diff --git a/tests/tools/test_web_providers_searxng.py b/tests/tools/test_web_providers_searxng.py
index 3a4f6d8d6e0..e093532bf37 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_web_providers_searxng.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_web_providers_searxng.py
@@ -267,6 +267,26 @@ class TestGetBackendSearXNG:
         monkeypatch.setattr(web_tools, "_is_tool_gateway_ready", lambda: False)
         assert web_tools._get_backend() == "tavily"
 
+    def test_auto_detect_picks_searxng_when_url_only_in_hermes_config(self, monkeypatch):
+        """#34290 follow-up: a config-only SEARXNG_URL (absent from process env)
+        must still drive auto-detect via the now config-aware ``_has_env``."""
+        from hermes_cli import config as hermes_config
+        from tools import web_tools
+        monkeypatch.setattr(web_tools, "_load_web_config", lambda: {})
+        monkeypatch.delenv("FIRECRAWL_API_KEY", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("FIRECRAWL_API_URL", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("PARALLEL_API_KEY", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("TAVILY_API_KEY", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("EXA_API_KEY", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("SEARXNG_URL", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            hermes_config,
+            "get_env_value",
+            lambda key: "http://config-only:8080" if key == "SEARXNG_URL" else None,
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr(web_tools, "_is_tool_gateway_ready", lambda: False)
+        assert web_tools._get_backend() == "searxng"
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Integration: check_web_api_key includes searxng
@@ -280,6 +300,19 @@ class TestCheckWebApiKey:
         monkeypatch.setenv("SEARXNG_URL", "http://localhost:8080")
         assert web_tools.check_web_api_key() is True
 
+    def test_searxng_config_only_satisfies_check_web_api_key(self, monkeypatch):
+        """#34290 follow-up: config-only SEARXNG_URL satisfies the credential check."""
+        from hermes_cli import config as hermes_config
+        from tools import web_tools
+        monkeypatch.setattr(web_tools, "_load_web_config", lambda: {"backend": "searxng"})
+        monkeypatch.delenv("SEARXNG_URL", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            hermes_config,
+            "get_env_value",
+            lambda key: "http://config-only:8080" if key == "SEARXNG_URL" else None,
+        )
+        assert web_tools.check_web_api_key() is True
+
     def test_no_credentials_fails(self, monkeypatch):
         from tools import web_tools
         monkeypatch.setattr(web_tools, "_load_web_config", lambda: {})
diff --git a/tools/web_tools.py b/tools/web_tools.py
index 9bdd7c32d6e..d8d922dc0ac 100644
--- a/tools/web_tools.py
+++ b/tools/web_tools.py
@@ -110,9 +110,28 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 # ─── Backend Selection ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+def _env_value(name: str) -> str:
+    """Resolve ``name`` via Hermes config-aware env, falling back to process env.
+
+    Mirrors the SearXNG provider's ``_searxng_url()`` so that values set
+    through Hermes' config/.env layer (``hermes config set``, ``hermes tools``)
+    are honored here too — not just raw process-env exports. Without this,
+    a config-only ``SEARXNG_URL`` (or any provider key) leaves the backend
+    auto-detect cascade and ``check_web_api_key()`` blind to it. See #34290.
+    """
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.config import get_env_value
+
+        val = get_env_value(name)
+    except Exception:
+        val = None
+    if val is None:
+        val = os.getenv(name, "")
+    return (val or "").strip()
+
+
 def _has_env(name: str) -> bool:
-    val = os.getenv(name)
-    return bool(val and val.strip())
+    return bool(_env_value(name))
 
 def _load_web_config() -> dict:
     """Load the ``web:`` section from ~/.hermes/config.yaml."""
@@ -1204,7 +1223,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         elif backend == "tavily":
             print("   Using Tavily API (https://tavily.com)")
         elif backend == "searxng":
-            print(f"   Using SearXNG (search only): {os.getenv('SEARXNG_URL', '').strip()}")
+            print(f"   Using SearXNG (search only): {_env_value('SEARXNG_URL')}")
         elif backend == "brave-free":
             print("   Using Brave Search free tier (search only)")
         elif backend == "ddgs":