diff --git a/src/crud/document.py b/src/crud/document.py
index 6b7810ca..f808d004 100644
--- a/src/crud/document.py
+++ b/src/crud/document.py
@@ -355,6 +355,13 @@ async def query_documents(
     Returns:
         Sequence of matching documents
     """
+    # A non-positive top_k means "no results wanted" -- return before embedding
+    # or querying. Turbopuffer rejects top_k=0 with a 400 (pgvector would
+    # silently do LIMIT 0), and callers derive top_k from budget arithmetic or
+    # LLM tool input, so neither is guaranteed positive.
+    if top_k <= 0:
+        return []
+
     # Use provided embedding or generate one
     if embedding is None:
         try:
diff --git a/src/crud/representation.py b/src/crud/representation.py
index d4b86ffb..5807d475 100644
--- a/src/crud/representation.py
+++ b/src/crud/representation.py
@@ -318,11 +318,14 @@ class RepresentationManager:
 
         total = max_observations
 
-        # Calculate how many observations to get from each source
+        # Calculate how many observations to get from each source.
+        # Floor of 1 when a semantic query was explicitly requested: `total // 3`
+        # rounds to 0 for total < 3, which would allocate no budget to the source
+        # the caller actually asked to curate around.
         semantic_observations = (
             min(
                 max(
-                    0,
+                    1,
                     semantic_search_top_k
                     if semantic_search_top_k is not None
                     else total // 3,
diff --git a/tests/crud/test_representation_manager.py b/tests/crud/test_representation_manager.py
index f551de76..0e05463b 100644
--- a/tests/crud/test_representation_manager.py
+++ b/tests/crud/test_representation_manager.py
@@ -629,3 +629,72 @@ class TestRepresentationManagerSave:
         assert len(saved.created_documents) == 0
         mock_embed.assert_not_awaited()
         mock_save.assert_not_awaited()
+
+
+class TestVectorQueryTopKFloor:
+    """Regression for HONCHO-19Q / HONCHO-4Q4.
+
+    A top_k of 0 reached Turbopuffer, which rejects it with a 400
+    ('top_k must be between 1 and 10000'). Two independent paths produced it:
+    the working-representation budget split (``total // 3`` rounds to 0 for
+    max_conclusions < 3) and the dialectic ``search_memory`` tool, whose
+    LLM-supplied top_k has an upper clamp but no floor.
+    """
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_query_documents_returns_empty_without_querying_on_zero_top_k(self):
+        """The choke point every semantic document query routes through."""
+        from src.crud.document import query_documents
+
+        with (
+            patch(
+                "src.crud.document.embedding_client.embed", new=AsyncMock()
+            ) as mock_embed,
+            patch(
+                "src.crud.document.query_external_vector_document_ids",
+                new=AsyncMock(),
+            ) as mock_vector,
+        ):
+            for top_k in (0, -1):
+                assert (
+                    await query_documents(
+                        None,
+                        "workspace",
+                        "query",
+                        observer="observer",
+                        observed="observed",
+                        top_k=top_k,
+                    )
+                    == []
+                )
+
+        mock_embed.assert_not_awaited()
+        mock_vector.assert_not_awaited()
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_requested_semantic_search_always_gets_budget(
+        self,
+        db_session: AsyncSession,
+        sample_data: tuple[models.Workspace, models.Peer],
+    ):
+        """max_conclusions < 3 must not allocate 0 to an explicitly requested search."""
+        test_workspace, test_peer = sample_data
+        manager = RepresentationManager(
+            test_workspace.name, observer=test_peer.name, observed=test_peer.name
+        )
+
+        for max_observations in (1, 2, 100):
+            with patch(
+                "src.crud.query_documents", new=AsyncMock(return_value=[])
+            ) as mock_query:
+                await manager._get_working_representation_internal(  # pyright: ignore[reportPrivateUsage]
+                    db_session,
+                    include_semantic_query="what do they like?",
+                    embedding=[0.1],
+                    max_observations=max_observations,
+                )
+
+            assert mock_query.await_args is not None
+            top_k = mock_query.await_args.kwargs["top_k"]
+            assert top_k >= 1, f"max_observations={max_observations} gave top_k={top_k}"
+            assert top_k <= max_observations