diff --git a/ang/crmUi.js b/ang/crmUi.js
index d06de24e8a6d..92852bd8d98e 100644
--- a/ang/crmUi.js
+++ b/ang/crmUi.js
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@
             $timeout(function() {
               $element.crmAutocomplete(ctrl.entity, ctrl.crmAutocompleteParams, {
                 multiple: ctrl.multi,
-                minimumInputLength: ctrl.autoOpen && !ctrl.staticOptions ? 0 : 1,
+                minimumInputLength: ctrl.autoOpen && _.isEmpty(ctrl.staticOptions) ? 0 : 1,
                 static: ctrl.staticOptions || [],
               });
             });
diff --git a/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchAdmin.module.js b/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchAdmin.module.js
index 1669081dcbd7..f4fffa91f055 100644
--- a/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchAdmin.module.js
+++ b/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchAdmin.module.js
@@ -398,7 +398,10 @@
               entity.optionsLoaded = false;
               entitiesToLoad[entityName] = [entityName, 'getFields', {
                 loadOptions: ['id', 'name', 'label', 'description', 'color', 'icon'],
-                where: [['options', '!=', false]],
+                // For fields with both an FK and an option list, prefer the FK
+                // because it's more efficient to render an autocomplete than to
+                // pre-load potentially thousands of options into a select dropdown.
+                where: [['options', '!=', false], ['fk_entity', 'IS NULL']],
                 select: ['options']
               }, {name: 'options'}];
             }
diff --git a/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchAdmin/crmSearchAdmin.component.js b/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchAdmin/crmSearchAdmin.component.js
index 15bebbe47724..a8e0893b9862 100644
--- a/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchAdmin/crmSearchAdmin.component.js
+++ b/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchAdmin/crmSearchAdmin.component.js
@@ -532,7 +532,8 @@
           prefix = typeof prefix === 'undefined' ? '' : prefix;
           _.each(fields, function(field) {
             var item = {
-              id: prefix + field.name + (field.suffixes && _.includes(field.suffixes, suffix.replace(':', '')) ? suffix : ''),
+              // Use suffix only if the field is not an FK. EntityRef fields look-up by id.
+              id: prefix + field.name + (!field.fk_entity && _.includes(field.suffixes || [], suffix.replace(':', '')) ? suffix : ''),
               text: field.label,
               description: field.description
             };
diff --git a/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/crmSearchInputVal.component.js b/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/crmSearchInputVal.component.js
index 9419d338d3d3..b48165a03045 100644
--- a/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/crmSearchInputVal.component.js
+++ b/ext/search_kit/ang/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/crmSearchInputVal.component.js
@@ -142,12 +142,16 @@
           return '~/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/boolean.html';
         }
 
-        if (field.options) {
-          return '~/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/select.html';
-        }
-
-        if ((field.fk_entity || field.name === 'id') && !_.includes(['>', '<', '>=', '<='], ctrl.op)) {
-          return '~/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/entityRef.html';
+        if (!_.includes(['>', '<', '>=', '<='], ctrl.op)) {
+          // For fields with both an FK and an option list, prefer the FK
+          // because it's more efficient to render an autocomplete than to
+          // pre-load potentially thousands of options into a select dropdown.
+          if ((field.fk_entity || field.name === 'id')) {
+            return '~/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/entityRef.html';
+          }
+          if (field.options) {
+            return '~/crmSearchTasks/crmSearchInput/select.html';
+          }
         }
 
         if (field.data_type === 'Integer') {