diff --git a/cmd/server/config.go b/cmd/server/config.go
index c461eaf1..cd767c54 100644
--- a/cmd/server/config.go
+++ b/cmd/server/config.go
@@ -142,6 +142,14 @@ type Config struct {
 	// GOMEMLIMIT environment variable, when set, takes precedence.
 	Runtime   *RuntimeConfig   `json:"runtime,omitempty"`
 	GeoFilter *GeoFilterConfig `json:"geo_filter,omitempty"`
+	// GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList restores the pre-opt-in behavior where
+	// configuring geo_filter alone made GET /api/nodes exclude out-of-
+	// polygon nodes by default (no ?geoFilter=1 needed). Off by default —
+	// deployments that already relied on the old always-on filtering
+	// (added under #730) can set this to keep it; new deployments get the
+	// non-surprising default of geo_filter not silently changing what the
+	// node list/map returns.
+	GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList bool `json:"geoFilterAppliesToNodeList,omitempty"`
 
 	Areas map[string]AreaEntry `json:"areas,omitempty"`
 
diff --git a/cmd/server/nodes_geofilter_optin_test.go b/cmd/server/nodes_geofilter_optin_test.go
index c96f29a2..cbdd310b 100644
--- a/cmd/server/nodes_geofilter_optin_test.go
+++ b/cmd/server/nodes_geofilter_optin_test.go
@@ -74,6 +74,28 @@ func TestHandleNodes_GeoFilterExcludedByDefault(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Error("expected OutsideUntagged (outside polygon, not yet foreign-tagged) to be excluded when geoFilter=1")
 		}
 	})
+
+	t.Run("GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList=true restores the pre-opt-in always-on behavior without needing ?geoFilter=1", func(t *testing.T) {
+		srv.cfg.GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList = true
+		defer func() { srv.cfg.GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList = false }()
+
+		req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/api/nodes?limit=50", nil)
+		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		router.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+		if w.Code != 200 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected 200, got %d", w.Code)
+		}
+		got := names(w)
+		if !got["InsideNode"] {
+			t.Error("expected InsideNode (within polygon) to be present")
+		}
+		if !got["OutsideTagged"] {
+			t.Error("expected OutsideTagged (foreign_advert=1) to be present even though it's outside the polygon — #730")
+		}
+		if got["OutsideUntagged"] {
+			t.Error("expected OutsideUntagged to be excluded by default when GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList=true, without needing ?geoFilter=1")
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func floatPtr(f float64) *float64 { return &f }
diff --git a/cmd/server/openapi.go b/cmd/server/openapi.go
index 46464ecb..36c12843 100644
--- a/cmd/server/openapi.go
+++ b/cmd/server/openapi.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func routeDescriptions() map[string]routeMeta {
 			QueryParams: []paramMeta{
 				{Name: "role", Description: "Filter by node role", Type: "string"},
 				{Name: "status", Description: "Filter by status (active/stale/offline)", Type: "string"},
-				{Name: "geoFilter", Description: "Set to \"1\" to exclude nodes outside the configured geo_filter (unless foreign_advert-tagged). Opt-in — omitting it returns every node regardless of geo_filter.", Type: "string"},
+				{Name: "geoFilter", Description: "Set to \"1\" to exclude nodes outside the configured geo_filter (unless foreign_advert-tagged). Opt-in — omitting it returns every node regardless of geo_filter, unless the deployment's config.json sets geoFilterAppliesToNodeList=true to restore the pre-opt-in always-on behavior.", Type: "string"},
 			}},
 		"GET /api/nodes/search":             {Summary: "Search nodes", Description: "Search nodes by name or public key prefix.", Tag: "nodes", QueryParams: []paramMeta{{Name: "q", Description: "Search query", Type: "string", Required: true}}},
 		"GET /api/nodes/bulk-health":        {Summary: "Bulk node health", Description: "Returns health status for all nodes in one call.", Tag: "nodes"},
diff --git a/cmd/server/routes.go b/cmd/server/routes.go
index d56f0207..513a7773 100644
--- a/cmd/server/routes.go
+++ b/cmd/server/routes.go
@@ -1426,16 +1426,21 @@ func (s *Server) handleNodes(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	// Opt-in only (?geoFilter=1): configuring geo_filter alone must not
-	// change what /api/nodes (and therefore the live map, which lists
-	// straight off this endpoint) returns by default. It used to — any node
-	// outside the polygon and not YET foreign_advert-tagged (which only
-	// happens on that node's next ADVERT after geo_filter was configured)
-	// would silently vanish from every view the moment geo_filter was set,
-	// with no per-request way to see them anyway. geo_filter's own
-	// ingestor-side tagging (and the explicit prune-geo-filter admin flow)
-	// are unaffected by this — this only gates the passive declutter view.
-	if s.cfg.GeoFilter != nil && q.Get("geoFilter") == "1" {
+	// Opt-in by default (?geoFilter=1), unless the deployment has
+	// GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList set to restore the pre-existing always-on
+	// behavior. Configuring geo_filter alone must not, by default, change
+	// what /api/nodes (and therefore the live map, which lists straight off
+	// this endpoint) returns — any node outside the polygon and not YET
+	// foreign_advert-tagged (which only happens on that node's next ADVERT
+	// after geo_filter was configured) would otherwise silently vanish from
+	// every view the moment geo_filter was set, with no per-request way to
+	// see them anyway. A deployment that intentionally relies on the old
+	// #730 declutter behavior can set GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList to keep
+	// it. geo_filter's own ingestor-side tagging (and the explicit
+	// prune-geo-filter admin flow) are unaffected either way — this only
+	// gates the passive declutter view.
+	applyGeoFilter := s.cfg.GeoFilterAppliesToNodeList || q.Get("geoFilter") == "1"
+	if s.cfg.GeoFilter != nil && applyGeoFilter {
 		filtered := nodes[:0]
 		for _, node := range nodes {
 			// Foreign-flagged nodes (#730) are kept even when their GPS lies