diff --git a/internal/server/ai.go b/internal/server/ai.go
index f997be9..755b512 100644
--- a/internal/server/ai.go
+++ b/internal/server/ai.go
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ func aiNativeKey(id string) string { return "ai_native_" + id }
 // default; an explicit "0" means the user turned it off.
 func aiUserKey(id int64) string { return "ai_user_" + strconv.FormatInt(id, 10) }
 
+// aiOn: the user has the assistant - on unless turned off.
+func (s *Server) aiOn(id int64) bool {
+	v, _ := s.db.GetConfig(aiUserKey(id))
+	return v != "0"
+}
+
 // aiConfig is one model the assistant can ask: its id and the names the chat
 // shows (Short, up to 12 characters, on the button of the model in use), the
 // kind of API, its address, model and key.
@@ -833,7 +839,7 @@ func (s *Server) aiAdopt(owner int64) {
 // text with "[ошибка: …]".
 func (s *Server) handleAIChat(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	a := s.currentAdmin(r)
-	if on, _ := s.db.GetConfig(aiUserKey(a.ID)); on == "0" {
+	if !s.aiOn(a.ID) {
 		http.Error(w, "ассистент выключен в профиле", http.StatusForbidden)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/internal/server/aion_test.go b/internal/server/aion_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5abfdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/server/aion_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// The assistant is on unless the user turned it off - for the web search
+// and page reading as for the chat (a user who never touched the switch
+// has no setting at all).
+func TestAISearchAndFetchOnByDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	s, c := newTestServer(t)
+	sx := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		fmt.Fprint(w, `{"results":[{"title":"Intel","url":"https://example.com/intel","content":"процессоры"}]}`)
+	}))
+	defer sx.Close()
+	_ = s.db.SetConfig(cfgSearchEngine, "searxng")
+	_ = s.db.SetConfig(cfgSearchURL, sx.URL)
+	post := func(path, body string) string {
+		req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, path, strings.NewReader(body))
+		req.AddCookie(c)
+		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		s.Handler().ServeHTTP(w, req)
+		return w.Body.String()
+	}
+	if got := post("/api/panel/ai/search", `{"q":"intel"}`); !strings.Contains(got, `"ok":true`) {
+		t.Fatalf("search by default: %s", got)
+	}
+	if got := post("/api/panel/ai/fetch", `{"url":"не адрес"}`); strings.Contains(got, "выключен") {
+		t.Fatalf("fetch by default: %s", got)
+	}
+	a, _ := s.db.AdminByUsername("adm")
+	_ = s.db.SetConfig(aiUserKey(a.ID), "0")
+	for _, p := range []string{"/api/panel/ai/search", "/api/panel/ai/fetch"} {
+		if got := post(p, `{"q":"intel","url":"https://example.com"}`); !strings.Contains(got, "выключен") {
+			t.Fatalf("%s with the assistant off: %s", p, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/server/fetch.go b/internal/server/fetch.go
index f21d7dd..541c790 100644
--- a/internal/server/fetch.go
+++ b/internal/server/fetch.go
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ func pageText(page string) (string, string) {
 // assistant on.
 func (s *Server) handleAIFetch(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	a := s.currentAdmin(r)
-	if on, _ := s.db.GetConfig(aiUserKey(a.ID)); on != "1" {
+	if !s.aiOn(a.ID) {
 		writeJSON(w, map[string]any{"ok": false, "error": "ассистент выключен в профиле"})
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/internal/server/search.go b/internal/server/search.go
index 9dc6c39..2c7a432 100644
--- a/internal/server/search.go
+++ b/internal/server/search.go
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ func webSearch(ctx context.Context, q string, n int) ([]searchResult, error) {
 // assistant on (the «Поиск» switch is the page's: it lets the model ask).
 func (s *Server) handleAISearch(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	a := s.currentAdmin(r)
-	if on, _ := s.db.GetConfig(aiUserKey(a.ID)); on != "1" {
+	if !s.aiOn(a.ID) {
 		writeJSON(w, map[string]any{"ok": false, "error": "ассистент выключен в профиле"})
 		return
 	}