diff --git a/notebooks/llm_search.py b/notebooks/llm_search.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23077c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notebooks/llm_search.py
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+import marimo
+
+__generated_with = "0.23.13"
+app = marimo.App(width="medium")
+
+
+@app.cell(hide_code=True)
+def _():
+    import marimo as mo
+
+    return (mo,)
+
+
+@app.cell(hide_code=True)
+def _(mo):
+    mo.md("""
+    # Semantic search over a docket
+
+    A notebook-side look at what `LlmClient` (`llm.client`, #573) gives you: the
+    same pgvector similarity search the chat UI's `GET /search` endpoint runs,
+    called directly from a marimo cell over plain httpx — no `langchain`,
+    `sqlalchemy` or `psycopg` required, which matters because the notebooks
+    container installs the workspace without the `llm` extra (#720). Pick a
+    docket and a query below; the semantic-search hits sit beside the DuckDB
+    replica's own comment-analysis table for the same docket, so you can see
+    both views of "what commenters said" at once.
+    """)
+    return
+
+
+@app.cell(hide_code=True)
+def _():
+    # ── Setup ──
+    import polars as pl
+
+    from conf import connect
+    from llm.client import LlmClient
+
+    NOTES = {}
+
+    def _open_replica():
+        try:
+            return connect.duckdb("aco", read_only=True)
+        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — degrade, never crash the page
+            NOTES["replica"] = f"replica unavailable: {e}"
+            return None
+
+    def _open_bib():
+        try:
+            return connect.bib()
+        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
+            NOTES["bib"] = f"bibliography unavailable: {e}"
+            return None
+
+    con = _open_replica()
+    store = _open_bib()
+    client = LlmClient()
+
+    def _service_up():
+        try:
+            return client.health()
+        except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 — health() never raises; belt & suspenders
+            return False
+
+    llm_up = _service_up()
+    if not llm_up:
+        NOTES["llm"] = f"llm service unreachable at {client.base_url}"
+
+    return NOTES, client, con, llm_up, pl, store
+
+
+@app.cell(hide_code=True)
+def _(mo, store):
+    # ── Docket + query pickers ──
+    _DEFAULT_DOCKETS = ["CMS-2023-0121", "CMS-2025-0304"]
+
+    def _docket_options():
+        if store is not None:
+            try:
+                ids = sorted({d.id for d in store.dockets()})
+            except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 — fall back to the hard-coded list
+                ids = []
+            if ids:
+                return ids
+        return list(_DEFAULT_DOCKETS)
+
+    _options = _docket_options()
+    _default = "CMS-2025-0304" if "CMS-2025-0304" in _options else _options[0]
+    docket_picker = mo.ui.dropdown(options=_options, value=_default, label="Docket")
+    query_box = mo.ui.text(
+        value="telehealth",
+        label="Query",
+        full_width=True,
+        placeholder="a phrase to search for",
+    )
+    mo.vstack([docket_picker, query_box])
+    return docket_picker, query_box
+
+
+@app.cell(hide_code=True)
+def _(NOTES, client, docket_picker, llm_up, mo, pl, query_box):
+    # ── Semantic search (LlmClient.search) ──
+    _docket = docket_picker.value
+    _q = (query_box.value or "").strip()
+
+    search_results = pl.DataFrame()
+    if not llm_up:
+        search_view = mo.md(
+            f"_llm service unreachable at `{client.base_url}` — search skipped. "
+            "Set `LLM_URL` or run this inside the notebooks container "
+            "(`gateway` network) to reach it._"
+        )
+    elif not _q:
+        search_view = mo.md("_Type a query above to search._")
+    else:
+        try:
+            _hits = client.search(_q, collection="comments", docket=_docket, limit=10)
+        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — degrade, never crash the page
+            NOTES["search"] = f"search failed: {e}"
+            _hits = []
+        if _hits:
+            search_results = pl.DataFrame(
+                [
+                    {
+                        "label": h.get("label", ""),
+                        "date": h.get("date", ""),
+                        "snippet": h.get("snippet", ""),
+                        "url": h.get("url", ""),
+                    }
+                    for h in _hits
+                ]
+            )
+            search_view = mo.ui.table(
+                search_results, label=f"Semantic search — {_docket} ({len(_hits)} hits)"
+            )
+        else:
+            search_view = mo.md(
+                f"_No semantic-search hits for `{_q}` in {_docket} — either "
+                "nothing matches, or the docket isn't indexed yet "
+                "(`stack llm index`)._"
+            )
+    return search_results, search_view
+
+
+@app.cell(hide_code=True)
+def _(NOTES, con, docket_picker, mo, pl):
+    # ── DuckDB comments view (skin_subs.rulemaking_comments) ──
+    _docket = docket_picker.value
+
+    duckdb_comments = pl.DataFrame()
+    if con is None:
+        duckdb_view = mo.md("_replica unavailable — DuckDB comments view skipped._")
+    else:
+        try:
+            duckdb_comments = con.execute(
+                "SELECT comment_id, posted_date, organization, position, "
+                "text_length, is_form_letter FROM skin_subs.rulemaking_comments "
+                "WHERE docket_id = ? ORDER BY posted_date DESC",
+                [_docket],
+            ).pl()
+        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — a missing table is "not built yet"
+            NOTES[f"duckdb:{_docket}"] = str(e)
+        if duckdb_comments.is_empty():
+            duckdb_view = mo.md(
+                f"_No `skin_subs.rulemaking_comments` rows for {_docket} yet — "
+                "this table only covers dockets run through "
+                "`uv run python dev/scripts/classify_comments.py --docket "
+                f"{_docket}` (the skin-substitute-relevant subset of a "
+                "docket's comments, not every comment on it)._"
+            )
+        else:
+            duckdb_view = mo.ui.table(
+                duckdb_comments,
+                label=(
+                    f"DuckDB skin_subs.rulemaking_comments — {_docket} "
+                    f"({duckdb_comments.height} rows)"
+                ),
+            )
+    return (duckdb_view,)
+
+
+@app.cell(hide_code=True)
+def _(docket_picker, duckdb_view, mo, search_view):
+    # ── Side by side ──
+    mo.hstack(
+        [
+            mo.vstack(
+                [mo.md(f"### Semantic search — {docket_picker.value}"), search_view]
+            ),
+            mo.vstack(
+                [mo.md(f"### DuckDB comments — {docket_picker.value}"), duckdb_view]
+            ),
+        ],
+        widths="equal",
+        gap=2,
+    )
+    return
+
+
+@app.cell(hide_code=True)
+def _(NOTES, mo):
+    # ── Notes ──
+    mo.md(
+        "### Notes\n\n"
+        + (
+            "\n".join(f"- {k}: {v}" for k, v in NOTES.items())
+            if NOTES
+            else "_All sources available._"
+        )
+    )
+    return
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    app.run()
diff --git a/src/llm/client.py b/src/llm/client.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8294e36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/llm/client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+"""``LlmClient``: an httpx-only client for the llm chat/search service (#573).
+
+Notebook-side counterpart to the retrieval and chat endpoints exposed by
+``llm.api`` (``GET /search``, ``GET /similar/{key}``, ``POST /chat``,
+``GET /health``) — the same shape used by the chat UI, but callable from a
+marimo cell without pulling in the ``llm`` extra (langchain/sqlalchemy/
+psycopg). The notebooks container installs the workspace *without* that
+extra (#720); this module only needs ``httpx``, which it always has.
+
+Base URL resolution, in order:
+    1. the *base_url* constructor argument
+    2. the ``LLM_URL`` environment variable
+    3. ``http://llm:8000`` — the compose service name, reachable because
+       the notebooks container sits on the same ``gateway`` network as
+       ``llm`` (compose.yml)
+    4. ``http://localhost:8000`` — outside compose (llm publishes no host
+       port, so this only works when something else forwards it)
+
+Usage::
+
+    from llm.client import LlmClient
+
+    client = LlmClient()
+    if client.health():
+        hits = client.search("telehealth", docket="CMS-2025-0304")
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import os
+import socket
+from typing import Any, Iterator
+
+import httpx
+
+_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 30.0
+_COMPOSE_URL = "http://llm:8000"
+_LOCAL_URL = "http://localhost:8000"
+
+
+def _on_gateway_network() -> bool:
+    """Whether the ``llm`` compose service name resolves from here — true
+    inside a container on the ``gateway`` network (e.g. ``notebooks``),
+    false on the host, where nothing publishes that name."""
+    try:
+        socket.gethostbyname("llm")
+        return True
+    except OSError:
+        return False
+
+
+def _resolve_base_url(base_url: str | None) -> str:
+    if base_url:
+        return base_url.rstrip("/")
+    env = os.environ.get("LLM_URL", "").strip()
+    if env:
+        return env.rstrip("/")
+    return _COMPOSE_URL if _on_gateway_network() else _LOCAL_URL
+
+
+class LlmClient:
+    """Thin httpx client for the llm service's retrieval and chat endpoints.
+
+    ``search``/``similar``/``chat`` raise ``httpx.HTTPError`` (with the
+    request context in the message) on a network failure or non-2xx
+    response. ``health`` never raises — it is meant for a notebook guard
+    cell that wants a plain yes/no before doing anything else.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        base_url: str | None = None,
+        *,
+        timeout: float = _DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.base_url = _resolve_base_url(base_url)
+        self.timeout = timeout
+
+    def _client(self) -> httpx.Client:
+        return httpx.Client(base_url=self.base_url, timeout=self.timeout)
+
+    def _get(self, path: str, *, params: dict[str, Any]) -> dict:
+        try:
+            with self._client() as http:
+                resp = http.get(path, params=params)
+                resp.raise_for_status()
+                return resp.json()
+        except httpx.HTTPError as exc:
+            raise httpx.HTTPError(f"GET {self.base_url}{path} failed: {exc}") from exc
+
+    def health(self) -> bool:
+        """``True`` iff ``GET /health`` responds ok. Never raises."""
+        try:
+            with self._client() as http:
+                resp = http.get("/health")
+                resp.raise_for_status()
+                return bool(resp.json().get("status") == "ok")
+        except (httpx.HTTPError, ValueError):
+            return False
+
+    def search(
+        self,
+        q: str,
+        *,
+        collection: str = "all",
+        docket: str | None = None,
+        item_key: str | None = None,
+        year: str | int | None = None,
+        kind: str | None = None,
+        limit: int = 10,
+        offset: int = 0,
+    ) -> list[dict]:
+        """``GET /search`` — metadata-filtered similarity search.
+
+        Mirrors ``llm.api.search_endpoint``'s query parameters; returns
+        the ``results`` list (each a source dict: ``label``, ``date``,
+        ``url``, ``snippet``, ``docket``, ``item_key``, ``score``, ...).
+        """
+        params: dict[str, Any] = {
+            "q": q,
+            "collection": collection,
+            "limit": limit,
+            "offset": offset,
+        }
+        if docket:
+            params["docket"] = docket
+        if item_key:
+            params["item_key"] = item_key
+        if year:
+            params["year"] = str(year)
+        if kind:
+            params["kind"] = kind
+        return self._get("/search", params=params)["results"]
+
+    def similar(
+        self, key: str, *, collection: str = "all", limit: int = 10
+    ) -> list[dict]:
+        """``GET /similar/{key}`` — nearest neighbours of an already-indexed
+        bib item's own chunk(s). Returns the ``results`` list."""
+        params = {"collection": collection, "limit": limit}
+        return self._get(f"/similar/{key}", params=params)["results"]
+
+    def chat(
+        self, question: str, *, mode: str = "auto", since: str | None = None
+    ) -> Iterator[dict]:
+        """``POST /chat`` — stream the SSE events the chat UI consumes.
+
+        Yields each ``data:`` line's JSON payload (``{"type": ..., ...}``)
+        as the server sends it; the caller decides what to do with
+        ``token``/``source``/``error``/etc. event types.
+        """
+        payload: dict[str, Any] = {"question": question, "mode": mode}
+        if since:
+            payload["since"] = since
+        try:
+            with (
+                self._client() as http,
+                http.stream("POST", "/chat", json=payload) as resp,
+            ):
+                resp.raise_for_status()
+                for line in resp.iter_lines():
+                    if not line.startswith("data:"):
+                        continue
+                    data = line[len("data:") :].strip()
+                    if not data:
+                        continue
+                    yield json.loads(data)
+        except httpx.HTTPError as exc:
+            raise httpx.HTTPError(f"POST {self.base_url}/chat failed: {exc}") from exc
diff --git a/tests/llm/test_client.py b/tests/llm/test_client.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df77ad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/llm/test_client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,272 @@
+"""``llm.client.LlmClient`` — httpx-only client for the llm service (#573).
+
+All requests go through ``httpx.MockTransport``; no real network I/O.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+
+import httpx
+import pytest
+
+from llm.client import LlmClient, _resolve_base_url
+
+
+def _client(handler, **kw) -> LlmClient:
+    """An LlmClient whose internal httpx.Client is wired to *handler*."""
+    c = LlmClient(base_url="http://llm-test:8000", **kw)
+    transport = httpx.MockTransport(handler)
+    c._client = lambda: httpx.Client(  # noqa: SLF001 — test seam
+        base_url=c.base_url, timeout=c.timeout, transport=transport
+    )
+    return c
+
+
+# ── base URL resolution ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_explicit_base_url_wins():
+    assert _resolve_base_url("http://example:9000/") == "http://example:9000"
+
+
+def test_env_var_used_when_no_explicit_base_url(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("LLM_URL", "http://from-env:1234/")
+    assert _resolve_base_url(None) == "http://from-env:1234"
+
+
+def test_falls_back_to_compose_name_when_it_resolves(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LLM_URL", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("llm.client.socket.gethostbyname", lambda host: "192.168.5.9")
+    assert _resolve_base_url(None) == "http://llm:8000"
+
+
+def test_falls_back_to_localhost_when_compose_name_does_not_resolve(monkeypatch):
+    import socket
+
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LLM_URL", raising=False)
+
+    def _raise(host):
+        raise socket.gaierror("not found")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("llm.client.socket.gethostbyname", _raise)
+    assert _resolve_base_url(None) == "http://localhost:8000"
+
+
+def test_default_constructor_resolves_base_url(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LLM_URL", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "llm.client.socket.gethostbyname",
+        lambda host: (_ for _ in ()).throw(OSError("no")),
+    )
+    client = LlmClient()
+    assert client.base_url == "http://localhost:8000"
+    assert client.timeout == 30.0
+
+
+# ── health ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_health_true_on_ok():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        assert request.url.path == "/health"
+        return httpx.Response(200, json={"status": "ok"})
+
+    assert _client(handler).health() is True
+
+
+def test_health_false_on_bad_status():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        return httpx.Response(503, json={"status": "down"})
+
+    assert _client(handler).health() is False
+
+
+def test_health_false_on_connect_error():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        raise httpx.ConnectError("refused", request=request)
+
+    assert _client(handler).health() is False
+
+
+def test_health_false_on_bad_json():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        return httpx.Response(200, text="not json")
+
+    assert _client(handler).health() is False
+
+
+# ── search ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_search_sends_expected_query_params_and_returns_results():
+    seen = {}
+
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        seen["path"] = request.url.path
+        seen["params"] = dict(request.url.params)
+        return httpx.Response(
+            200,
+            json={
+                "query": "telehealth",
+                "filters": {},
+                "total": 1,
+                "results": [
+                    {
+                        "label": "CMS-2025-0304-1",
+                        "url": "https://x",
+                        "date": "2025-01-01",
+                        "snippet": "hi",
+                    }
+                ],
+            },
+        )
+
+    results = _client(handler).search(
+        "telehealth",
+        collection="comments",
+        docket="CMS-2025-0304",
+        item_key="ABC123",
+        year=2025,
+        kind="comment",
+        limit=5,
+        offset=2,
+    )
+    assert seen["path"] == "/search"
+    assert seen["params"] == {
+        "q": "telehealth",
+        "collection": "comments",
+        "limit": "5",
+        "offset": "2",
+        "docket": "CMS-2025-0304",
+        "item_key": "ABC123",
+        "year": "2025",
+        "kind": "comment",
+    }
+    assert results == [
+        {
+            "label": "CMS-2025-0304-1",
+            "url": "https://x",
+            "date": "2025-01-01",
+            "snippet": "hi",
+        }
+    ]
+
+
+def test_search_omits_unset_optional_filters():
+    seen = {}
+
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        seen["params"] = dict(request.url.params)
+        return httpx.Response(200, json={"results": []})
+
+    _client(handler).search("q")
+    assert seen["params"] == {
+        "q": "q",
+        "collection": "all",
+        "limit": "10",
+        "offset": "0",
+    }
+
+
+def test_search_raises_httperror_on_bad_status():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        return httpx.Response(400, json={"detail": "unknown collection"})
+
+    with pytest.raises(httpx.HTTPError):
+        _client(handler).search("q", collection="nope")
+
+
+def test_search_raises_httperror_on_connect_error():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        raise httpx.ConnectError("refused", request=request)
+
+    with pytest.raises(httpx.HTTPError):
+        _client(handler).search("q")
+
+
+# ── similar ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_similar_hits_expected_path_and_returns_results():
+    seen = {}
+
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        seen["path"] = request.url.path
+        seen["params"] = dict(request.url.params)
+        return httpx.Response(
+            200, json={"key": "ABC123", "total": 1, "results": [{"label": "x"}]}
+        )
+
+    results = _client(handler).similar("ABC123", collection="rules", limit=3)
+    assert seen["path"] == "/similar/ABC123"
+    assert seen["params"] == {"collection": "rules", "limit": "3"}
+    assert results == [{"label": "x"}]
+
+
+def test_similar_raises_httperror_on_404():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        return httpx.Response(404, json={"detail": "no indexed chunks"})
+
+    with pytest.raises(httpx.HTTPError):
+        _client(handler).similar("nope")
+
+
+# ── chat (SSE) ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def _sse_body(*events: dict) -> bytes:
+    return "".join(f"data: {json.dumps(e)}\n\n" for e in events).encode()
+
+
+def test_chat_parses_sse_events_in_order():
+    events = [
+        {"type": "token", "text": "Hel"},
+        {"type": "token", "text": "lo"},
+        {"type": "done"},
+    ]
+
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        assert request.method == "POST"
+        assert json.loads(request.content) == {"question": "hi?", "mode": "auto"}
+        return httpx.Response(200, content=_sse_body(*events))
+
+    got = list(_client(handler).chat("hi?"))
+    assert got == events
+
+
+def test_chat_includes_since_and_mode_when_given():
+    seen = {}
+
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        seen["body"] = json.loads(request.content)
+        return httpx.Response(200, content=_sse_body({"type": "done"}))
+
+    list(_client(handler).chat("q", mode="timeline", since="2025-01-01"))
+    assert seen["body"] == {"question": "q", "mode": "timeline", "since": "2025-01-01"}
+
+
+def test_chat_ignores_blank_and_non_data_lines():
+    raw = b': comment line\n\ndata: {"type": "done"}\n\n\n'
+
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        return httpx.Response(200, content=raw)
+
+    got = list(_client(handler).chat("q"))
+    assert got == [{"type": "done"}]
+
+
+def test_chat_raises_httperror_on_bad_status():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        return httpx.Response(400, json={"detail": "empty question"})
+
+    with pytest.raises(httpx.HTTPError):
+        list(_client(handler).chat(""))
+
+
+def test_chat_raises_httperror_on_connect_error():
+    def handler(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        raise httpx.ConnectError("refused", request=request)
+
+    with pytest.raises(httpx.HTTPError):
+        list(_client(handler).chat("q"))
diff --git a/tests/llm/test_init_lazy.py b/tests/llm/test_init_lazy.py
index 0e39c9e..6d706a3 100644
--- a/tests/llm/test_init_lazy.py
+++ b/tests/llm/test_init_lazy.py
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 ``llm`` extra (no langchain, no sqlalchemy). ``llm.config``,
 ``llm.links`` and ``llm.lineage`` must import there anyway — the pool
 exports are resolved lazily, and ``llm.evidence`` only touches
-sqlalchemy when a pgvector query actually runs."""
+sqlalchemy when a pgvector query actually runs.
+
+#573: ``llm.client`` (the notebook-side ``LlmClient``) is httpx-only and
+must import there too — it's the one module notebooks are expected to
+import directly."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
@@ -21,8 +25,9 @@ def _fake(name, *a, **k):
     return _real(name, *a, **k)
 builtins.__import__ = _fake
 import llm.config, llm.links, llm.lineage, llm.evidence  # must not need langchain/sqlalchemy
+import llm.client  # #573: notebook-side LlmClient — httpx only
 import llm
-print('ok', llm.LlmConfig.__name__)
+print('ok', llm.LlmConfig.__name__, llm.client.LlmClient.__name__)
 """
 
 
@@ -31,7 +36,7 @@ def test_config_links_lineage_evidence_import_without_langchain_or_sqlalchemy():
         [sys.executable, "-c", _PROBE], capture_output=True, text=True, check=False
     )
     assert r.returncode == 0, r.stderr[-800:]
-    assert "ok LlmConfig" in r.stdout
+    assert "ok LlmConfig LlmClient" in r.stdout
 
 
 def test_pool_exports_resolve_lazily():
diff --git a/tests/notebooks/test_llm_search_nb.py b/tests/notebooks/test_llm_search_nb.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8999a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/notebooks/test_llm_search_nb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+"""notebooks/llm_search.py — structure and headless degradation (#573)."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import ast
+import importlib.util
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+NB = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "notebooks" / "llm_search.py"
+
+
+def _load():
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("llm_search_nb", NB)
+    mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    spec.loader.exec_module(mod)
+    return mod
+
+
+def test_notebook_is_a_marimo_app():
+    mod = _load()
+    assert mod.app.__class__.__name__ == "App"
+
+
+def test_cells_are_anonymous():
+    src = NB.read_text()
+    tree = ast.parse(src)
+    names = [n.name for n in tree.body if isinstance(n, ast.FunctionDef)]
+    assert names and set(names) == {"_"}
+
+
+def test_headless_run_degrades_without_service_or_data(monkeypatch):
+    """With the llm service unreachable and no replica/bib, every guard cell
+    should render a note instead of raising."""
+    mod = _load()
+
+    import conf.connect as cc
+    from llm.client import LlmClient
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(LlmClient, "health", lambda self: False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        cc,
+        "duckdb",
+        lambda *a, **k: (_ for _ in ()).throw(FileNotFoundError("no replica")),
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        cc, "bib", lambda *a, **k: (_ for _ in ()).throw(FileNotFoundError("no bib"))
+    )
+
+    outputs, _defs = mod.app.run()
+    assert outputs is not None
+    rendered = "\n".join(o._repr_html_() for o in outputs if hasattr(o, "_repr_html_"))
+    assert "Traceback" not in rendered
+    assert "llm service unreachable" in rendered
+    assert "replica unavailable" in rendered
+    assert "bibliography unavailable" in rendered
+
+
+def test_headless_run_still_renders_with_service_up_but_no_data(monkeypatch):
+    """Health true but no replica/bib and no real search results (network
+    still stubbed out) — the search cell should degrade to "no hits", not
+    raise, and the duckdb cell should still show "replica unavailable"."""
+    mod = _load()
+
+    import conf.connect as cc
+    from llm.client import LlmClient
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(LlmClient, "health", lambda self: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        LlmClient,
+        "search",
+        lambda self, *a, **k: (_ for _ in ()).throw(
+            __import__("httpx").ConnectError("refused")
+        ),
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        cc,
+        "duckdb",
+        lambda *a, **k: (_ for _ in ()).throw(FileNotFoundError("no replica")),
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        cc, "bib", lambda *a, **k: (_ for _ in ()).throw(FileNotFoundError("no bib"))
+    )
+
+    outputs, _defs = mod.app.run()
+    rendered = "\n".join(o._repr_html_() for o in outputs if hasattr(o, "_repr_html_"))
+    assert "Traceback" not in rendered
+    assert "replica unavailable" in rendered
+
+
+_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+_HAS_DATA = (_ROOT / "data" / "replica" / "aco.ro.duckdb").exists() and (
+    _ROOT / "data" / "bib.sqlite"
+).exists()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not _HAS_DATA, reason="needs the live replica and bib")
+def test_docket_picker_offers_known_dockets_against_real_bib(monkeypatch):
+    """Live smoke test: with the real bib store, the docket dropdown's
+    options come from ``store.dockets()`` and are non-empty."""
+    from llm.client import LlmClient
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(LlmClient, "health", lambda self: False)
+    mod = _load()
+    outputs, _defs = mod.app.run()
+    assert outputs is not None