diff --git a/plugins/english/novelbuddy.ts b/plugins/english/novelbuddy.ts
index ed3531368..148d4b8d8 100644
--- a/plugins/english/novelbuddy.ts
+++ b/plugins/english/novelbuddy.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,22 @@ import { NovelStatus } from '@libs/novelStatus';
 const fwnRegex =
   /(?:𝐟|ᵮ|𝑓|𝒇|𝒻|𝓯|𝔣|𝕗|𝖿|𝗳|𝙛|𝚏|ꬵ|ꞙ|ẝ|𝖋|ⓕ|ｆ|ḟ|ʃ|բ|ᶠ|⒡|ſ|ꊰ|ʄ|∱|ᶂ|𝘧|\bf)(?:𝚛|ꭇ|ᣴ|ℾ|𝚪|𝛤|𝜞|𝝘|𝞒|Ⲅ|Г|Ꮁ|ᒥ|ꭈ|ⲅ|ꮁ|ⓡ|ｒ|ŕ|ṙ|ř|ȑ|ȓ|ṛ|ṝ|ŗ|г|Ր|ɾ|ᥬ|ṟ|ɍ|ʳ|⒭|ɼ|ѓ|ᴦ|ᶉ|𝐫|𝑟|𝒓|𝓇|𝓻|𝔯|𝕣|𝖗|𝗋|𝗿|𝘳|𝙧|ᵲ|ґ|ᵣ|r)(?:ə|ә|ⅇ|ꬲ|ꞓ|⋴|𝛆|𝛜|𝜀|𝜖|𝜺|𝝐|𝝴|𝞊|𝞮|𝟄|ⲉ|ꮛ|𐐩|Ꞓ|Ⲉ|⍷|𝑒|𝓮|𝕖|𝖊|𝘦|𝗲|𝚎|𝙚|𝒆|𝔢|𝖾|𝐞|Ҿ|ҿ|ⓔ|ｅ|⒠|è|ᧉ|é|ᶒ|ê|ɘ|ἔ|ề|ế|ễ|૯|ǝ|є|ε|ē|ҽ|ɛ|ể|ẽ|ḕ|ḗ|ĕ|ė|ë|ẻ|ě|ȅ|ȇ|ẹ|ệ|ȩ|ɇ|ₑ|ę|ḝ|ḙ|ḛ|℮|е|ԑ|ѐ|ӗ|ᥱ|ё|ἐ|ἑ|ἒ|ἓ|ἕ|ℯ|e)+(?:𝐰|ꝡ|𝑤|𝒘|𝓌|𝔀|𝔴|𝕨|𝖜|𝗐|𝘄|𝘸|𝙬|𝚠|ա|ẁ|ꮃ|ẃ|ⓦ|⍵|ŵ|ẇ|ẅ|ẘ|ẉ|ⱳ|ὼ|ὠ|ὡ|ὢ|ὣ|ω|ὤ|ὥ|ὦ|ὧ|ῲ|ῳ|ῴ|ῶ|ῷ|Ⱳ|ѡ|ԝ|ᴡ|ώ|ᾠ|ᾡ|ᾡ|ᾢ|ᾣ|ᾤ|ᾥ|ᾦ|ɯ|𝝕|𝟉|𝞏|w)(?:ə|ә|ⅇ|ꬲ|ꞓ|⋴|𝛆|𝛜|𝜀|𝜖|𝜺|𝝐|𝝴|𝞊|𝞮|𝟄|ⲉ|ꮛ|𐐩|Ꞓ|Ⲉ|⍷|𝑒|𝓮|𝕖|𝖊|𝘦|𝗲|𝚎|𝙚|𝒆|𝔢|𝖾|𝐞|Ҿ|ҿ|ⓔ|ｅ|⒠|è|ᧉ|é|ᶒ|ê|ɘ|ἔ|ề|ế|ễ|૯|ǝ|є|ε|ē|ҽ|ɛ|ể|ẽ|ḕ|ḗ|ĕ|ė|ë|ẻ|ě|ȅ|ȇ|ẹ|ệ|ȩ|ɇ|ₑ|ę|ḝ|ḙ|ḛ|℮|е|ԑ|ѐ|ӗ|ᥱ|ё|ἐ|ἑ|ἒ|ἓ|ἕ|ℯ|e)(?:ꮟ|Ꮟ|𝐛|𝘣|𝒷|𝔟|𝓫|𝖇|𝖻|𝑏|𝙗|𝕓|𝒃|𝗯|𝚋|♭|ᑳ|ᒈ|ｂ|ᖚ|ᕹ|ᕺ|ⓑ|ḃ|ḅ|ҍ|ъ|ḇ|ƃ|ɓ|ƅ|ᖯ|Ƅ|Ь|ᑲ|þ|Ƃ|⒝|Ъ|ᶀ|ᑿ|ᒀ|ᒂ|ᒁ|ᑾ|ь|ƀ|Ҍ|Ѣ|ѣ|ᔎ |b)(?:ո|ռ|ח|𝒏|𝓷|𝙣|𝑛|𝖓|𝔫|𝗇|𝚗|𝗻|ᥒ|ⓝ|ή|ｎ|ǹ|ᴒ|ń|ñ|ᾗ|η|ṅ|ň|ṇ|ɲ|ņ|ṋ|ṉ|ղ|ຖ|Ռ|ƞ|ŋ|⒩|ภ|ก|ɳ|п|ʼn|л|ԉ|Ƞ|ἠ|ἡ|ῃ|դ|ᾐ|ᾑ|ᾒ|ᾓ|ᾔ|ᾕ|ᾖ|ῄ|ῆ|ῇ|ῂ|ἢ|ἣ|ἤ|ἥ|ἦ|ἧ|ὴ|ή|በ|ቡ|ቢ|ባ|ቤ|ብ|ቦ|ȵ|𝛈|𝜂|𝜼|𝝶|𝞰|𝕟|延|𝐧|𝔫|ᶇ|ᵰ|ᥥ|∩|n)(?:ం|ం|ം|ං|૦|௦|۵|ℴ|𝑜|𝒐|𝒐|ꬽ|𝝄|𝛔|𝜎|𝝈|𝞂|ჿ|𝚘|০|୦|ዐ|𝛐|𝗈|𝞼|ဝ|ⲟ|𝙤|၀|𐐬|𝔬|𐓪|𝓸|🇴|⍤|○|ϙ|🅾|𝒪|𝖮|𝟢|𝟶|𝙾|o|𝗼|𝕠|𝜊|𝐨|𝝾|𝞸|ᐤ|ｵ|ѳ|᧐|ᥲ|ð|ｏ|ఠ|ᦞ|Փ|ò|ө|ӧ|ó|º|ō|ô|ǒ|ȏ|ŏ|ồ|ȭ|ṏ|ὄ|ṑ|ṓ|ȯ|ȫ|๏|ᴏ|ő|ö|ѻ|о|ዐ|ǭ|ȱ|০|୦|٥|౦|告知|๐|໐|ο|օ|ᴑ|०|੦|ỏ|ơ|ờ|ớ|ỡ|ở|ợ|ọ|ộ|ǫ|ø|ǿ|ɵ|ծ|ὀ|ὁ|ό|ὸ|ό|ὂ|ὃ|ὅ|o)(?:∨|⌄|\|ⅴ|𝐯|𝑣|𝒗|𝓋|𝔳|𝕧|𝖛|ꮩ|ሀ|ⓥ|ｖ|𝜐|𝝊|ṽ|ṿ|౮|ง|ѵ|ע|ᴠ|ν|ט|ᵥ|ѷ|៴|ᘁ|𝙫|𝙫|𝛎|𝜈|𝝂|𝝼|𝞶|𝘷|𝘃|𝓿|v)(?:ə|ә|ⅇ|ꬲ|ꞓ|⋴|𝛆|𝛜|𝜀|𝜖|𝜺|𝝐|𝝴|𝞊|𝞮|𝟄|ⲉ|ꮛ|𐐩|Ꞓ|Ⲉ|⍷|𝑒|𝓮|𝕖|𝖊|𝘦|𝗲|𝚎|𝙚|𝒆|𝔢|𝖾|𝐞|Ҿ|ҿ|ⓔ|ｅ|⒠|è|ᧉ|é|ᶒ|ê|ɘ|ἔ|ề|ế|ễ|૯|ǝ|є|ε|ē|ҽ|ɛ|ể|ẽ|ḕ|ḗ|ĕ|ė|ë|ẻ|ě|ȅ|ȇ|ẹ|ệ|ȩ|ɇ|ę|ḝ|ḙ|ḛ|℮|е|ԑ|ѐ|ӗ|ᥱ|ё|ἐ|ἑ|ἒ|ἓ|ἕ|ℯ|e)(?:ⓛ|ｌ|ŀ|ĺ|ľ|ḷ|ḹ|ḷ|ļ|Ӏ|ℓ|ḽ|ḻ|ł|ﾚ|ɭ|ƚ|ɫ|ⱡ|\||\\|Ɩ|⒧|ʅ|ǀ|ו|ן|Ι|І|｜|ᶩ|ӏ|𝓘|𝕀|𝖨|𝗜|𝘐|𝐥|𝑙|𝒍|𝓁|𝔩|𝕝|𝖑|ލ|𝗅|𝗹|ލ|𝗅|𝗹|𝘭|𝚕|𝜤|𝝞|ı|𝚤|ɩ|ι|𝛊|𝜄|𝜾|𝞲|I|l)(?:.?(?:🝌|ｃ|ⅽ|𝐜|𝑐|𝒄|𝒸|𝓬|𝔠|𝕔|𝖈|𝖈|𝗰|𝘤|𝙘|𝚌|ᴄ|ϲ|ⲥ|с|ꮯ|𐐽|ⲥ|𐐽|ꮯ|ĉ|ｃ|ⓒ|ć|č|ċ|ç|ҁ|ƈ|ḉ|ȼ|ↄ|с|ር|ᴄ|ϲ|ҫ|꒝|ς|ɽ|ϛ|𝙲|ᑦ|᧚|𝐜|𝑐|𝒄|𝒸|𝓬|𝔠|𝕔|𝖈|𝖈|𝗰|𝘤|𝙘|𝚌|₵|🇨|ᥴ|ᒼ|ⅽ|c)(?:ం|ం|ം|ං|૦|௦|۵|ℴ|𝑜|𝒐|𝒐|ꬽ|𝝄|𝛔|𝜎|𝝈|𝞂|ჿ|𝚘|০|୦|ዐ|𝗈|𝞼|ဝ|ⲟ|𝙤|၀|𐐬|𝔬|𐓪|𝓸|🇴|⍤|○|ϙ|🅾|𝒪|𝖮|𝟢|𝟶|𝙾|o|𝗼|𝕠|𝜊|𝐨|𝝾|𝞸|ᐤ|ⓞ|ѳ|᧐|ᥲ|ð|ｏ|ఠ|ᦞ|Փ|ò|ө|ӧ|ó|º|ō|ô|ǒ|ȏ|ŏ|ồ|ȭ|ṏ|ὄ|ṑ|ṓ|ȯ|ȫ|๏|ᴏ|ő|ö|ѻ|о|ዐ|ǭ|ȱ|০|୦|٥|౦|告知|๐|໐|ο|օ|ᴑ|०|੦|ỏ|ơ|ờ|ớ|ỡ|ở|ợ|ọ|ộ|ǫ|ø|ǿ|ɵ|ծ|ὀ|ὁ|ό|ὸ|ό|ὂ|ὃ|ὅ|o)(?:₥|ᵯ|𝖒|𝐦|𝗆|𝔪|𝕞|𝕞|𝕞|ⓜ|ｍ|ന|ᙢ|൩|ḿ|ṁ|ⅿ|ϻ|ṃ|ጠ|ɱ|៳|ᶆ|𝒎|🇲|𝙢|𝓶|𝚖|𝑚|𝗺|᧕|᧗|m))?/g;
 
+// Observed on 2026-10-15: live requests to api.novelbuddy.me/titles/search
+// returned HTTP 400 for queries over 50 characters and returned `data.items` for
+// shorter ones. Never leave a lone surrogate half at the cut.
+const MAX_QUERY_LENGTH = 50;
+function clampQuery(query: string): string {
+  if (query.length <= MAX_QUERY_LENGTH) return query;
+  const cut = query.slice(0, MAX_QUERY_LENGTH);
+  return /[\uD800-\uDBFF]$/.test(cut) ? cut.slice(0, -1) : cut;
+}
+
 class NovelBuddy implements Plugin.PluginBase {
   id = 'novelbuddy';
   name = 'NovelBuddy';
   site = 'https://novelbuddy.me/';
   api = 'https://api.novelbuddy.me/';
-  version = '2.1.3';
+  version = '2.1.4';
   icon = 'src/en/novelbuddy/icon.png';
 
   parseNovels(body: Response): Plugin.NovelItem[] {
@@ -47,7 +57,7 @@ class NovelBuddy implements Plugin.PluginBase {
       sort: String(orderBy.value),
       page: String(pageNo),
       limit: '24',
-      q: keyword.value || undefined,
+      q: keyword.value ? clampQuery(keyword.value) : undefined,
     };
 
     const params = new URLSearchParams();
@@ -55,10 +65,17 @@ class NovelBuddy implements Plugin.PluginBase {
       if (value !== undefined) params.append(key, value);
     }
 
-    const url = this.api + 'titles/search?' + params.toString();
-    const result = await fetchApi(url);
-    const body = await result.json();
+    return this.searchTitles(params);
+  }
 
+  async searchTitles(params: URLSearchParams): Promise<Plugin.NovelItem[]> {
+    const result = await fetchApi(
+      this.api + 'titles/search?' + params.toString(),
+    );
+    const body = result.ok ? await result.json() : undefined;
+    if (!body?.data?.items) {
+      throw new Error(`NovelBuddy search failed with HTTP ${result.status}`);
+    }
     return this.parseNovels(body);
   }
 
@@ -190,14 +207,11 @@ class NovelBuddy implements Plugin.PluginBase {
     page: number,
   ): Promise<Plugin.NovelItem[]> {
     const params = new URLSearchParams({
-      'q': searchTerm,
+      'q': clampQuery(searchTerm),
       'limit': '24',
       'page': page.toString(),
     });
-    const url = this.api + 'titles/search?' + params.toString();
-    const result = await fetchApi(url);
-    const body = await result.json();
-    return this.parseNovels(body);
+    return this.searchTitles(params);
   }
 
   filters = {