src/scribe/routes/search.py

@@ -36,22 +36,24 @@ async def search_route():
     content_type = request.args.get("content_type", "all")
     limit = min(request.args.get("limit", 10, type=int), 50)
     is_task = _content_type_to_is_task(content_type)
-    # Same association filter the MCP tool takes (#33). The project filter this
+    # Same association filters the MCP tool takes (#33). Optional, default
-    # route is still missing is #2463's — it carries a default-scope UI decision
+    # global: this route has NO frontend consumer today (measured 2026-08-08 —
-    # this change must not preempt.
+    # the web UI searches through /api/knowledge), so it serves API callers,
+    # and an API caller states its scope explicitly.
     system_id = request.args.get("system_id", type=int)
+    project_id = request.args.get("project_id", type=int)
 
     t0 = time.perf_counter()
     results = await semantic_search_notes(
         uid, q, limit=limit, is_task=is_task, threshold=_REST_SEARCH_THRESHOLD,
-        system_id=system_id,
+        project_id=project_id, system_id=system_id,
         # The user typed this, so it reaches everything they may read.
         scope="read",
     )
     record_retrieval(
         user_id=uid, source="rest_search", query=q,
         threshold=_REST_SEARCH_THRESHOLD, limit=limit,
-        project_id=None, is_task=is_task, results=results,
+        project_id=project_id, is_task=is_task, results=results,
         duration_ms=(time.perf_counter() - t0) * 1000.0,
     )
     owners = await owner_names_for(

src/scribe/services/knowledge.py

@@ -401,6 +401,8 @@ async def _semantic_knowledge_search(
             semantic_search_notes,
         )
         is_task_filter = True if note_type in ("task", "plan") else (False if note_type else None)
+        import time as _time
+        _t0 = _time.perf_counter()
         candidates = await semantic_search_notes(
             user_id=user_id,
             scope="read",
@@ -413,6 +415,18 @@ async def _semantic_knowledge_search(
             is_task=is_task_filter,
             project_id=project_id,
         )
+        # The human's MAIN search surface, and it logged nothing — so
+        # retrieval_logs claimed the web's search was /api/search, a narrower
+        # path with (measured) zero frontend consumers. Distinct source, so
+        # threshold tuning can include or exclude human queries deliberately
+        # rather than by accident (#2463).
+        from scribe.services.retrieval_telemetry import record_retrieval
+        record_retrieval(
+            user_id=user_id, source="browse_search", query=q,
+            threshold=INTERACTIVE_SEARCH_THRESHOLD, limit=min(200, limit * 4),
+            project_id=project_id, is_task=is_task_filter, results=candidates,
+            duration_ms=(_time.perf_counter() - _t0) * 1000.0,
+        )
         for _score, note in candidates:
             if note.deleted_at is not None:
                 continue

src/scribe/services/plugin_context.py

@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ async def _reserve_slot_for_reuse(
         return kept                      # reuse already represented; nothing to do
 
     top_k = cfg["top_k"]
+    _t0 = time.perf_counter()
     reuse = await semantic_search_notes(
         user_id, query,
         limit=1,
@@ -335,6 +336,17 @@ async def _reserve_slot_for_reuse(
         note_type=_REUSE_KINDS,
         scope="browse",
     )
+    # A real semantic query competing for a menu slot — logged like the scored
+    # arm it displaces. Before this, the hit it PUSHED OUT was in
+    # retrieval_logs and the query that pushed it out was not, so the slot
+    # could never be evaluated against what it replaced (#2463; #1038 and
+    # #2085 are gated on this ledger being complete).
+    record_retrieval(
+        user_id=user_id, source="reuse_slot", query=query,
+        threshold=cfg["threshold"], limit=1, project_id=project_id,
+        is_task=None, results=reuse,
+        duration_ms=(time.perf_counter() - _t0) * 1000.0,
+    )
     # Verify the kind rather than trusting the query that asked for it, and
     # dedup on top of exclude_ids. This slot exists FOR reuse kinds — a slot
     # silently spent on something else is worse than no slot, because the line