diff --git a/src/lib/fetch.ts b/src/lib/fetch.ts
index e09d7c279..da048ea3f 100644
--- a/src/lib/fetch.ts
+++ b/src/lib/fetch.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 
-import { isTauri } from '@/lib/platform'
+import { getCapabilities, isTauri } from '@/lib/platform'
 import { getLocalSetting } from '@/stores/local-settings-store'
 
 /**
@@ -17,8 +17,15 @@ export const fetch = async (input: RequestInfo | URL, init?: RequestInit): Promi
   }
 
   if (getLocalSetting('isNativeFetchEnabled')) {
-    const { fetch: tauriFetch } = await import('@tauri-apps/plugin-http')
-    return tauriFetch(input, init)
+    // The "Use Native Fetch" dev setting can only be toggled on in builds
+    // compiled with `--features native_fetch`; guard against stale `true`
+    // values from prior builds so we don't invoke an unregistered plugin
+    // ("plugin http not found").
+    const { native_fetch: nativeFetchAvailable } = await getCapabilities()
+    if (nativeFetchAvailable) {
+      const { fetch: tauriFetch } = await import('@tauri-apps/plugin-http')
+      return tauriFetch(input, init)
+    }
   }
 
   return globalThis.fetch(input, init)
diff --git a/src/lib/proxy-fetch.test.ts b/src/lib/proxy-fetch.test.ts
index 0a1c39f79..d3656de1f 100644
--- a/src/lib/proxy-fetch.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/proxy-fetch.test.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ describe('createProxyFetch — Hosted mode', () => {
 })
 
 describe('createProxyFetch — Standalone (Tauri) mode', () => {
-  it('calls Tauri fetch directly without rewriting headers when toggle is off (default)', async () => {
+  it('calls Tauri fetch directly without rewriting headers when toggle is off and native_fetch is available', async () => {
     const tauriFetchMock = mock(async () => new Response('tauri-direct', { status: 200 }))
 
     const proxyFetch = createProxyFetch({
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ describe('createProxyFetch — Standalone (Tauri) mode', () => {
       isStandalone: () => true,
       tauriFetch: tauriFetchMock as unknown as typeof fetch,
       getProxyEnabled: () => false,
+      getNativeFetchCapability: () => Promise.resolve(true),
     })
 
     await proxyFetch('https://example.com/api', {
@@ -88,6 +89,28 @@ describe('createProxyFetch — Standalone (Tauri) mode', () => {
     const h = new Headers(calledInit.headers)
     expect(h.get('authorization')).toBe('Bearer abc')
   })
+
+  it('falls back to the hosted proxy when native_fetch is not compiled into the build', async () => {
+    const tauriFetchMock = mock(async () => new Response('should-not-be-called', { status: 500 }))
+    const hostedFetchMock = mock(async () => new Response('hosted', { status: 200 }))
+
+    const proxyFetch = createProxyFetch({
+      cloudUrl: 'http://localhost:8000/v1',
+      isStandalone: () => true,
+      tauriFetch: tauriFetchMock as unknown as typeof fetch,
+      fetchImpl: hostedFetchMock as unknown as typeof fetch,
+      getProxyEnabled: () => false,
+      getNativeFetchCapability: () => Promise.resolve(false),
+    })
+
+    await proxyFetch('https://example.com/api', { method: 'GET' })
+
+    expect(tauriFetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0)
+    expect(hostedFetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    const [hostedReq] = hostedFetchMock.mock.calls[0] as unknown as [Request]
+    expect(hostedReq.url).toBe('http://localhost:8000/v1/proxy')
+    expect(hostedReq.headers.get('x-proxy-target-url')).toBe('https://example.com/api')
+  })
 })
 
 describe('createProxyFetch — proxy_enabled toggle', () => {
diff --git a/src/lib/proxy-fetch.ts b/src/lib/proxy-fetch.ts
index aadd56fd8..eb8d5ee98 100644
--- a/src/lib/proxy-fetch.ts
+++ b/src/lib/proxy-fetch.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import {
 } from '@shared/proxy-protocol'
 import { encodeWsBearer, wsBearerSubprotocolPrefix, wsCarrierSubprotocol } from '@shared/ws-bearer'
 import { getAuthToken } from './auth-token'
-import { isTauri } from './platform'
+import { getCapabilities, isTauri } from './platform'
 
 const defaultIsStandalone = isTauri
 const defaultReadProxyEnabled = (): string | null =>
@@ -157,16 +157,30 @@ export type ProxyFetchOptions = {
    *  in `src/ai/fetch.ts`) pass a getter that reads the `proxy_enabled` localStorage
    *  key + derives the effective value per platform. */
   getProxyEnabled?: () => boolean
+  /** Whether `tauri-plugin-http` is registered in the current build. Defaults
+   *  to `getCapabilities()` (memoised) — tests inject a stub. When false, the
+   *  Tauri-direct path is unreachable (the plugin's JS shim would throw
+   *  "plugin http not found"), so we fall through to the hosted proxy even on
+   *  Tauri with `proxy_enabled=false`. Universal Proxy (THU-467) is the
+   *  intended path; this guard makes the toggle a no-op in builds that ship
+   *  without the native fetch capability. */
+  getNativeFetchCapability?: () => Promise<boolean>
 }
 
 /** Build a fetch implementation that hides Hosted/Standalone mode from callers. */
 export const createProxyFetch = (options: ProxyFetchOptions): FetchFn => {
   const proxyUrl = `${options.cloudUrl.replace(/\/$/, '')}/proxy`
+  const readNativeFetchCapability =
+    options.getNativeFetchCapability ?? (() => getCapabilities().then((c) => c.native_fetch))
   const proxyFetch = async (input: RequestInfo | URL, init?: RequestInit): Promise<Response> => {
     const standalone = (options.isStandalone ?? isTauri)()
     const proxyEnabled = options.getProxyEnabled?.() ?? true
-    if (standalone && !proxyEnabled) {
-      // Standalone + toggle off: hit the upstream directly through Tauri's HTTP plugin.
+    if (standalone && !proxyEnabled && (await readNativeFetchCapability())) {
+      // Standalone + toggle off + plugin compiled in: hit the upstream directly
+      // through Tauri's HTTP plugin. Builds without `--features native_fetch`
+      // fall through to the hosted proxy (THU-467 Universal Proxy is the
+      // canonical path; the Tauri-direct branch is opt-in for builds that
+      // want to keep the user's IP off our backend).
       const tFetch = options.tauriFetch ?? (tauriFetch as unknown as typeof fetch)
       return tFetch(input as RequestInfo, init ?? {}) as unknown as Response
     }