diff --git a/web/index.html b/web/index.html
index 2c437a5..8891f4c 100644
--- a/web/index.html
+++ b/web/index.html
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@
           <h2 class="releases-title" id="tv-releases-title">—</h2>
           <span class="releases-year readout dim" id="tv-releases-sub"></span>
         </div>
-        <button type="button" class="control" id="tv-releases-sweep">search indexers</button>
+        <button type="button" class="control" id="tv-releases-sweep">re-search</button>
       </header>
       <p class="deck-status readout" id="tv-releases-status" role="status" hidden></p>
       <div id="tv-buckets"></div>
diff --git a/web/src/main.ts b/web/src/main.ts
index aaabfa5..38bc21b 100644
--- a/web/src/main.ts
+++ b/web/src/main.ts
@@ -2834,7 +2834,7 @@ function tvReleasesMain(): TvReleasesView {
     },
   };
 
-  async function load() {
+  async function load(sweepIfEmpty = false) {
     const current = request;
     if (!current) {
       return;
@@ -2853,7 +2853,12 @@ function tvReleasesMain(): TvReleasesView {
       return;
     }
     if (!paintBuckets(dom, outcome.releases, actions)) {
-      setStatus("no releases indexed yet — search indexers queues a targeted sweep");
+      // issue 167: an empty deck sweeps on open instead of describing a sweep
+      if (sweepIfEmpty) {
+        startSweep(current);
+      } else {
+        setStatus("no releases indexed yet — re-search queues a targeted sweep");
+      }
       return;
     }
     setStatus(null);
@@ -2898,11 +2903,8 @@ function tvReleasesMain(): TvReleasesView {
     }, TV_SWEEP_POLL_MS);
   }
 
-  sweep.addEventListener("click", () => {
-    const current = request;
-    if (!current) {
-      return;
-    }
+  /** Queue a targeted sweep, then watch for its releases to land (§6.2). */
+  function startSweep(current: TvDeckRequest) {
     sweep.disabled = true;
     void (async () => {
       const outcome = await current.target.search();
@@ -2918,6 +2920,14 @@ function tvReleasesMain(): TvReleasesView {
       window.clearTimeout(pollTimer);
       watchSweep(current, sequence);
     })();
+  }
+
+  sweep.addEventListener("click", () => {
+    const current = request;
+    if (!current) {
+      return;
+    }
+    startSweep(current);
   });
 
   function open(next: TvDeckRequest) {
@@ -2929,7 +2939,7 @@ function tvReleasesMain(): TvReleasesView {
     clearBuckets(dom);
     sweep.disabled = false;
     back.focus();
-    void load();
+    void load(true);
   }
 
   function hide() {
@@ -3217,27 +3227,6 @@ function seriesMain(board: HTMLElement, tvDeck: TvReleasesView, views: HideableV
     const space = document.createElement("span");
     space.className = "season-space";
 
-    const searchBtn = document.createElement("button");
-    searchBtn.type = "button";
-    searchBtn.className = "control";
-    searchBtn.textContent = "search";
-    searchBtn.addEventListener("click", () => {
-      const currentId = seriesId;
-      if (currentId === null) {
-        return;
-      }
-      searchBtn.disabled = true;
-      void (async () => {
-        const outcome = await seasonTarget(currentId, season.number).search();
-        searchBtn.disabled = false;
-        if (outcome.kind === "error") {
-          setStatus(`search failed — ${outcome.detail}`, "fault");
-          return;
-        }
-        setStatus(`season ${PAD_TWO(season.number)} sweep queued — results land in its deck`);
-      })();
-    });
-
     const deckBtn = document.createElement("button");
     deckBtn.type = "button";
     deckBtn.className = "control";
@@ -3270,7 +3259,7 @@ function seriesMain(board: HTMLElement, tvDeck: TvReleasesView, views: HideableV
         }),
       );
     }
-    line.append(space, searchBtn, deckBtn);
+    line.append(space, deckBtn);
     item.append(line);
 
     const episodes = document.createElement("ul");
@@ -3360,24 +3349,6 @@ function seriesMain(board: HTMLElement, tvDeck: TvReleasesView, views: HideableV
       });
       actions.append(want);
 
-      const searchBtn = document.createElement("button");
-      searchBtn.type = "button";
-      searchBtn.className = "control";
-      searchBtn.textContent = "search";
-      searchBtn.addEventListener("click", () => {
-        searchBtn.disabled = true;
-        void (async () => {
-          const outcome = await episodeTarget(episode.id).search();
-          searchBtn.disabled = false;
-          if (outcome.kind === "error") {
-            setStatus(`search failed — ${outcome.detail}`, "fault");
-            return;
-          }
-          setStatus(`S${PAD_TWO(seasonNumber)}E${PAD_TWO(episode.number)} sweep queued`);
-        })();
-      });
-      actions.append(searchBtn);
-
       const deckBtn = document.createElement("button");
       deckBtn.type = "button";
       deckBtn.className = "control";