diff --git a/hive-forge/src/client.rs b/hive-forge/src/client.rs
index 5e79fa48..62fa83f7 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/client.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/client.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
-use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, anyhow, bail};
 use forgejo_api::{Auth, ForgejoError};
 use reqwest::blocking::{Client as HttpClient, Response};
 use reqwest::header::{ACCEPT, AUTHORIZATION, CONTENT_TYPE, HeaderMap, HeaderValue};
@@ -38,8 +38,11 @@ pub struct Client {
     /// rather than silently falling back to the internal one.
     forge_label: Option<String>,
     /// Default repo used when a verb doesn't carry an explicit
-    /// `[repo]` override.
-    pub default_repo: String,
+    /// `[repo]` override. `None` when nothing resolved — resolution is
+    /// deferred to [`Client::repo`] rather than failing here, so a
+    /// repo-independent verb (`repo-search`, `repo-create`) never needs
+    /// one to exist.
+    default_repo: Option<String>,
     /// Global `--json` flag — verbs that have a human-readable
     /// default path branch on `client.json_mode()` to pick the
     /// JSON output shape instead.
@@ -55,10 +58,12 @@ impl Client {
     /// [`infer_repo_from_cwd`]); the `HIVE_FORGE_REPO` env var (kept as
     /// a last-resort override for callers that aren't in any checkout —
     /// nothing in this hive's nix config sets it, so it's opt-in only).
-    /// No repo resolving from any of those is an error rather than a
-    /// silent default — a single hardcoded fallback repo was exactly
-    /// what made agents assume it was "the only repo they're allowed to
-    /// operate on".
+    /// No repo resolving from any of those is **not** an error here — a
+    /// single hardcoded fallback repo was exactly what made agents
+    /// assume it was "the only repo they're allowed to operate on", and
+    /// eagerly failing here made every verb inherit a requirement it
+    /// might not have. It's an error only when a repo-scoped verb
+    /// actually asks for one — see [`Client::repo`].
     ///
     /// `json_mode` comes from the global `--json` flag — per-verb
     /// output formatters key off it via `Client::json_mode`.
@@ -71,15 +76,9 @@ impl Client {
         forge_label: Option<String>,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
         let (base, token) = resolve_credentials(forge_label.as_deref())?;
-        let Some(default_repo) = repo_override
+        let default_repo = repo_override
             .or_else(infer_repo_from_cwd)
-            .or_else(|| std::env::var("HIVE_FORGE_REPO").ok())
-        else {
-            bail!(
-                "hive-forge: no repo specified — pass -r/--repo, run from inside a \
-                 git checkout with an `origin` remote, or set HIVE_FORGE_REPO"
-            )
-        };
+            .or_else(|| std::env::var("HIVE_FORGE_REPO").ok());
 
         let url = url::Url::parse(&base).with_context(|| format!("parse HIVE_FORGE_URL {base}"))?;
         let api = forgejo_api::sync::Forgejo::new(Auth::Token(&token), url)
@@ -147,15 +146,26 @@ impl Client {
     /// Return the active repo. `from_env` already folded the
     /// `-r/--repo` override into `default_repo`, so verbs just read
     /// it as-is — no per-verb override plumbing.
-    #[must_use]
-    pub fn repo(&self) -> &str {
-        &self.default_repo
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    ///
+    /// Errors when nothing resolved a repo (see `from_env`'s doc). Only
+    /// a verb that actually calls this (directly or via
+    /// [`Client::owner_repo`]) can fail this way — `repo-search` and
+    /// `repo-create` never do, so they run with no repo at all.
+    pub fn repo(&self) -> Result<&str> {
+        self.default_repo.as_deref().ok_or_else(|| {
+            anyhow!(
+                "hive-forge: no repo specified — pass -r/--repo, run from inside a \
+                 git checkout with an `origin` remote, or set HIVE_FORGE_REPO"
+            )
+        })
     }
 
     /// The active repo split into `(owner, name)` for the typed
     /// client's per-segment path arguments.
     pub fn owner_repo(&self) -> Result<(&str, &str)> {
-        split_repo(self.repo())
+        split_repo(self.repo()?)
     }
 
     /// Build the full URL for a Forgejo attachment by UUID.
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/main.rs b/hive-forge/src/main.rs
index 537d441f..1b5cdbfc 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/main.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/main.rs
@@ -229,8 +229,17 @@ fn run() -> Result<()> {
     // from a transient flake; this turns "EOF while parsing a value at
     // line 1 column 0" into "repo typo-org/repo: EOF while parsing a
     // value at line 1 column 0", which is diagnosable on sight.
-    let repo = client.repo().to_owned();
-    dispatch(&client, verb).with_context(|| format!("repo {repo}"))
+    //
+    // `client.repo()` is fallible now (a repo-independent verb like
+    // `repo-search` may have none at all) — this wrapper must not
+    // become the thing that revives the eager-bail bug one frame down,
+    // so an unresolved repo just means no context is attached, not a
+    // failure. A verb that actually needs a repo still fails, from
+    // wherever it calls `client.repo()`/`client.owner_repo()` itself.
+    match client.repo().ok().map(str::to_owned) {
+        Some(repo) => dispatch(&client, verb).with_context(|| format!("repo {repo}")),
+        None => dispatch(&client, verb),
+    }
 }
 
 fn dispatch(client: &client::Client, verb: Verb) -> Result<()> {
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/artifact_get.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/artifact_get.rs
index 3edce3bf..59bc4ca9 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/artifact_get.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/artifact_get.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ fn resolve_run_id(client: &Client, repo: &str, run_number: u64) -> Result<i64> {
 /// download fails (network, or a non-2xx status such as `404` for an
 /// unknown artifact name), or if the output path can't be written.
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     let run_id = resolve_run_id(client, repo, args.run)?;
     let url = client.web_url(&format!(
         "/{repo}/actions/runs/{run_id}/artifacts/{}",
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_log.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_log.rs
index 33312182..a918d6ce 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_log.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_log.rs
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ fn persisted_logs(client: &Client, repo: &str, args: &Args) -> Result<bool> {
 /// (network, an unknown run number, or a non-2xx), if a requested `--step`
 /// is out of range, or if both sources yield no log content.
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     let stream_path = format!("/{repo}/actions/runs/{}/jobs/{}", args.run, args.job);
 
     // `--step` only has meaning against the live streamer's per-step
@@ -259,7 +259,10 @@ fn no_log_message(client: &Client, args: &Args) -> String {
              ones) or that the dispatch that was meant to create it actually \
              landed.",
             args.run,
-            client.repo(),
+            // `run` already resolved a repo successfully before calling
+            // this far into the log lookup, so this can't actually be
+            // absent — the fallback text is defensive, not a real path.
+            client.repo().unwrap_or("<unknown repo>"),
         ),
         // The existence lookup itself failed (network, auth) — don't let a
         // secondary failure mask the original "no log" finding.
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_rerun.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_rerun.rs
index 82cec1a8..9aeab801 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_rerun.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_rerun.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ pub struct Args {
 /// missing its ref), or if the dispatch POST fails (network, or a non-2xx
 /// such as `404` for an unknown workflow file or branch).
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     let (workflow, branch) = match (args.pr, args.run, args.branch.as_deref()) {
         (Some(pr), _, _) => (args.workflow.clone(), branch_for_pr(client, pr)?),
         (_, Some(run), _) => resolve_run(client, repo, run, &args.workflow)?,
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_runs.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_runs.rs
index ac46e920..6f36e0d7 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_runs.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/ci_runs.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
     }
 
     if runs.is_empty() {
-        println!("no matching runs in {}", client.repo());
+        println!("no matching runs in {}", client.repo()?);
         return Ok(());
     }
     for run in &runs {
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/clone.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/clone.rs
index 9409caa0..b0c2a555 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/clone.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/clone.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub struct Args {
 /// Returns an error if the `git clone` shellout fails (bad repo, auth
 /// rejected, network) or the destination can't be derived.
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     let dest = match args.dest {
         Some(d) => d,
         None => repo
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/comment.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/comment.rs
index 0f2e4297..01a278c9 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/comment.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/comment.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ pub struct Args {
 /// writing the response to stdout.
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
     let body = body::resolve_required(args.body.as_deref(), args.body_file.as_deref(), "comment")?;
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
 
     if !args.force {
         // Degrade open: a transport failure checking notifications must
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/comments.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/comments.rs
index 1d7a3190..65678aeb 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/comments.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/comments.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ pub struct Args {
 }
 
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     // Truncation info: what sits outside the window we're about to show.
     // A `--tail` window has nothing after it (it ends at the thread's
     // current end); a `--limit`/default window has nothing before it (it
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_assign_reviewer.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_assign_reviewer.rs
index 3a0a1cc7..a36d941b 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_assign_reviewer.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_assign_reviewer.rs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
     // Guard the add path only — withdrawing a request is always safe.
     // Re-requesting from someone who already reviewed dismisses that review
     // instead of no-op'ing (see the module doc-comment above).
-    if let Some(existing) = super::latest_reviews(client, client.repo(), args.number)?
+    if let Some(existing) = super::latest_reviews(client, client.repo()?, args.number)?
         .into_iter()
         .find(|r| r.login == args.user && !r.superseded())
     {
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_merge.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_merge.rs
index 1f450b4c..cdd99970 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_merge.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_merge.rs
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ pub struct Args {
 /// merge POST itself returns a non-2xx (e.g. Forgejo `405` when the PR cannot
 /// be merged).
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     let (owner, name) = client.owner_repo()?;
     let idx = index(args.number)?;
     let pull = client
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_status.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_status.rs
index 2d44014a..68c38727 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_status.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_status.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ pub struct Args {
 /// not-ready verdict is NOT an error — it's reported and reflected in
 /// the process exit code instead.
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     match (args.pr, args.sha) {
         (Some(pr), _) => pr_status(client, repo, pr),
         (None, Some(sha)) => sha_status(client, &sha),
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ pub(crate) fn fetch_combined_in(client: &Client, repo: &str, sha: &str) -> Resul
 /// Statuses ride as their API-shape JSON so the render helpers stay
 /// pure `Value` walkers.
 fn fetch_combined(client: &Client, sha: &str) -> Result<(String, Vec<Value>)> {
-    let combined = fetch_combined_in(client, client.repo(), sha)?;
+    let combined = fetch_combined_in(client, client.repo()?, sha)?;
     Ok((combined.state, combined.statuses))
 }
 
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/repo_add_collaborator.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/repo_add_collaborator.rs
index ce00d236..2784b661 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/repo_add_collaborator.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/repo_add_collaborator.rs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ pub struct Args {
 /// permission on the repo, token missing/invalid) and any I/O error from
 /// writing the confirmation to stdout.
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     let (owner, name) = client.owner_repo()?;
     let perm = args.permission.as_api();
     client
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/view.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/view.rs
index 63fc226c..8cc19e01 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/view.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/view.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ pub struct Args {
 }
 
 pub fn run(client: &Client, args: Args) -> Result<()> {
-    let repo = client.repo();
+    let repo = client.repo()?;
     // Reading the thread clears its unread notification so the
     // read-before-comment guard (in `comment`) lets a reply through.
     notify::mark_read_best_effort(client, repo, args.number);