diff --git a/src/components/UserSearch.tsx b/src/components/UserSearch.tsx
index 1c946945..49e76564 100644
--- a/src/components/UserSearch.tsx
+++ b/src/components/UserSearch.tsx
@@ -298,9 +298,10 @@ export const UserSearch: React.FC<UserSearchProps> = ({
     const { uuids, filterOptions, renderOption, getOptionLabel, isOptionEqualToValue } =
         useUserSearchOptions();
     const [loading, setLoading] = React.useState(false);
+    const [inputValue, setInputValue] = React.useState("");
 
     return (
-        <Autocomplete
+        <Autocomplete<SearchOption, false, true>
             options={uuids.map((uuid) => ({ type: "uuid" as const, uuid }))}
             fullWidth
             size={size}
@@ -308,7 +309,18 @@ export const UserSearch: React.FC<UserSearchProps> = ({
             blurOnSelect
             selectOnFocus
             autoHighlight
-            filterOptions={filterOptions}
+            inputValue={inputValue}
+            onInputChange={(_, newInputValue) => {
+                setInputValue(newInputValue);
+            }}
+            // Always pass our controlled inputValue to filterOptions so the
+            // "Search for X" option appears when reopening with text still in
+            // the input. MUI otherwise passes inputValue: '' when the popup
+            // reopens and the input matches the previously selected option's
+            // label, which suppresses the free-text option.
+            filterOptions={(options, params) =>
+                filterOptions?.(options, { ...params, inputValue }) ?? options
+            }
             renderOption={renderOption}
             getOptionLabel={getOptionLabel}
             isOptionEqualToValue={isOptionEqualToValue}
diff --git a/src/routes/session/-uuid.ui.test.tsx b/src/routes/session/-uuid.ui.test.tsx
index af9ffe54..184f4d9a 100644
--- a/src/routes/session/-uuid.ui.test.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/session/-uuid.ui.test.tsx
@@ -63,6 +63,38 @@ describe("Session detail page", () => {
             .toBeInTheDocument();
     });
 
+    mswTest(
+        "search shows free-text option after reopening with previously selected text",
+        async () => {
+            const { screen } = await renderAppRoute(sessionUrl);
+
+            const searchInput = screen.getByRole("combobox", {
+                name: "Search players",
+            });
+
+            // Wait for the page to populate known aliases for the current player
+            await expect
+                .poll(() => localStorage.getItem("knownAliases"))
+                .toContain(USERS.player1.username);
+
+            // Type the player's name and select the auto-highlighted user
+            // option with Enter. The selection sets MUI's internal value and
+            // fills the input with the username. Since we navigate to the
+            // same route, the search component stays mounted afterwards.
+            await searchInput.fill(USERS.player1.username);
+            await userEvent.keyboard("{Enter}");
+
+            // Reopen the popup. The input still holds "PlayerOne" from the
+            // selection — the free-text "Search for ..." option must still
+            // appear instead of being suppressed by MUI's empty-string trick.
+            await userEvent.click(searchInput);
+
+            await expect
+                .element(screen.getByRole("option", { name: /Search for/ }))
+                .toBeInTheDocument();
+        },
+    );
+
     mswTest("renders player head image", async () => {
         await renderAppRoute(sessionUrl);