diff --git a/hermes_cli/config_defaults.py b/hermes_cli/config_defaults.py
index b070819017413..4ff18177a4538 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config_defaults.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config_defaults.py
@@ -2370,7 +2370,7 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
             "listing": "auto",
             # Absolute cap on the embedded listing in tokens (chars/4
             # estimate), regardless of context size. Range 200..60000.
-            "listing_max_tokens": 20000,
+            "listing_max_tokens": 4000,
         },
     },
 
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_tool_search.py b/tests/tools/test_tool_search.py
index 2c0b66e86a257..575fcffb21afd 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_tool_search.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_tool_search.py
@@ -231,6 +231,32 @@ class TestBridgeDispatch:
         result = dispatch_tool_search({}, current_tool_defs=[])
         assert "error" in json.loads(result)
 
+    def test_empty_search_keeps_connected_sources_discoverable(self):
+        from tools.registry import registry
+        from tools.tool_search import dispatch_tool_search
+
+        name = "recovery_catalog_create_record"
+        tool_def = _td(name, "Create a record in the connected catalog service.")
+        registry.register(
+            name=name,
+            handler=lambda args, **kwargs: "{}",
+            schema=tool_def,
+            toolset="mcp-recovery-catalog",
+        )
+
+        result = json.loads(dispatch_tool_search(
+            {"query": "unrelated vocabulary"},
+            current_tool_defs=[tool_def],
+        ))
+
+        assert result["matches"] == []
+        assert result["total_available"] == 1
+        assert result["available_sources"] == [
+            {"name": "recovery-catalog", "tool_count": 1},
+        ]
+        assert "remain available" in result["hint"]
+        assert "before concluding" in result["hint"]
+
 
     def test_resolve_underlying_call_parses_object_args(self):
         from tools.tool_search import resolve_underlying_call
@@ -403,11 +429,43 @@ class TestCatalogListing:
         from tools.tool_search import ToolSearchConfig
         cfg = ToolSearchConfig.from_raw(None)
         assert cfg.listing == "auto"
-        assert cfg.listing_max_tokens == 20000
+        assert cfg.listing_max_tokens == 4000
         # legacy bool shapes keep defaults too
         assert ToolSearchConfig.from_raw(True).listing == "auto"
 
 
+    def test_default_listing_cap_bounds_fixed_catalog_overhead(self):
+        """The default manifest must not grow back to the old 20K-token cap."""
+        from tools.registry import registry
+        from tools.tool_search import (
+            ToolSearchConfig,
+            assemble_tool_defs,
+            estimate_tokens_from_schemas,
+        )
+
+        defs = []
+        for i in range(500):
+            name = f"lean_catalog_tool_{i:04d}"
+            registry.register(
+                name=name,
+                handler=lambda args, **kwargs: "{}",
+                schema=_td(name, "Perform a deliberately verbose connected service action."),
+                toolset="mcp-lean-catalog",
+            )
+            defs.append(_td(name, "Perform a deliberately verbose connected service action."))
+
+        cfg = ToolSearchConfig.from_raw(None)
+        result = assemble_tool_defs(defs, context_length=1_000_000, config=cfg)
+        search = next(
+            td for td in result.tool_defs
+            if td["function"]["name"] == "tool_search"
+        )
+        description_tokens = estimate_tokens_from_schemas([search])
+        # Includes the bridge schema around the listing, so allow modest
+        # framing overhead above the 4K listing budget.
+        assert description_tokens < 4500
+        assert result.listing_form in {"names", "groups", "mixed"}
+
     def test_short_desc_first_sentence_and_clip(self):
         from tools.tool_search import _short_desc
         assert _short_desc("Open an issue. Second sentence dropped.") == "Open an issue."
diff --git a/tools/tool_search.py b/tools/tool_search.py
index e286fa068671e..eb4314922f434 100644
--- a/tools/tool_search.py
+++ b/tools/tool_search.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class ToolSearchConfig:
     listing: str = "auto"  # "auto" | "on" | "off"
     # Absolute cap on the embedded listing, regardless of context size.
     # Effective budget = min(listing_max_tokens, threshold_pct% of context).
-    listing_max_tokens: int = 20000
+    listing_max_tokens: int = 4000
 
     @classmethod
     def from_raw(cls, raw: Any) -> "ToolSearchConfig":
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class ToolSearchConfig:
             listing = listing_raw
         else:
             listing = "auto"
-        listing_max_tokens = max(200, min(60000, _safe_int(raw.get("listing_max_tokens"), 20000)))
+        listing_max_tokens = max(200, min(60000, _safe_int(raw.get("listing_max_tokens"), 4000)))
 
         return cls(
             enabled=enabled,
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ def _listing_group_label(source_name: str) -> str:
 def build_catalog_listing(
     deferrable: List[Dict[str, Any]],
     *,
-    max_tokens: int = 20000,
+    max_tokens: int = 4000,
 ) -> Optional[str]:
     """Render a skills-style manifest of the deferred catalog.
 
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ def build_catalog_listing(
 def build_catalog_listing_with_form(
     deferrable: List[Dict[str, Any]],
     *,
-    max_tokens: int = 20000,
+    max_tokens: int = 4000,
 ) -> Tuple[Optional[str], str]:
     """Like :func:`build_catalog_listing` but also reports the form used.
 
@@ -861,6 +861,25 @@ def _format_search_hit(entry: CatalogEntry) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     }
 
 
+def _available_source_summary(catalog: List[CatalogEntry]) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Return a compact, deterministic summary of connected deferred sources.
+
+    Included only when search returns no matches. This gives the model enough
+    evidence to retry with a source/action query instead of treating a lexical
+    miss as proof that the capability is unavailable, without adding anything
+    to the fixed per-turn prompt.
+    """
+    counts: Dict[str, int] = {}
+    for entry in catalog:
+        source_name = entry.source_name or entry.source or "other"
+        label = _listing_group_label(source_name)
+        counts[label] = counts.get(label, 0) + 1
+    return [
+        {"name": name, "tool_count": counts[name]}
+        for name in sorted(counts)
+    ]
+
+
 def dispatch_tool_search(args: Dict[str, Any],
                          *,
                          current_tool_defs: List[Dict[str, Any]],
@@ -881,11 +900,20 @@ def dispatch_tool_search(args: Dict[str, Any],
     _, deferrable = classify_tools(current_tool_defs)
     catalog = build_catalog(deferrable)
     hits = search_catalog(catalog, query, limit=limit)
-    return json.dumps({
+    result: Dict[str, Any] = {
         "query": query,
         "total_available": len(catalog),
         "matches": [_format_search_hit(h) for h in hits],
-    }, ensure_ascii=False)
+    }
+    if not hits and catalog:
+        result["available_sources"] = _available_source_summary(catalog)
+        result["hint"] = (
+            "No lexical match was found, but the sources above are connected "
+            "and their tools remain available. Retry tool_search with the "
+            "service name plus a concrete action or object before concluding "
+            "the capability is unavailable."
+        )
+    return json.dumps(result, ensure_ascii=False)
 
 
 def dispatch_tool_describe(args: Dict[str, Any],
diff --git a/website/docs/user-guide/features/tool-search.md b/website/docs/user-guide/features/tool-search.md
index ebb9b9d876037..468989f787d07 100644
--- a/website/docs/user-guide/features/tool-search.md
+++ b/website/docs/user-guide/features/tool-search.md
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ tools:
     search_default_limit: 5
     max_search_limit: 20
     listing: auto       # embed a grouped name+description catalog manifest
-    listing_max_tokens: 20000
+    listing_max_tokens: 4000
 ```
 
 | Key | Default | Meaning |
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ tools:
 | `search_default_limit` | `5` | Hits returned when the model calls `tool_search` without a `limit`. |
 | `max_search_limit` | `20` | Hard upper bound the model can request via `limit`. Range 1–50. |
 | `listing` | `auto` | Embed a skills-style manifest of every deferred tool (name + first sentence of its description, ≤60 chars, grouped by MCP server) in the `tool_search` bridge description. `auto` includes it when it fits the budget (falling back to names-only, then to the tier-2 server summary); `on`/`off` force either way. |
-| `listing_max_tokens` | `20000` | Absolute cap on the embedded listing, regardless of context size. Range 200–60000. |
+| `listing_max_tokens` | `4000` | Absolute cap on the embedded listing, regardless of context size. Range 200–60000. Large catalogs degrade to names-only or per-server summaries, keeping full schemas available through search. |
 
 ### Why the listing exists