diff --git a/pkg/cli/prompt_test.go b/pkg/cli/prompt_test.go
index c9684e3..e72ac5e 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/prompt_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/prompt_test.go
@@ -205,6 +205,14 @@ func TestChoose_Good_Filter(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "apricot", val)
 }
 
+func TestChoose_Bad_FilteredDefaultDoesNotFallBackToFirstVisible(t *testing.T) {
+	SetStdin(strings.NewReader("ap\n\n2\n"))
+	defer SetStdin(nil)
+
+	val := Choose("Pick", []string{"apple", "banana", "apricot"}, WithDefaultIndex[string](1), Filter[string]())
+	assert.Equal(t, "apricot", val)
+}
+
 func TestChooseMulti_Good_Filter(t *testing.T) {
 	SetStdin(strings.NewReader("ap\n1 2\n"))
 	defer SetStdin(nil)
@@ -213,6 +221,14 @@ func TestChooseMulti_Good_Filter(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"apple", "apricot"}, vals)
 }
 
+func TestChooseMulti_Bad_FilteredDefaultDoesNotFallBackToFirstVisible(t *testing.T) {
+	SetStdin(strings.NewReader("ap\n\n2\n"))
+	defer SetStdin(nil)
+
+	vals := ChooseMulti("Pick", []string{"apple", "banana", "apricot"}, WithDefaultIndex[string](1), Filter[string]())
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"apricot"}, vals)
+}
+
 func TestChooseMulti_Good_Commas(t *testing.T) {
 	SetStdin(strings.NewReader("1,3\n"))
 	defer SetStdin(nil)
diff --git a/pkg/cli/utils.go b/pkg/cli/utils.go
index 1fca45e..a5cc3fb 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/utils.go
@@ -363,16 +363,20 @@ func Choose[T any](prompt string, items []T, opts ...ChooseOption[T]) T {
 		response = strings.TrimSpace(response)
 
 		if err != nil && response == "" {
-			if cfg.defaultN >= 0 {
-				return items[defaultVisibleIndex(visible, cfg.defaultN)]
+			if idx, ok := defaultVisibleIndex(visible, cfg.defaultN); ok {
+				return items[idx]
 			}
 			var zero T
 			return zero
 		}
 
 		if response == "" {
+			if idx, ok := defaultVisibleIndex(visible, cfg.defaultN); ok {
+				return items[idx]
+			}
 			if cfg.defaultN >= 0 {
-				return items[defaultVisibleIndex(visible, cfg.defaultN)]
+				fmt.Printf("Default selection is not available in the current list\n")
+				continue
 			}
 			fmt.Printf("Please enter a number between 1 and %d\n", len(visible))
 			continue
@@ -454,8 +458,12 @@ func ChooseMulti[T any](prompt string, items []T, opts ...ChooseOption[T]) []T {
 
 		// Empty response returns no selections
 		if response == "" {
+			if idx, ok := defaultVisibleIndex(visible, cfg.defaultN); ok {
+				return []T{items[idx]}
+			}
 			if cfg.defaultN >= 0 {
-				return []T{items[defaultVisibleIndex(visible, cfg.defaultN)]}
+				fmt.Printf("Default selection is not available in the current list\n")
+				continue
 			}
 			return nil
 		}
@@ -499,18 +507,16 @@ func renderChoices[T any](prompt string, items []T, visible []int, displayFn fun
 	}
 }
 
-func defaultVisibleIndex(visible []int, defaultN int) int {
-	if defaultN >= 0 {
-		for _, idx := range visible {
-			if idx == defaultN {
-				return idx
-			}
+func defaultVisibleIndex(visible []int, defaultN int) (int, bool) {
+	if defaultN < 0 {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	for _, idx := range visible {
+		if idx == defaultN {
+			return idx, true
 		}
 	}
-	if len(visible) > 0 {
-		return visible[0]
-	}
-	return 0
+	return 0, false
 }
 
 func filterVisible[T any](items []T, visible []int, query string, displayFn func(T) string) []int {