diff --git a/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/InstrumentSelector.tsx b/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/InstrumentSelector.tsx
index f301f9d11..1cb7de56c 100644
--- a/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/InstrumentSelector.tsx
+++ b/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/InstrumentSelector.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export const InstrumentSelector = () => {
                 {instruments.map((instrument) => (
                   <Command.Item
                     key={instrument.id}
+                    keywords={[instrument.label]}
                     value={instrument.id}
                     onSelect={(id) => {
                       setSelectedInstrument(id);
diff --git a/testing/src/pages/playground/index.page.ts b/testing/src/pages/playground/index.page.ts
index 2a3f01d16..67fbf8388 100644
--- a/testing/src/pages/playground/index.page.ts
+++ b/testing/src/pages/playground/index.page.ts
@@ -23,12 +23,10 @@ export class PlaygroundPage {
     await this.$ref.goto(url);
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Picks an example or template from the header's instrument list by its label. The list's search
-   * box matches on instrument ids rather than labels, so the option is clicked without filtering.
-   */
+  /** Picks an example or template from the header's instrument list by its label. */
   async selectInstrument(label: string): Promise<void> {
     await this.$ref.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Load an instrument...' }).click();
+    await this.$ref.getByPlaceholder('Search...').fill(label);
     await this.$ref.getByRole('option', { exact: true, name: label }).click();
   }
 }
diff --git a/testing/src/specs/playground.spec.ts b/testing/src/specs/playground.spec.ts
index 0a143a0d3..481250036 100644
--- a/testing/src/specs/playground.spec.ts
+++ b/testing/src/specs/playground.spec.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,15 @@ test.describe('playground', () => {
   test.describe.configure({ mode: 'default' });
   test.slow();
 
+  test('should find an instrument by its visible label in the selector', async ({ page }) => {
+    const playground = new PlaygroundPage(page);
+    await playground.goto();
+
+    await page.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Load an instrument...' }).click();
+    await page.getByPlaceholder('Search...').fill('Form Reference');
+    await expect(page.getByRole('option', { exact: true, name: 'Form Reference' })).toBeVisible();
+  });
+
   test('should run the preview on an origin other than the editor and render the instrument there @smoke', async ({
     page
   }) => {