MacOS DNS not listening to VPN’s DNS settings for a search domain

I can connect to my VPN, and my VPN is setting a search domain, but I can’t get MacOS to use it at all.

Current DNS config:

scutil --dns
DNS configuration

resolver #1
  search domain[0] : hawaiiantel.net
  nameserver[0] : 10.0.10.1
  if_index : 14 (en0)
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00020002 (Reachable,Directly Reachable Address)

resolver #2
  domain   : local
  options  : mdns
  timeout  : 5
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable)
  order    : 300000

resolver #3
  domain   : 254.169.in-addr.arpa
  options  : mdns
  timeout  : 5
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable)
  order    : 300200

resolver #4
  domain   : 8.e.f.ip6.arpa
  options  : mdns
  timeout  : 5
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable)
  order    : 300400

resolver #5
  domain   : 9.e.f.ip6.arpa
  options  : mdns
  timeout  : 5
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable)
  order    : 300600

resolver #6
  domain   : a.e.f.ip6.arpa
  options  : mdns
  timeout  : 5
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable)
  order    : 300800

resolver #7
  domain   : b.e.f.ip6.arpa
  options  : mdns
  timeout  : 5
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000000 (Not Reachable)
  order    : 301000

resolver #8
  domain   : jgz.guru
  nameserver[0] : 192.168.0.254
  timeout  : 5
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000003 (Reachable,Transient Connection)
  order    : 1

resolver #9
  domain   : jgz.guru
  nameserver[0] : 8.8.8.8
  flags    : Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000002 (Reachable)
  order    : 2

DNS configuration (for scoped queries)

resolver #1
  search domain[0] : hawaiiantel.net
  nameserver[0] : 10.0.10.1
  if_index : 14 (en0)
  flags    : Scoped, Request A records
  reach    : 0x00020002 (Reachable,Directly Reachable Address)

resolver #2
  search domain[0] : jgz.guru
  search domain[1] : *.jgz.guru
  search domain[2] : neo4j.jgz.guru
  nameserver[0] : 192.168.0.254
  nameserver[1] : 192.168.0.254
  if_index : 26 (ipsec0)
  flags    : Scoped, Request A records
  reach    : 0x00000003 (Reachable,Transient Connection)

My manual attempt with resolver files:

$ cat /etc/resolver/jgz.guru
nameserver 192.168.0.254
search_order 1
timeout 5
$ cat /etc/resolver/jgz.guru.pub
domain jgz.guru
nameserver 8.8.8.8
search_order 2

I can manually do a lookup forcing the correct DNS server and it works:

$ dig neo4j.jgz.guru @192.168.0.254                                                                                                      130 ↵

; <<>> DiG 9.10.6 <<>> neo4j.jgz.guru @192.168.0.254
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 34255
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 1232
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;neo4j.jgz.guru.                        IN      A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
neo4j.jgz.guru.         3600    IN      A       192.168.0.201

;; Query time: 18 msec
;; SERVER: 192.168.0.254#53(192.168.0.254)
;; WHEN: Sat May 24 10:48:25 HST 2025
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 59

But the default lookup always ignores the search domains

─$ dig neo4j.jgz.guru

; <<>> DiG 9.10.6 <<>> neo4j.jgz.guru
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN, id: 57922
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;neo4j.jgz.guru.                        IN      A

;; Query time: 59 msec
;; SERVER: 10.0.10.1#53(10.0.10.1)
;; WHEN: Sat May 24 10:54:08 HST 2025
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 32

I’ve tried restarting things udo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder but no change.

MacOS Sequoia Version 15.5 (24F74)

I’m at a loss. How do I get my DNS to resolve the search domain properly? at the moment I can only use IPs and that not a viable solution long term.