diff --git a/src/components/AssistantSteps.tsx b/src/components/AssistantSteps.tsx
index c715a924..748463f6 100644
--- a/src/components/AssistantSteps.tsx
+++ b/src/components/AssistantSteps.tsx
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ const getStepTitle = (
   if (step.type === 'reasoning') {
     return isStreaming && !step.reasoning ? 'Thinking...' : 'Thinking';
   } else if (step.type === 'searching') {
-    return `Searching ${step.searching.length} ${step.searching.length === 1 ? 'query' : 'queries'}`;
+    const queries = Array.isArray(step.searching) ? step.searching : [];
+    return `Searching ${queries.length} ${queries.length === 1 ? 'query' : 'queries'}`;
   } else if (step.type === 'search_results') {
     return `Found ${step.reading.length} ${step.reading.length === 1 ? 'result' : 'results'}`;
   } else if (step.type === 'reading') {
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ const AssistantSteps = ({
                       )}
 
                       {step.type === 'searching' &&
+                        Array.isArray(step.searching) &&
                         step.searching.length > 0 && (
                           <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1.5 mt-1.5">
                             {step.searching.map((query, idx) => (
diff --git a/src/lib/agents/search/api.ts b/src/lib/agents/search/api.ts
index 924bc68f..94b70ae9 100644
--- a/src/lib/agents/search/api.ts
+++ b/src/lib/agents/search/api.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ class APISearchAgent {
       chatHistory: input.chatHistory,
       followUp: input.followUp,
       llm: input.config.llm,
+    }).catch((err) => {
+      console.error(`Error executing widgets: ${err}`);
+      return [];
     });
 
     let searchPromise: Promise<ResearcherOutput> | null = null;
diff --git a/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/academicSearch.ts b/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/academicSearch.ts
index 72e1f4b1..0ae822c7 100644
--- a/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/academicSearch.ts
+++ b/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/academicSearch.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const academicSearchAction: ResearchAction<typeof schema> = {
     config.classification.classification.skipSearch === false &&
     config.classification.classification.academicSearch === true,
   execute: async (input, additionalConfig) => {
-    input.queries = input.queries.slice(0, 3);
+    input.queries = (Array.isArray(input.queries) ? input.queries : [input.queries]).slice(0, 3);
 
     const researchBlock = additionalConfig.session.getBlock(
       additionalConfig.researchBlockId,
diff --git a/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/socialSearch.ts b/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/socialSearch.ts
index 16468ab4..e22d5b79 100644
--- a/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/socialSearch.ts
+++ b/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/socialSearch.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const socialSearchAction: ResearchAction<typeof schema> = {
     config.classification.classification.skipSearch === false &&
     config.classification.classification.discussionSearch === true,
   execute: async (input, additionalConfig) => {
-    input.queries = input.queries.slice(0, 3);
+    input.queries = (Array.isArray(input.queries) ? input.queries : [input.queries]).slice(0, 3);
 
     const researchBlock = additionalConfig.session.getBlock(
       additionalConfig.researchBlockId,
diff --git a/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/webSearch.ts b/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/webSearch.ts
index 4d60b79f..d1785e2b 100644
--- a/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/webSearch.ts
+++ b/src/lib/agents/search/researcher/actions/webSearch.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ const webSearchAction: ResearchAction<typeof actionSchema> = {
     config.sources.includes('web') &&
     config.classification.classification.skipSearch === false,
   execute: async (input, additionalConfig) => {
-    input.queries = input.queries.slice(0, 3);
+    input.queries = (Array.isArray(input.queries) ? input.queries : [input.queries]).slice(0, 3);
 
     const researchBlock = additionalConfig.session.getBlock(
       additionalConfig.researchBlockId,
diff --git a/src/lib/searxng.ts b/src/lib/searxng.ts
index a0bcd835..87767e09 100644
--- a/src/lib/searxng.ts
+++ b/src/lib/searxng.ts
@@ -38,11 +38,30 @@ export const searchSearxng = async (
     });
   }
 
-  const res = await fetch(url);
-  const data = await res.json();
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 10000);
 
-  const results: SearxngSearchResult[] = data.results;
-  const suggestions: string[] = data.suggestions;
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(url, {
+      signal: controller.signal,
+    });
 
-  return { results, suggestions };
+    if (!res.ok) {
+      throw new Error(`SearXNG error: ${res.statusText}`);
+    }
+
+    const data = await res.json();
+
+    const results: SearxngSearchResult[] = data.results;
+    const suggestions: string[] = data.suggestions;
+
+    return { results, suggestions };
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    if (err.name === 'AbortError') {
+      throw new Error('SearXNG search timed out');
+    }
+    throw err;
+  } finally {
+    clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+  }
 };