diff --git a/src/common/components/forms/useLLMSelect.tsx b/src/common/components/forms/useLLMSelect.tsx
index 83a892a38..36ad066c9 100644
--- a/src/common/components/forms/useLLMSelect.tsx
+++ b/src/common/components/forms/useLLMSelect.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { FormLabelStart } from './FormLabelStart';
 
 
 // configuration
+const LLM_SELECT_REDUCE_OPTIONS = 10; // optimization: number of options over which only the selected is kept when closed (we'll have special notes for accessibility)
 const LLM_SELECT_SHOW_REASONING_ICON = false;
 
 
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ const _slotProps = {
     } as const,
   } as const,
   button: {
+    'aria-description': 'Options may be filtered when closed. Open dropdown to see all options.',
     sx: {
       // show the full name on the button
       whiteSpace: 'inherit',
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ interface LLMSelectOptions {
  *
  * @param llmId (required) the LLM id
  * @param setLlmId (required) the function to set the LLM id
- * @param options (optional) any arrray of options
+ * @param options (optional) any array of options
  */
 export function useLLMSelect(
   llmId: undefined | DLLMId | null, // undefined: not set at all, null: has the meaning of no-llm-wanted here
@@ -78,6 +80,9 @@ export function useLLMSelect(
   options: LLMSelectOptions,
 ): [DLLM | null, React.JSX.Element | null, React.FunctionComponent<SvgIconProps> | undefined] {
 
+  // state
+  const [controlledOpen, setControlledOpen] = React.useState(false);
+
   // external state
   const _filteredLLMs = useVisibleLLMs(llmId);
 
@@ -89,11 +94,17 @@ export function useLLMSelect(
 
 
   // memo LLM Options
+
+  const optimizeToSingleVisibleId = (!controlledOpen && _filteredLLMs.length > LLM_SELECT_REDUCE_OPTIONS) ? llmId : null; // id to keep visible when optimizing
+
   const optionsArray = React.useMemo(() => {
     // create the option items
     let formerVendor: IModelVendor | null = null;
     return _filteredLLMs.reduce((acc, llm, _index) => {
 
+      if (optimizeToSingleVisibleId && llm.id !== optimizeToSingleVisibleId)
+        return acc;
+
       const vendor = findModelVendor(llm.vId);
       const vendorChanged = vendor !== formerVendor;
       if (vendorChanged)
@@ -101,7 +112,7 @@ export function useLLMSelect(
 
       // add separators if the vendor changed (and more than one vendor)
       const addSeparator = vendorChanged && formerVendor !== null;
-      if (addSeparator)
+      if (addSeparator && !optimizeToSingleVisibleId)
         acc.push(<ListDivider key={'llm-sep-' + llm.id}>{vendor?.name}</ListDivider>);
 
       // the option component
@@ -127,7 +138,7 @@ export function useLLMSelect(
 
       return acc;
     }, [] as React.JSX.Element[]);
-  }, [_filteredLLMs, noIcons]);
+  }, [_filteredLLMs, noIcons, optimizeToSingleVisibleId]);
 
 
   const onSelectChange = React.useCallback((_event: unknown, value: DLLMId | null) => value && setLlmId(value), [setLlmId]);
@@ -143,6 +154,8 @@ export function useLLMSelect(
         size={larger ? undefined : 'sm'}
         disabled={disabled}
         onChange={onSelectChange}
+        listboxOpen={controlledOpen}
+        onListboxOpenChange={setControlledOpen}
         placeholder={placeholder}
         slotProps={_slotProps}
         endDecorator={autoRefreshDomain ?
@@ -158,7 +171,7 @@ export function useLLMSelect(
       </Select>
       {/*</Box>*/}
     </FormControl>
-  ), [autoRefreshDomain, disabled, isHorizontal, isReasoning, label, larger, llmId, onSelectChange, optionsArray, placeholder]);
+  ), [autoRefreshDomain, controlledOpen, disabled, isHorizontal, isReasoning, label, larger, llmId, onSelectChange, optionsArray, placeholder]);
 
   // Memo the vendor icon for the chat LLM
   const chatLLMVendorIconFC = React.useMemo(() => {