diff --git a/src/app/features/message-search/MessageSearch.tsx b/src/app/features/message-search/MessageSearch.tsx
index e27a14976..5390539d6 100644
--- a/src/app/features/message-search/MessageSearch.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/message-search/MessageSearch.tsx
@@ -246,8 +246,15 @@ export function MessageSearch({
   const [cacheVersion, setCacheVersion] = useState(0);
   const handleCacheLoaded = useCallback(() => setCacheVersion((v) => v + 1), []);
   // Explicit wipe of the persistent on-disk index, then re-run the merge.
+  // After a clear, the active search re-runs (cacheVersion) and would persist
+  // the in-memory rows straight back — skip that one write so "Clear cached
+  // index" actually leaves the disk empty until the next new search.
+  const skipPersistOnceRef = useRef(false);
   const handleClearSearchCache = useCallback(() => {
-    clearSearchCache().then(() => setCacheVersion((v) => v + 1));
+    clearSearchCache().then(() => {
+      skipPersistOnceRef.current = true;
+      setCacheVersion((v) => v + 1);
+    });
   }, []);
 
   // The rooms actually in scope for this search (mirrors server-side logic)
@@ -277,12 +284,15 @@ export function MessageSearch({
       return undefined;
     }
     let cancelled = false;
+    const persist = !skipPersistOnceRef.current;
+    skipPersistOnceRef.current = false;
     searchLocalMessages({
       term: msgSearchParams.term ?? '',
       roomIds: localSearchRooms,
       senders: msgSearchParams.senders,
       fromTs: msgSearchParams.fromTs,
       toTs: msgSearchParams.toTs,
+      persist,
     }).then((result) => {
       if (!cancelled) setLocalResult(result);
     });
diff --git a/src/app/features/message-search/useLocalMessageSearch.ts b/src/app/features/message-search/useLocalMessageSearch.ts
index b8e038bbe..af9c73f76 100644
--- a/src/app/features/message-search/useLocalMessageSearch.ts
+++ b/src/app/features/message-search/useLocalMessageSearch.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ export type LocalSearchParams = {
   /** Optional date-range filter (ms). Applied to both memory and cached rows. */
   fromTs?: number;
   toTs?: number;
+  /**
+   * Set false to run the scan without writing it back to IndexedDB — used
+   * right after "Clear cached index" so the clear is not undone by the
+   * re-run of the active search (Gitea #184 O4).
+   */
+  persist?: boolean;
 };
 
 export type LocalSearchResult = {
@@ -149,6 +155,7 @@ export const useLocalMessageSearch = () => {
       senders,
       fromTs,
       toTs,
+      persist = true,
     }: LocalSearchParams): Promise<LocalSearchResult> => {
       const trimmedTerm = term.trim();
       const senderSet = senders && senders.length > 0 ? new Set(senders) : null;
@@ -302,7 +309,7 @@ export const useLocalMessageSearch = () => {
         // Fire-and-forget persist of freshly scanned rows + coverage.
         // saveRoomIndex swallows all errors internally, so a floating promise
         // here can never reject.
-        if (cacheEnabled && rowsToPersist.length > 0) {
+        if (cacheEnabled && persist && rowsToPersist.length > 0) {
           saveRoomIndex(roomId, rowsToPersist);
         }
       }