diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 93572248..67c58e63 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ requests-per-second velocity gauge in the hero.
 | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
 | `npm install`     | Install dependencies                                                                                                     |
 | `npm run dev`     | Start the dev server at `localhost:4321`                                                                                 |
-| `npm run build`   | Build to `build/` and generate the Pagefind search index                                                                  |
+| `npm run build:website` | Build to `build/` and generate the Pagefind search index                                                        |
 | `npm run preview` | Preview the production build locally                                                                                     |
 | `npm run lint`    | Lint with [Biome](https://biomejs.dev)                                                                                   |
 | `npm run format`  | Format with Biome (`format` to verify)                                                                                   |
 | `npm run check`   | Type-check via [`astro check`](https://docs.astro.build/en/reference/cli-reference/#astro-check) (run by CI on every PR) |
 
-> Search only works against a production build (`npm run build`), because the
+> Search only works against a production build (`npm run build:website`), because the
 > Pagefind index is generated from the built HTML. In `dev` the search modal
 > shows a graceful fallback message.
 >
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Docusaurus site:
 The documentation is **not** stored in this repository — it lives in the
 [`fastify/fastify`](https://github.com/fastify/fastify) repo and is fetched at
 build time by [`scripts/fetch-docs.mjs`](scripts/fetch-docs.mjs), which runs
-automatically via the `prebuild`/`predev` npm hooks.
+as part of `npm run build:website`.
 
 The script:
 
diff --git a/src/components/Search.astro b/src/components/Search.astro
index 4bdb6a0e..97d5c73d 100644
--- a/src/components/Search.astro
+++ b/src/components/Search.astro
@@ -71,14 +71,17 @@ import { withBase } from "~/lib/href";
 
   let pagefind: any = null;
   let loadFailed = false;
+  const pagefindUrl = withBase('/pagefind/pagefind.js');
 
   async function ensurePagefind() {
     if (pagefind || loadFailed) return pagefind;
     try {
-      pagefind = await import(/* @vite-ignore */ `${import.meta.env.BASE_URL}/pagefind/pagefind.js`);
+      pagefind = await import(/* @vite-ignore */ pagefindUrl);
       await pagefind.init?.();
-    } catch (e) {
+    } catch (error) {
+      pagefind = null;
       loadFailed = true;
+      console.error(`Failed to load Pagefind from ${pagefindUrl}`, error);
       hint?.classList.add('hidden');
       fallback?.classList.remove('hidden');
     }