diff --git a/docs/clinical-assistant.md b/docs/clinical-assistant.md
index 444cc1ff..ff96cdce 100644
--- a/docs/clinical-assistant.md
+++ b/docs/clinical-assistant.md
@@ -207,18 +207,19 @@ Add or update tests when changing:
 - model discovery or settings behavior.
 
 
-## Library indexing runs when asked, not on a timer
+## Library indexing: on a schedule, and on request
 
 The clinical library lives in Nextcloud folders and is indexed by the
-clinical-assist indexer. It used to rescan every five minutes; a scan that
-also walked ten thousand news-feed items took half an hour, so the indexer was
-never idle. It now reconciles once when it starts and then only when an admin
-presses **Run indexing now** (Admin → Clinical Assistant → Library index).
+clinical-assist indexer, which reconciles them every five minutes
+(`VECTOR_SYNC_SCAN_INTERVAL`). A scan used to walk ten thousand news-feed
+items too and took half an hour; the News and Deck passes are now off, so a
+scan is the files and notes only. **Run indexing now** (Admin → Clinical
+Assistant → Library index) asks for a scan without waiting for the timer.
 
 A reconciliation lists the library folders, queues documents that are new or
 whose modification time changed, and drops the index rows of documents that
-are gone — after a second consecutive scan confirms the absence, so one
-listing that happened to fail deletes nothing. Documents already indexed and
+are gone — after the absence has persisted for one and a half scan
+intervals, so one listing that happened to fail deletes nothing. Documents already indexed and
 unchanged are not touched, and nothing is re-extracted.
 
 The button calls `POST /api/v1/vector-sync/scan` on the indexer with a bearer
@@ -231,8 +232,10 @@ settings are empty):
 | `clinical_assistant.indexer_token` | `CLINICAL_ASSISTANT_INDEXER_TOKEN` | none — the button refuses without one |
 
 The token must equal `VECTOR_SYNC_TRIGGER_TOKEN` in the indexer's environment.
-On the indexer side the mode is `VECTOR_SYNC_ON_DEMAND=true`; `VECTOR_SYNC_SCAN_NEWS`
-and `VECTOR_SYNC_SCAN_DECK` are `false` for a documents-only library. Under
+On the indexer side `VECTOR_SYNC_SCAN_NEWS` and `VECTOR_SYNC_SCAN_DECK` are
+`false` for a documents-only library; `VECTOR_SYNC_ON_DEMAND=true` would stop
+the timer and leave only the button (deletions then need two consecutive
+scans). Under
 [lockdown](authentication.md#lockdown-the-admin-panel-as-view-only) the button
 still works — it is an operation, not a setting — but the address and token
 are read-only.
diff --git a/public/components/admin.html b/public/components/admin.html
index 649dfef3..d7bcb2d7 100644
--- a/public/components/admin.html
+++ b/public/components/admin.html
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@
                   <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary btn-sm" id="btn-assistant-index-now"><i class="fas fa-sync"></i> Run indexing now</button>
                   <button type="button" class="btn btn-link btn-sm" id="btn-assistant-index-refresh">Refresh status</button>
                 </div>
-                <span class="admin-note">Indexing no longer runs on a timer. This queues documents added or changed in the library folders, drops what has been removed (after a second scan confirms it), and leaves everything else alone.</span>
+                <span class="admin-note">The indexer reconciles the library folders on its own schedule; this asks for a scan right now. New and changed documents are queued, removed documents are dropped once a second scan confirms it, everything already indexed is left alone.</span>
                 <details style="margin-top:4px;">
                   <summary style="cursor:pointer;font-size:13px;">Indexer address and token</summary>
                   <div style="display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;gap:10px;margin-top:6px;">
diff --git a/test/backend-hardening.test.js b/test/backend-hardening.test.js
index 5513e0ee..050a4f0e 100644
--- a/test/backend-hardening.test.js
+++ b/test/backend-hardening.test.js
@@ -281,5 +281,5 @@ test('the library index button is an operation, allowed under lockdown, and the
   assert.doesNotMatch(admin.slice(admin.indexOf("router.get('/config/library-index'"), admin.indexOf("router.post('/config/library-index/scan'")), /token: target\.token/, 'the status reply must not carry the token');
   const js = read('public/js/admin/clinicalAssistant.js');
   assert.match(js, /setValue\('assistant-indexer-token', ''\)/);
-  assert.match(read('docs/clinical-assistant.md'), /## Library indexing runs when asked/);
+  assert.match(read('docs/clinical-assistant.md'), /## Library indexing: on a schedule, and on request/);
 });