diff --git a/src/search/defaults.js b/src/search/defaults.js
index 0040ac638..0fec80650 100644
--- a/src/search/defaults.js
+++ b/src/search/defaults.js
@@ -80,11 +80,12 @@ export function createDefaultPlaceSearch({
             createGoogleGeocoder({
               async request(query, { bias, signal }) {
                 // The app's own route says up front when Nominatim is off.
-                if (
-                  nominatimConfigured &&
-                  (await nominatimConfigured()) === false
-                )
-                  return null;
+                const capability = nominatimConfigured
+                  ? await nominatimConfigured()
+                  : null;
+                // A search cancelled during the probe starts no request.
+                signal?.throwIfAborted();
+                if (capability === false) return null;
                 const params = new URLSearchParams({ q: query });
                 if (bias) params.set('bounds', bias);
                 return fetchImpl(
diff --git a/src/search/photonSetting.test.mjs b/src/search/photonSetting.test.mjs
index 9194ceb2e..b4f783fd8 100644
--- a/src/search/photonSetting.test.mjs
+++ b/src/search/photonSetting.test.mjs
@@ -53,3 +53,31 @@ test('the last-resort route is skipped when the server reports Nominatim unconfi
   const on = await run(true);
   assert.ok(on.includes('/api/geocode'), on.join(','));
 });
+
+test('a search cancelled while the Nominatim probe is pending starts no last-resort request', async () => {
+  let release;
+  const held = new Promise((resolve) => {
+    release = resolve;
+  });
+  const asked = [];
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const search = createDefaultPlaceSearch({
+    endpoints: { photon: null },
+    fetchImpl: async (url) => {
+      const path = new URL(String(url), 'http://local.test').pathname;
+      asked.push(path);
+      if (path === '/api/geocode/status') {
+        controller.abort();
+        await held;
+        return Response.json({ configured: true });
+      }
+      return Response.json({ status: 'ZERO_RESULTS', results: [] });
+    },
+  });
+  const pending = search.geocode('nowhere-cancelled', {
+    signal: controller.signal,
+  });
+  release();
+  await pending.catch(() => null);
+  assert.ok(!asked.includes('/api/geocode'), asked.join(','));
+});
diff --git a/src/sources/nominatimOutlines.js b/src/sources/nominatimOutlines.js
index 35acb4125..ebc10ffb0 100644
--- a/src/sources/nominatimOutlines.js
+++ b/src/sources/nominatimOutlines.js
@@ -96,8 +96,10 @@ export function createNominatimOutlineClient({
     if (remembered.has(key)) return remembered.get(key);
     // A cancelled ask spends nothing.
     signal?.throwIfAborted();
-    if (configured && (await configured()) === false) {
-      signal?.throwIfAborted();
+    const capability = configured ? await configured() : null;
+    // The probe may have waited: an ask cancelled meanwhile still spends nothing.
+    signal?.throwIfAborted();
+    if (capability === false) {
       unavailable = {
         unavailable: true,
         retryable: false,
diff --git a/src/sources/nominatimOutlines.test.mjs b/src/sources/nominatimOutlines.test.mjs
index f5157274a..d756702e1 100644
--- a/src/sources/nominatimOutlines.test.mjs
+++ b/src/sources/nominatimOutlines.test.mjs
@@ -179,3 +179,34 @@ test('a configured server is asked as usual after one probe', async () => {
   assert.equal(calls.length, 2);
   assert.equal(probes.length, 1);
 });
+
+test('an ask cancelled while the capability probe is pending spends nothing', async () => {
+  for (const [label, answer] of [
+    ['configured', () => reply(200, { configured: true })],
+    ['unknown', () => reply(404, { error: 'Not Found' })],
+    ['unconfigured', () => reply(200, { configured: false })],
+  ]) {
+    let release;
+    const held = new Promise((resolve) => {
+      release = resolve;
+    });
+    const { calls, lookup } = client(
+      () => reply(200, { status: 'ZERO_RESULTS', outline: null }),
+      {
+        status: async () => {
+          await held;
+          return answer();
+        },
+      },
+    );
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const pending = lookup(
+      { query: 'Paris', kind: 'city' },
+      { signal: controller.signal },
+    );
+    controller.abort();
+    release();
+    await assert.rejects(pending, { name: 'AbortError' }, label);
+    assert.equal(calls.length, 0, `${label}: no outline request`);
+  }
+});