diff --git a/src/main/services/search-service.ts b/src/main/services/search-service.ts
index 6e0760e9..45e7424c 100644
--- a/src/main/services/search-service.ts
+++ b/src/main/services/search-service.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import { extname } from "node:path";
 import type { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
+import { readVerifiedFile } from "./files/file-object-store";
 import type { SearchInput } from "../../shared/commands";
-import { SEARCH_ENTITY_TYPES, type SearchEntityType, type SearchPage } from "../../shared/domain";
+import { FILE_SCAN_STATE, SEARCH_ENTITY_TYPES, type SearchEntityType, type SearchPage } from "../../shared/domain";
 
 interface SearchRow {
   entity_type: SearchEntityType;
@@ -18,6 +20,9 @@ interface SearchDoc {
   facets: Record<string, string>;
 }
 
+const TEXT_EXTENSIONS = new Set(["md", "markdown", "txt", "csv", "tsv", "json", "yaml", "yml", "toml", "ini", "xml", "html", "css", "js", "jsx", "ts", "tsx", "py", "sql", "sh", "log"]);
+const FILE_TEXT_LIMIT_BYTES = 2 * 1024 * 1024;
+
 export class SearchService {
   constructor(private readonly db: DatabaseSync) {}
 
@@ -137,8 +142,8 @@ export class SearchService {
 
   private fileDocs(orgId: string): SearchDoc[] {
     // Superseded versions are kept for records but listed nowhere, so they are not search hits either.
-    const rows = this.db.prepare("select id, name, kind, sha256, scan_state from file_objects where org_id = ? and superseded_at is null").all(orgId) as Array<{ id: string; name: string; kind: string; sha256: string; scan_state: string }>;
-    return rows.map((row) => doc("file", row.id, row.name, `${row.kind} ${row.sha256}`, { type: "Files", state: row.scan_state }));
+    const rows = this.db.prepare("select id, name, kind, sha256, scan_state, storage_path, size_bytes from file_objects where org_id = ? and superseded_at is null").all(orgId) as Array<{ id: string; name: string; kind: string; sha256: string; scan_state: string; storage_path: string; size_bytes: number }>;
+    return rows.map((row) => doc("file", row.id, row.name, `${fileText(row)} ${row.kind} ${row.sha256}`, { type: "Files", state: row.scan_state }));
   }
 
   private providerDocs(orgId: string): SearchDoc[] {
@@ -219,6 +224,18 @@ function parseQuery(query: string): { blank: boolean; match: string | null; cont
   return { blank: !match && contains.length === 0, match, contains };
 }
 
+/** The text of an approved text file, so it can be found by what it says; a blocked file's content stays behind the scan gate, as it does for opening. */
+function fileText(file: { name: string; storage_path: string; sha256: string; size_bytes: number; scan_state: string }): string {
+  if (file.scan_state !== FILE_SCAN_STATE.APPROVED) return "";
+  if (!TEXT_EXTENSIONS.has(extname(file.name).slice(1).toLowerCase()) || file.size_bytes > FILE_TEXT_LIMIT_BYTES) return "";
+  try {
+    return readVerifiedFile({ name: file.name, storagePath: file.storage_path, sha256: file.sha256 }).toString("utf8");
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.warn(`[search] ${file.name}: content not indexed: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`);
+    return "";
+  }
+}
+
 function validEntityTypes(entityTypes: SearchEntityType[]): Set<SearchEntityType> {
   const allowed = new Set<string>(SEARCH_ENTITY_TYPES);
   return new Set(entityTypes.filter((type) => allowed.has(type)));
diff --git a/tests/unit/search-service.test.ts b/tests/unit/search-service.test.ts
index 325d18f9..bbd7e712 100644
--- a/tests/unit/search-service.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/search-service.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
+import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
+import { mkdirSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
@@ -236,4 +238,42 @@ describe("search service", () => {
     expect(tasks.results.map((hit) => hit.title)).toEqual(["Harbor survey"]);
     connection.close();
   });
+
+  test("finds a text file by what it says, read from its verified copy", () => {
+    const connection = createConnection();
+    const organization = new OrganizationService(connection.db);
+    const search = new SearchService(connection.db);
+    let orgId = "";
+    connection.transaction(() => {
+      orgId = organization.createOrganization({ organizationName: "Content Co", employeeName: "Dana Lee", mission: "m", goal: "g" });
+    });
+    const employeeId = (connection.db.prepare("select id from employees where org_id = ?").get(orgId) as { id: string }).id;
+    const folder = join(tmpdir(), `ac-search-files-${randomUUID()}`);
+    mkdirSync(folder, { recursive: true });
+    const stored = (id: string, name: string, text: string, scanState = "approved") => {
+      const path = join(folder, name);
+      writeFileSync(path, text);
+      connection.db.prepare(`
+        insert into file_objects(id, org_id, name, kind, size_bytes, sha256, storage_path, owner_type, owner_id, created_at, scan_state)
+        values (?, ?, ?, 'doc', ?, ?, ?, 'employee', ?, ?, ?)
+      `).run(id, orgId, name, Buffer.byteLength(text), createHash("sha256").update(text).digest("hex"), path, employeeId, new Date().toISOString(), scanState);
+      return path;
+    };
+    stored("fil_notes", "notes.md", "Quokka migration checklist");
+    stored("fil_scan", "scan.pdf", "Quokka migration checklist");
+    stored("fil_key", "deploy-key.txt", "-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- walrussecret", "blocked");
+    const changed = stored("fil_changed", "changed.txt", "Quokka original words");
+    writeFileSync(changed, "Quokka rewritten behind the app's back");
+    const ids = (query: string) => search.search({ orgId, employeeId, query, entityTypes: ["file"] }).results.map((hit) => hit.entityId).sort();
+    expect(ids("checklist")).toEqual(["fil_notes"]);
+    // Bytes that no longer match their record are not indexed; the file is still found by name.
+    expect(ids("rewritten")).toEqual([]);
+    expect(ids("changed")).toEqual(["fil_changed"]);
+    // A blocked file's content stays behind the scan gate; its name is still searchable.
+    expect(ids("walrussecret")).toEqual([]);
+    const blocked = search.search({ orgId, employeeId, query: "deploy", entityTypes: ["file"] }).results;
+    expect(blocked.map((hit) => hit.entityId)).toEqual(["fil_key"]);
+    expect(blocked[0]!.preview).not.toContain("PRIVATE KEY");
+    connection.close();
+  });
 });