomId":   "r1",
-			"name":     "engineering-announcements",
-			"roomType": "channel",
-			"u":        map[string]any{"account": account},
-		},
-		map[string]any{
-			"_id":      "sub-r2",
-			"roomId":   "r2",
-			"name":     "engineering-random",
-			"roomType": "channel",
-			"u":        map[string]any{"account": account},
-		},
+	// A matching room owned by a different account. With the Mongo
+	// hydration removed, the spotlight userAccount term filter is the
+	// sole access boundary — this must not leak into alice's results.
+	seedDoc(t, f.esURL, "spotlight-subs-test", "spot-r3", map[string]any{
+		"roomId":      "r3",
+		"roomName":    "engineering-secret",
+		"roomType":    "channel",
+		"userAccount": "mallory",
+		"siteId":      "site-local",
+		"joinedAt":    now.Add(-12 * time.Hour).Format(time.RFC3339),
 	})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	reqBytes, err := json.Marshal(model.SearchRoomsRequest{Query: "engineering"})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -1072,15 +1059,19 @@ func TestIntegration_SearchRooms_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 	var resp model.SearchRoomsResponse
 	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(msg.Data, &resp))
 
-	assert.Len(t, resp.Rooms, 2, "both rooms matching 'engineering' must be returned")
-	roomIDs := []string{resp.Rooms[0].RoomID, resp.Rooms[1].RoomID}
-	assert.Contains(t, roomIDs, "r1")
-	assert.Contains(t, roomIDs, "r2")
+	require.Len(t, resp.Rooms, 2, "both rooms matching 'engineering' must be returned")
+	byID := map[string]model.SearchRoom{}
+	for _, r := range resp.Rooms {
+		byID[r.RoomID] = r
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, model.SearchRoom{RoomID: "r1", Name: "engineering-announcements", RoomType: "channel", SiteID: "site-local"}, byID["r1"])
+	assert.Equal(t, model.SearchRoom{RoomID: "r2", Name: "engineering-random", RoomType: "channel", SiteID: "site-local"}, byID["r2"])
+	_, leaked := byID["r3"]
+	assert.False(t, leaked, "rooms owned by another account must not leak")
 }
 
 func TestIntegration_SearchRooms_RoomTypeChannelFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	f := setupRoomsFixture(t)
-	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	const account = "bob"
 	now := time.Now().UTC()
@@ -1102,12 +1093,6 @@ func TestIntegration_SearchRooms_RoomTypeChannelFilter(t *testing.T) {
 		"joinedAt":    now.Add(-2 * time.Hour).Format(time.RFC3339),
 	})
 
-	_, err := f.mongoDB.Collection("subscriptions").InsertMany(ctx, []any{
-		map[string]any{"_id": "sub-b-r1", "roomId": "b-r1", "name": "bob-alice", "roomType": "dm", "u": map[string]any{"account": account}},
-		map[string]any{"_id": "sub-b-r2", "roomId": "b-r2", "name": "bob-channel", "roomType": "channel", "u": map[string]any{"account": account}},
-	})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
 	reqBytes, err := json.Marshal(model.SearchRoomsRequest{Query: "bob", RoomType: "channel"})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -1118,7 +1103,8 @@ func TestIntegration_SearchRooms_RoomTypeChannelFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(msg.Data, &resp))
 
 	require.Len(t, resp.Rooms, 1)
-	assert.Equal(t, "b-r2", resp.Rooms[0].RoomID, "only the channel room must match roomType=channel filter")
+	assert.Equal(t, model.SearchRoom{RoomID: "b-r2", Name: "bob-channel", RoomType: "channel", SiteID: "site-local"}, resp.Rooms[0],
+		"only the channel room must match roomType=channel filter")
 }
 
 func TestIntegration_SearchRooms_EmptyQueryReturnsBadRequest(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/search-service/mock_store_test.go b/search-service/mock_store_test.go
index 5a125b5ed..f6d8a87ea 100644
--- a/search-service/mock_store_test.go
+++ b/search-service/mock_store_test.go
@@ -152,21 +152,6 @@ func (m *MockMongoStore) EXPECT() *MockMongoStoreMockRecorder {
 	return m.recorder
 }
 
-// HydrateRooms mocks base method.
-func (m *MockMongoStore) HydrateRooms(ctx context.Context, account string, roomIDs []string) ([]model.SearchRoom, error) {
-	m.ctrl.T.Helper()
-	ret := m.ctrl.Call(m, "HydrateRooms", ctx, account, roomIDs)
-	ret0, _ := ret[0].([]model.SearchRoom)
-	ret1, _ := ret[1].(error)
-	return ret0, ret1
-}
-
-// HydrateRooms indicates an expected call of HydrateRooms.
-func (mr *MockMongoStoreMockRecorder) HydrateRooms(ctx, account, roomIDs any) *gomock.Call {
-	mr.mock.ctrl.T.Helper()
-	return mr.mock.ctrl.RecordCallWithMethodType(mr.mock, "HydrateRooms", reflect.TypeOf((*MockMongoStore)(nil).HydrateRooms), ctx, account, roomIDs)
-}
-
 // SearchAppsByName mocks base method.
 func (m *MockMongoStore) SearchAppsByName(ctx context.Context, query, account string, assistantEnabled *bool, offset, limit int) ([]model.App, error) {
 	m.ctrl.T.Helper()
diff --git a/search-service/response.go b/search-service/response.go
index 01c31526d..bb6ccc93c 100644
--- a/search-service/response.go
+++ b/search-service/response.go
@@ -40,11 +40,23 @@ type messageSearchHit struct {
 	ThreadParentCreatedAt *time.Time `json:"threadParentMessageCreatedAt,omitempty"`
 }
 
-// roomSearchHit is the ES `_source` shape for a spotlight hit used
-// during the subscription search flow. Only `roomId` is extracted; the other
-// fields are present in the index but unused after the Mongo hydration step.
+// roomSearchHit is the spotlight ES `_source` shape for a room
+// typeahead hit. search.rooms is served directly from this index
+// (one doc per (account, room)); the fields map onto model.SearchRoom.
 type roomSearchHit struct {
-	RoomID string `json:"roomId"`
+	RoomID   string `json:"roomId"`
+	RoomName string `json:"roomName"`
+	RoomType string `json:"roomType"`
+	SiteID   string `json:"siteId"`
+}
+
+func toSearchRoom(h roomSearchHit) model.SearchRoom {
+	return model.SearchRoom{
+		RoomID:   h.RoomID,
+		Name:     h.RoomName,
+		RoomType: h.RoomType,
+		SiteID:   h.SiteID,
+	}
 }
 
 func parseMessagesResponse(raw json.RawMessage) ([]messageSearchHit, int64, error) {
@@ -79,18 +91,17 @@ func toSearchMessage(hit *messageSearchHit) model.SearchMessage {
 	}
 }
 
-// parseRoomIDs extracts the ordered list of room IDs from a
-// spotlight ES response. The caller passes these IDs to HydrateRooms
-// for Mongo enrichment.
-func parseRoomIDs(raw json.RawMessage) ([]string, error) {
+// parseRooms extracts the ordered list of rooms from a spotlight ES
+// response, preserving ES relevance order.
+func parseRooms(raw json.RawMessage) ([]model.SearchRoom, error) {
 	var rr rawResponse[roomSearchHit]
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &rr); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parse subscription room IDs: %w", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parse spotlight rooms response: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	ids := make([]string, 0, len(rr.Hits.Hits))
+	rooms := make([]model.SearchRoom, 0, len(rr.Hits.Hits))
 	for i := range rr.Hits.Hits {
-		ids = append(ids, rr.Hits.Hits[i].Source.RoomID)
+		rooms = append(rooms, toSearchRoom(rr.Hits.Hits[i].Source))
 	}
-	return ids, nil
+	return rooms, nil
 }
diff --git a/search-service/response_test.go b/search-service/response_test.go
index 726d15734..bb276f4de 100644
--- a/search-service/response_test.go
+++ b/search-service/response_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/hmchangw/chat/pkg/model"
 )
 
 func TestParseMessagesResponse_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {
@@ -126,56 +128,58 @@ func TestToSearchMessage_ThreadParentBothFieldsCopied(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, got.ThreadParentMessageCreatedAt.Equal(tp))
 }
 
-func TestParseSubscriptionRoomIDs_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {
+func TestParseRooms_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 	body := json.RawMessage(`{
 		"hits": {
 			"total": {"value": 2},
 			"hits": [
 				{"_source": {
-					"roomId": "r1", "roomName": "general", "roomType": "p",
+					"roomId": "r1", "roomName": "general", "roomType": "channel",
 					"userAccount": "alice", "siteId": "site-a",
 					"joinedAt": "2026-04-01T12:00:00Z"
 				}},
 				{"_source": {
-					"roomId": "r2", "roomName": "alice-bob", "roomType": "d",
-					"userAccount": "alice", "siteId": "site-a",
+					"roomId": "r2", "roomName": "alice-bob", "roomType": "dm",
+					"userAccount": "alice", "siteId": "site-b",
 					"joinedAt": "2026-04-02T12:00:00Z"
 				}}
 			]
 		}
 	}`)
 
-	ids, err := parseRoomIDs(body)
+	rooms, err := parseRooms(body)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Len(t, ids, 2)
-	assert.Equal(t, "r1", ids[0])
-	assert.Equal(t, "r2", ids[1])
+	require.Len(t, rooms, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, model.SearchRoom{RoomID: "r1", Name: "general", RoomType: "channel", SiteID: "site-a"}, rooms[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, model.SearchRoom{RoomID: "r2", Name: "alice-bob", RoomType: "dm", SiteID: "site-b"}, rooms[1])
 }
 
-func TestParseSubscriptionRoomIDs_Empty(t *testing.T) {
+func TestParseRooms_Empty(t *testing.T) {
 	body := json.RawMessage(`{"hits":{"total":{"value":0},"hits":[]}}`)
-	ids, err := parseRoomIDs(body)
+	rooms, err := parseRooms(body)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Empty(t, ids)
+	assert.Empty(t, rooms)
+	assert.NotNil(t, rooms, "must be empty slice, not nil")
 }
 
-func TestParseSubscriptionRoomIDs_Malformed(t *testing.T) {
-	_, err := parseRoomIDs(json.RawMessage(`{`))
+func TestParseRooms_Malformed(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := parseRooms(json.RawMessage(`{`))
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
-func TestParseSubscriptionRoomIDs_PreservesOrder(t *testing.T) {
+func TestParseRooms_PreservesOrder(t *testing.T) {
 	body := json.RawMessage(`{
 		"hits": {
 			"total": {"value": 3},
 			"hits": [
-				{"_source": {"roomId": "r3"}},
-				{"_source": {"roomId": "r1"}},
-				{"_source": {"roomId": "r2"}}
+				{"_source": {"roomId": "r3", "roomName": "c"}},
+				{"_source": {"roomId": "r1", "roomName": "a"}},
+				{"_source": {"roomId": "r2", "roomName": "b"}}
 			]
 		}
 	}`)
-	ids, err := parseRoomIDs(body)
+	rooms, err := parseRooms(body)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{"r3", "r1", "r2"}, ids, "ES hit order must be preserved for Mongo hydration")
+	got := []string{rooms[0].RoomID, rooms[1].RoomID, rooms[2].RoomID}
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"r3", "r1", "r2"}, got, "ES relevance order must be preserved")
 }
diff --git a/search-service/store.go b/search-service/store.go
index 2c9f27f02..f3e68c5bb 100644
--- a/search-service/store.go
+++ b/search-service/store.go
@@ -40,17 +40,6 @@ type MongoStore interface {
 		assistantEnabled *bool,
 		offset, limit int,
 	) ([]model.App, error)
-
-	// HydrateRooms fetches the caller's Subscription documents for
-	// the given room IDs and returns them as SearchRoom projections.
-	// The returned slice preserves the ordering of roomIDs. Room IDs for
-	// which no subscription exists in Mongo are silently omitted (the user
-	// may have left the room between the ES query and the Mongo fetch).
-	HydrateRooms(
-		ctx context.Context,
-		account string,
-		roomIDs []string,
-	) ([]model.SearchRoom, error)
 }
 
 // SearchUsersClient is the outbound HTTP interface for user search.
diff --git a/search-service/store_mongo.go b/search-service/store_mongo.go
index 8277de504..e60a93832 100644
--- a/search-service/store_mongo.go
+++ b/search-service/store_mongo.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
-	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/v2/bson"
 	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/v2/mongo"
 
 	"github.com/hmchangw/chat/pkg/model"
@@ -12,14 +11,12 @@ import (
 
 // mongoStore is the Mongo-backed implementation of MongoStore.
 type mongoStore struct {
-	apps          *mongo.Collection
-	subscriptions *mongo.Collection
+	apps *mongo.Collection
 }
 
 func newMongoStore(db *mongo.Database) *mongoStore {
 	return &mongoStore{
-		apps:          db.Collection("apps"),
-		subscriptions: db.Collection("subscriptions"),
+		apps: db.Collection("apps"),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -42,52 +39,3 @@ func (s *mongoStore) SearchAppsByName(
 	}
 	return results, nil
 }
-
-// HydrateRooms fetches the caller's subscription documents for the
-// given room IDs from the `subscriptions` collection and projects them into
-// []model.SearchRoom. Documents are matched by `u.account` (caller's
-// account) and `roomId` (one of the provided IDs). Missing subscriptions are
-// silently omitted. The bson projection maps directly onto model.SearchRoom
-// via the `bson:"..."` tags on that struct.
-func (s *mongoStore) HydrateRooms(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	account string,
-	roomIDs []string,
-) ([]model.SearchRoom, error) {
-	if len(roomIDs) == 0 {
-		return []model.SearchRoom{}, nil
-	}
-
-	filter := bson.D{
-		{Key: "u.account", Value: account},
-		{Key: "roomId", Value: bson.D{{Key: "$in", Value: roomIDs}}},
-	}
-
-	cur, err := s.subscriptions.Find(ctx, filter)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("find subscriptions: %w", err)
-	}
-	defer cur.Close(ctx)
-
-	results := make([]model.SearchRoom, 0)
-	if err := cur.All(ctx, &results); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("decode subscriptions: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	// Reorder results to match the input roomIDs order (Mongo $in does
-	// not preserve input order; the caller depends on ES relevance ranking
-	// surviving the hydration step). Subscriptions missing from Mongo
-	// (e.g. the user left between the ES query and this lookup) are
-	// silently omitted.
-	byRoomID := make(map[string]model.SearchRoom, len(results))
-	for _, sub := range results {
-		byRoomID[sub.RoomID] = sub
-	}
-	ordered := make([]model.SearchRoom, 0, len(results))
-	for _, roomID := range roomIDs {
-		if sub, ok := byRoomID[roomID]; ok {
-			ordered = append(ordered, sub)
-		}
-	}
-	return ordered, nil
-}