diff --git a/docs/tap-backfill.md b/docs/tap-backfill.md
index daac10c..faec18f 100644
--- a/docs/tap-backfill.md
+++ b/docs/tap-backfill.md
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ The command:
 
 - installs `tap` with `go install github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/cmd/tap@latest`
   when `tap` is not already on `PATH`
-- starts TAP with `TAP_FULL_NETWORK=true`
-- filters TAP record delivery to `TAP_COLLECTION_FILTERS=fm.teal.*`, so only Teal
-  records reach Cadet after TAP enumerates repos
+- starts TAP with `TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION=fm.teal.alpha.feed.play`
+- keeps full-network repo enumeration off by default with `TAP_FULL_NETWORK=false`
+- filters TAP record delivery to `TAP_COLLECTION_FILTERS=fm.teal.*`, so all Teal
+  records from discovered Teal repos reach Cadet
 - stores TAP state and logs under `.teal-tap/`
 - runs `cargo run -p cadet --bin tap-backfill`
 
@@ -37,18 +38,18 @@ DATABASE_URL=postgres://teal:teal@127.0.0.1:5432/teal
 TAP_HOST=127.0.0.1
 TAP_PORT=2480
 TAP_CHANNEL_URL=ws://127.0.0.1:2480/channel
-TAP_FULL_NETWORK=true
+TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION=fm.teal.alpha.feed.play
 TAP_COLLECTION_FILTERS=fm.teal.*
 TEAL_TAP_DIR=.teal-tap
 ```
 
-Full-network mode is intentionally the default so Teal can discover records
-across every `fm.teal.*` lexicon, including repos that may not have a
-`fm.teal.alpha.feed.play` signal record. For a narrower run that only tracks
-repos with Teal play records, use TAP's signal-collection mode:
+TAP's signal collection controls which repos are backfilled. Teal defaults that
+boundary to repos with `fm.teal.alpha.feed.play` records, then applies
+`fm.teal.*` as the record-delivery filter. To enumerate every repo on the
+network instead, run:
 
 ```bash
-TAP_FULL_NETWORK=false TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION=fm.teal.alpha.feed.play pnpm backfill
+TAP_FULL_NETWORK=true TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION= pnpm backfill
 ```
 
 Keep Postgres running and migrated before starting the backfill. The command is
diff --git a/scripts/backfill-tap.sh b/scripts/backfill-tap.sh
index d3ffa3f..2f80d03 100755
--- a/scripts/backfill-tap.sh
+++ b/scripts/backfill-tap.sh
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ TAP_BASE_URL="${TAP_BASE_URL:-http://$TAP_HOST:$TAP_PORT}"
 TAP_CHANNEL_URL="${TAP_CHANNEL_URL:-ws://$TAP_HOST:$TAP_PORT/channel}"
 TAP_LOG="${TAP_LOG:-$TAP_DIR/tap.log}"
 
-# Full-network mode discovers every findable repo, then record delivery is
-# filtered separately so only fm.teal.* records flow through Cadet.
-export TAP_FULL_NETWORK="${TAP_FULL_NETWORK:-true}"
-export TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION="${TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION:-}"
+# TAP uses this collection to discover repos worth backfilling. Record delivery
+# is still filtered separately so every fm.teal.* record from those repos flows
+# through Cadet.
+export TAP_FULL_NETWORK="${TAP_FULL_NETWORK:-false}"
+export TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION="${TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION:-fm.teal.alpha.feed.play}"
 export TAP_COLLECTION_FILTERS="${TAP_COLLECTION_FILTERS:-fm.teal.*}"
 export TAP_DISABLE_ACKS="${TAP_DISABLE_ACKS:-true}"
 export TAP_CHANNEL_URL
diff --git a/todo.md b/todo.md
index 617bd32..6042149 100644
--- a/todo.md
+++ b/todo.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ This file is the working handoff for the Teal-native Teal clone. Keep it updated
 - Amethyst social posts and recent listens merge indexed Teal actor data with Bluesky fallback handle/display-name/avatar data when the appview only has partial profile rows.
 - Amethyst profile images use the Bluesky CDN avatar/banner transforms for indexed Teal blob CIDs, and signed-in users can edit their Teal display name, bio, avatar, and banner from their own profile page.
 - Amethyst music track pretty URLs resolve from artist/release/track slugs when no play URI query string is present, instead of falling back to the latest global play.
-- Cadet has a TAP backfill consumer and `pnpm backfill` command. The command runs TAP full-network backfill by default, filters delivered records with `TAP_COLLECTION_FILTERS=fm.teal.*`, and consumes TAP record events through the existing Teal ingestors. Signal-collection TAP backfill remains an explicit env override for narrower runs.
+- Cadet has a TAP backfill consumer and `pnpm backfill` command. The command discovers Teal repos with `TAP_SIGNAL_COLLECTION=fm.teal.alpha.feed.play`, filters delivered records with `TAP_COLLECTION_FILTERS=fm.teal.*`, and consumes TAP record events through the existing Teal ingestors. Full-network TAP backfill remains an explicit env override.
 - Live Jetstream ingestion has been verified end-to-end through Cadet, Postgres, Aqua, and the public preview URL.
 - Missing Teal profiles fall back to public Bluesky profile data with an in-app disclaimer, and signed-in listeners can publish a Teal profile through the onboarding wizard.
 - Development and production Compose files include Amethyst, Aqua, Cadet, Satellite, Postgres, and Garnet.
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ This file is the working handoff for the Teal-native Teal clone. Keep it updated
 - [x] Verify delete handling removes the play URI from `plays`, `play_to_artists`, and `play_to_artists_extended`.
 - [x] Add a `subscribeRepos` CBOR adapter only if relay-level firehose sync becomes necessary.
 - [x] Keep CAR import as a backfill path and add regression tests for it.
-- [x] Add TAP backfill setup for full-network `fm.teal.*` sync and a repeatable `pnpm backfill` command.
+- [x] Add TAP backfill setup for signal-collection `fm.teal.*` sync and a repeatable `pnpm backfill` command.
 
 ## Next: Aqua And Lexicons