diff --git a/apps/api/src/services/lyrics.ts b/apps/api/src/services/lyrics.ts
index 776e2c1..ddf06fd 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/services/lyrics.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/services/lyrics.ts
@@ -65,10 +65,8 @@ async function lookup(track: { title: string; artist: string; album: string | nu
   if (track.durationMs) {
     const params = new URLSearchParams({ track_name: track.title, artist_name: artist, duration: String(Math.round(track.durationMs / 1000)) });
     if (track.album) params.set('album_name', track.album);
-    const exact = await fetchJson<LrclibRecord>(`${env.LRCLIB_URL}/api/get?${params}`, { headers }).catch((e: unknown) => {
-      if (e instanceof HttpError && e.status === 404) return null;
-      throw e;
-    });
+    // Not found, or LRCLIB's exact lookup is overloaded (it rate-limits /api/get separately): try the search.
+    const exact = await fetchJson<LrclibRecord>(`${env.LRCLIB_URL}/api/get?${params}`, { headers }).catch(() => null);
     if (exact) return exact;
   }
   const params = new URLSearchParams({ track_name: track.title, artist_name: artist });
diff --git a/apps/api/test/lyrics.test.ts b/apps/api/test/lyrics.test.ts
index 5b8b1e4..9be33b0 100644
--- a/apps/api/test/lyrics.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/test/lyrics.test.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,20 @@ describe('lyrics', () => {
     expect(body.plain).toBe('the one');
   });
 
+  it("uses the search when LRCLIB's exact lookup is rate-limited", async () => {
+    const { id } = await upsertTrack({ title: 'Midnight City', artist: 'M83', durationMs: 241_000 });
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      'fetch',
+      routeFetch([
+        [/\/api\/get\?/, () => json({ message: 'slow down' }, 429)],
+        [/\/api\/search\?/, () => json([record()])],
+      ]),
+    );
+    const res = await lyrics(id);
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200);
+    expect(res.json().synced).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+
   it('returns null when nothing matches, and 503 when LRCLIB is down', async () => {
     const { id } = await upsertTrack({ title: 'Unknown', artist: 'Nobody', durationMs: 100_000 });
     vi.stubGlobal('fetch', routeFetch([[/lrclib/, () => json({ message: 'down' }, 500)]]));
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/app/(tabs)/index.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/app/(tabs)/index.tsx
index 0cf410b..35a94c0 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/app/(tabs)/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/app/(tabs)/index.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { router } from 'expo-router';
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { Pressable, RefreshControl, ScrollView, StyleSheet, Text, View } from 'react-native';
-import Animated, { FadeIn, LinearTransition } from 'react-native-reanimated';
+import Animated, { FadeIn } from 'react-native-reanimated';
 import { SafeAreaView } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';
 import useSWR, { useSWRConfig } from 'swr';
 import { sortFeed, type ConnectionDTO, type FeedItemDTO, type FollowListDTO, type ProfileDTO } from '@musicshare/shared';
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ export default function FeedScreen() {
   return (
     <SafeAreaView style={styles.safe} edges={['top']}>
       <AmbientBackground />
-      {/* Cards fade in and slide to new positions when someone pins or starts playing. */}
+      {/* No itemLayoutAnimation: it leaves the cards behind when the header above them changes height
+          (e.g. your own card's lyrics loading), opening a gap under "Friends listening". */}
       <Animated.FlatList
-        itemLayoutAnimation={LinearTransition.duration(200)}
         data={feed ?? []}
         keyExtractor={(item) => item.user.id}
         contentContainerStyle={styles.list}