diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index a2a5579..3747b61 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -191,12 +191,19 @@ CRAWLER_METADATA_MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FAILURES=10
 # exhausted) that trigger an automatic coordinated browser restart.
 # Default 3.
 CRAWLER_BROWSER_RESTART_THRESHOLD=3
-# Opt-in CDP Fetch interception that re-validates every headless-browser
-# navigation/redirect against the SSRF check (blocks a scraped page that
-# redirects the browser to an internal target). Default false — enabling
-# Fetch is a fragile hook in the crawler's critical path and is not
-# CI-verified; validate with a manual crawl before turning on.
-CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT=false
+# CDP Fetch interception that re-validates every headless-browser
+# navigation/redirect/subresource against the SSRF check (blocks a scraped page
+# that drives the browser — via a redirect OR page JS/subresource — to an
+# internal target such as the cloud metadata service or postgres). Default TRUE:
+# with it off, only the top-level URL string is checked and page JS/subresources
+# reach internal IPs (the reqwest SafeResolver does not cover Chromium's own
+# stack). The CDP Fetch hook can't be exercised in CI (no Chromium); before
+# relying on a fresh deploy, validate it doesn't wedge navigation:
+#   CRAWLER_CHROMIUM_BINARY=/usr/bin/chromium \
+#     cargo test -p mangalord --test crawler_browser_smoke -- --ignored \
+#     ssrf_interception_does_not_wedge_allowed_navigation
+# Set to false only as a break-glass if the hook destabilizes a deployment.
+CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT=true
 # Path to a system Chromium binary. When set, the crawler skips the
 # bundled-fetcher download. Required on platforms without a usable
 # upstream Chromium build (notably Linux_arm64 / Raspberry Pi). On
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
index ce12a07..5bf0041 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.lock
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -1558,7 +1558,7 @@ checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.128.21"
+version = "0.128.22"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "argon2",
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
index c12a69b..15e7a59 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.128.21"
+version = "0.128.22"
 edition = "2021"
 default-run = "mangalord"
 
diff --git a/backend/src/config.rs b/backend/src/config.rs
index 25e9915..d9bcd9a 100644
--- a/backend/src/config.rs
+++ b/backend/src/config.rs
@@ -520,12 +520,15 @@ pub struct CrawlerConfig {
     /// exhausted) that trigger an automatic coordinated browser restart.
     /// Defaults to 3. `CRAWLER_BROWSER_RESTART_THRESHOLD`.
     pub browser_restart_threshold: u32,
-    /// Opt-in CDP `Fetch` interception that re-validates every headless-browser
-    /// navigation/redirect against the SSRF check (blocks a scraped page that
-    /// redirects the browser to an internal target). Default `false`: enabling
-    /// `Fetch` is a fragile hook in the crawler's critical path and the wiring
-    /// is not CI-verifiable (no Chromium in CI) — validate with a manual crawl
-    /// before turning on. `CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT`.
+    /// CDP `Fetch` interception that re-validates every headless-browser
+    /// navigation/redirect/subresource against the SSRF check. Default `true`:
+    /// with it off, only the top-level URL string is validated, so a scraped
+    /// page's JS/subresources (which use Chromium's own network stack, not the
+    /// reqwest `SafeResolver`) can reach internal targets like the cloud
+    /// metadata service or postgres. The Fetch hook can't be exercised in CI (no
+    /// Chromium) — the `#[ignore]`d `ssrf_interception_does_not_wedge_allowed_navigation`
+    /// smoke test validates it against a real binary. `CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT`;
+    /// set `false` only as a break-glass if the hook destabilizes a deployment.
     pub ssrf_intercept: bool,
 }
 
@@ -559,7 +562,7 @@ impl Default for CrawlerConfig {
             job_timeout: Duration::from_secs(600),
             metadata_max_consecutive_failures: 10,
             browser_restart_threshold: 3,
-            ssrf_intercept: false,
+            ssrf_intercept: true,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -725,7 +728,7 @@ impl CrawlerConfig {
             ) as u32,
             browser_restart_threshold: env_u64("CRAWLER_BROWSER_RESTART_THRESHOLD", 3).max(1)
                 as u32,
-            ssrf_intercept: env_bool("CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT", false),
+            ssrf_intercept: env_bool("CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT", true),
         })
     }
 }
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index fb9291e..4f08c3a 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ services:
       CRAWLER_JOB_TIMEOUT_SECS: ${CRAWLER_JOB_TIMEOUT_SECS:-600}
       CRAWLER_METADATA_MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FAILURES: ${CRAWLER_METADATA_MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FAILURES:-10}
       CRAWLER_BROWSER_RESTART_THRESHOLD: ${CRAWLER_BROWSER_RESTART_THRESHOLD:-3}
-      CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT: ${CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT:-false}
+      CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT: ${CRAWLER_SSRF_INTERCEPT:-true}
       # Crawler daemon schedule + retention. CRAWLER_DAEMON=false keeps
       # the in-process scheduler off; the dashboard force-resync still works.
       CRAWLER_DAEMON: ${CRAWLER_DAEMON:-true}
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 17fc6fa..1b2458d 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mangalord-frontend",
-  "version": "0.128.21",
+  "version": "0.128.22",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {