diff --git a/server/src/nest/maps/maps.service.ts b/server/src/nest/maps/maps.service.ts
index 4da069975..17140c616 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/maps/maps.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/maps/maps.service.ts
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ export class MapsService {
       // first call carried a viewbox with bounded=0, which orders results
       // without changing which ones exist, so a second call can only return the
       // same empty list a throttle-interval later.
-      const places = osmAnswer ?? (await this.osm.searchNominatim(query, lang));
+      const places = osmAnswer ?? (await this.osm.searchNominatim(query, lang, 'interactive', locationBias));
       return { places, source: 'openstreetmap' };
     }
 
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ export class MapsService {
     }
 
     if (!apiKey) {
-      return this.osm.autocompleteNominatim(input, lang);
+      return this.osm.autocompleteNominatim(input, lang, boxCentre);
     }
 
     const google = this.googlePlaces.provider({ key: apiKey, source: keySource, userId });
diff --git a/server/src/nest/maps/providers/osm.client.ts b/server/src/nest/maps/providers/osm.client.ts
index a4ad58c78..1c3493f6a 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/maps/providers/osm.client.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/maps/providers/osm.client.ts
@@ -267,9 +267,10 @@ export class OsmClient {
   async autocompleteNominatim(
     input: string,
     lang?: string,
+    bias?: { lat: number; lng: number },
   ): Promise<{ suggestions: { placeId: string; mainText: string; secondaryText: string }[]; source: 'nominatim' }> {
     try {
-      const places = await this.searchNominatim(input, lang);
+      const places = await this.searchNominatim(input, lang, 'interactive', bias);
       const suggestions = places
         .filter((p) => p.osm_id && p.osm_id.includes(':') && p.osm_id.split(':')[1] !== '')
         .slice(0, 5)
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/nest/maps.service.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/nest/maps.service.test.ts
index c9d0c1b7c..45c86a122 100644
--- a/server/tests/unit/nest/maps.service.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/unit/nest/maps.service.test.ts
@@ -1413,6 +1413,20 @@ describe('searchPlaces (fetch stubbed)', () => {
     expect(Array.isArray(result.places)).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  // The same gap on the explicit search: with the index off and no key the
+  // fallback asked Nominatim again and dropped the bias it had been given (#2620).
+  it('MAPS-038b: the Nominatim fallback keeps the location bias', async () => {
+    indexOff();
+    const fetchMock = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, json: async () => [] });
+    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', fetchMock);
+
+    await svc.searchPlaces(999, 'Starbucks', 'en', { lat: 35, lng: 135.75 });
+
+    const url = new URL(String(fetchMock.mock.calls[0][0]));
+    expect(url.searchParams.get('viewbox')).toBe('135.25,34.5,136.25,35.5');
+    expect(url.searchParams.get('bounded')).toBe('0');
+  });
+
   // Session tokens: the keystrokes of one search and the details lookup that
   // ends it must reach Google under the same token, or every request is billed
   // on its own. The body field and the query parameter are what Google's
@@ -1625,6 +1639,38 @@ describe('autocompletePlaces (fetch stubbed)', () => {
     expect(result.suggestions[0].placeId).toBe('node:1');
   });
 
+  // Without the index and without a key the suggestions come from Nominatim,
+  // and the box the client already computed has to reach it (#2620). It ranks,
+  // it does not restrict: bounded=0, so a far away place still comes back.
+  it('MAPS-081b: hands the location bias to Nominatim as a viewbox', async () => {
+    indexOff();
+    const fetchMock = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, json: async () => [] });
+    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', fetchMock);
+
+    await svc.autocompletePlaces(999, 'Starbucks', 'en', {
+      low: { lat: 34.9, lng: 135.6 },
+      high: { lat: 35.1, lng: 135.9 },
+    });
+
+    const url = new URL(String(fetchMock.mock.calls[0][0]));
+    expect(url.pathname).toContain('/search');
+    expect(url.searchParams.get('bounded')).toBe('0');
+    const [west, south, east, north] = String(url.searchParams.get('viewbox')).split(',').map(Number);
+    expect((west + east) / 2).toBeCloseTo(135.75);
+    expect((south + north) / 2).toBeCloseTo(35);
+  });
+
+  it('MAPS-081c: asks Nominatim without a viewbox when no bias was sent', async () => {
+    indexOff();
+    const fetchMock = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, json: async () => [] });
+    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', fetchMock);
+
+    await svc.autocompletePlaces(999, 'Starbucks', 'en');
+
+    const url = new URL(String(fetchMock.mock.calls[0][0]));
+    expect(url.searchParams.has('viewbox')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it('MAPS-082: uses Google when user has an API key', async () => {
     mockDbGet.mockReturnValueOnce({ maps_api_key: 'ENCRYPTED' }).mockReturnValueOnce(null);
     vi.stubGlobal(