diff --git a/backend/app.go b/backend/app.go
index b72d72f..68fcdff 100644
--- a/backend/app.go
+++ b/backend/app.go
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ func NewYellowJacketApp(
 		yjApp.assetHandler.RegisterHandler("/artist-images/", artistImgHandler)
 	}
 
+	// Register local search endpoint — bypasses Wails RPC serialization.
+	yjApp.assetHandler.RegisterHandler("/api/search-local", yjApp.explore.SearchLocalHandler())
+
 	// create playlist service
 	yjApp.playlist = playlist.NewService(
 		yjApp.logger, yjApp.database, yjApp.appConfig,
diff --git a/backend/explore/explore.go b/backend/explore/explore.go
index 348de18..c9f0f73 100644
--- a/backend/explore/explore.go
+++ b/backend/explore/explore.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"log/slog"
 	"math"
+	"net/http"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -156,6 +157,29 @@ func (e *Service) SearchLocal(query string) *MBSearchResult {
 	return &result
 }
 
+// SearchLocalHandler returns an http.Handler that serves local
+// index search results as JSON.  This bypasses the Wails RPC
+// serialization queue, ensuring sub-millisecond response times.
+func (e *Service) SearchLocalHandler() http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		query := r.URL.Query().Get("q")
+		if query == "" {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+			return
+		}
+
+		result := e.SearchLocal(query)
+		if result == nil {
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte("null"))
+			return
+		}
+
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(result)
+	})
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // MusicBrainz lookup
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/explore-view/explore-view.ts b/frontend/src/components/explore-view/explore-view.ts
index 310c30d..be6b994 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/explore-view/explore-view.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/components/explore-view/explore-view.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { LitElement, html, css, nothing } from 'lit';
 import { customElement, state, query as litQuery } from 'lit/decorators.js';
 import { designTokens } from '../../styles/tokens.css';
 import { Search, GetThumbnails, GetArtistImageURL, CheckLibraryMBIDs } from '@go/explore/Service';
-import { EventsOn } from '@runtime/runtime';
 import type { ThumbnailRequest } from '@go/explore/Service';
 import type {
     MBSearchResult,
@@ -70,28 +69,6 @@ export class ExploreView extends LitElement {
 
     @litQuery('input') private inputEl!: HTMLInputElement;
 
-    /* ── Lifecycle ── */
-
-    override connectedCallback() {
-        super.connectedCallback();
-        EventsOn('search:local-results', (local: MBSearchResult) => {
-            // Only apply if we're actively loading (a search is in flight).
-            if (!this.loading) return;
-            if (local.artists?.length || local.releaseGroups?.length || local.recordings?.length) {
-                this.results = local;
-                this.loadThumbnails();
-                this.loadArtistImages();
-                this.checkLibrary();
-                console.log(
-                    `[explore] local results via event — ` +
-                        `artists=${local.artists?.length ?? 0}, ` +
-                        `albums=${local.releaseGroups?.length ?? 0}, ` +
-                        `tracks=${local.recordings?.length ?? 0}`,
-                );
-            }
-        });
-    }
-
     /* ── Styles ── */
 
     static override styles = [
@@ -543,11 +520,32 @@ export class ExploreView extends LitElement {
         const startTime = performance.now();
         console.log(`[explore] search started: "${query}"`);
 
-        // Local index results arrive via the 'search:local-results' event
-        // emitted by the backend at the start of Search(), before the
-        // slow MB/LB pipeline runs.  No separate RPC call needed.
+        // Phase 1: fetch local index results via HTTP (bypasses Wails
+        // RPC serialization — guaranteed instant).
+        try {
+            const resp = await fetch(`/api/search-local?q=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`);
+            if (version !== this.searchVersion) return;
+            if (resp.ok) {
+                const local = await resp.json() as MBSearchResult | null;
+                if (local && (local.artists?.length || local.releaseGroups?.length || local.recordings?.length)) {
+                    this.results = local;
+                    this.loadThumbnails();
+                    this.loadArtistImages();
+                    this.checkLibrary();
+                    const elapsed = (performance.now() - startTime).toFixed(0);
+                    console.log(
+                        `[explore] local results: "${query}" in ${elapsed}ms — ` +
+                            `artists=${local.artists?.length ?? 0}, ` +
+                            `albums=${local.releaseGroups?.length ?? 0}, ` +
+                            `tracks=${local.recordings?.length ?? 0}`,
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+        } catch {
+            // Local search failed — continue to full search.
+        }
 
-        // Full pipeline (MB + LB + reranking).
+        // Phase 2: full pipeline (MB + LB + reranking) via Wails RPC.
         void this.executeFullSearch(version, query, startTime);
     }