diff --git a/src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouter.tsx b/src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouter.tsx
index 34cfe1c2f2da..f6fd595e6a6e 100644
--- a/src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouter.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouter.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import CONST from '@src/CONST';
 import ONYXKEYS from '@src/ONYXKEYS';
 import ROUTES from '@src/ROUTES';
 import type Report from '@src/types/onyx/Report';
+import isLoadingOnyxValue from '@src/types/utils/isLoadingOnyxValue';
 import {getQueryWithSubstitutions} from './getQueryWithSubstitutions';
 import type {SubstitutionMap} from './getQueryWithSubstitutions';
 import {getUpdatedSubstitutionsMap} from './getUpdatedSubstitutionsMap';
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ function SearchRouter({onRouterClose, shouldHideInputCaret}: SearchRouterProps)
     const styles = useThemeStyles();
     const {translate} = useLocalize();
     const [betas] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.BETAS);
-    const [recentSearches] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.RECENT_SEARCHES);
+    const [recentSearches, recentSearchesMetadata] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.RECENT_SEARCHES);
     const [isSearchingForReports] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.IS_SEARCHING_FOR_REPORTS, {initWithStoredValues: false});
     const [autocompleteSubstitutions, setAutocompleteSubstitutions] = useState<SubstitutionMap>({});
 
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ function SearchRouter({onRouterClose, shouldHideInputCaret}: SearchRouterProps)
     const [reports = {}] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT);
     const taxRates = getAllTaxRates();
 
-    const {shouldUseNarrowLayout} = useResponsiveLayout();
+    const {shouldUseNarrowLayout, isLargeScreenWidth} = useResponsiveLayout();
     const listRef = useRef<SelectionListHandle>(null);
 
     // The actual input text that the user sees
@@ -310,6 +311,10 @@ function SearchRouter({onRouterClose, shouldHideInputCaret}: SearchRouterProps)
 
     const modalWidth = shouldUseNarrowLayout ? styles.w100 : {width: variables.searchRouterPopoverWidth};
 
+    const isDataLoaded = useMemo(() => {
+        return (!contextualReportID || contextualReportID !== undefined) && !isLoadingOnyxValue(recentSearchesMetadata) && recentReports.length > 0;
+    }, [contextualReportID, recentSearchesMetadata, recentReports]);
+
     return (
         <View
             style={[styles.flex1, modalWidth, styles.h100, !shouldUseNarrowLayout && styles.mh85vh]}
@@ -321,29 +326,34 @@ function SearchRouter({onRouterClose, shouldHideInputCaret}: SearchRouterProps)
                     onBackButtonPress={() => onRouterClose()}
                 />
             )}
-            <SearchRouterInput
-                value={textInputValue}
-                isFullWidth={shouldUseNarrowLayout}
-                onSearchQueryChange={onSearchQueryChange}
-                onSubmit={() => {
-                    submitSearch(textInputValue);
-                }}
-                caretHidden={shouldHideInputCaret}
-                routerListRef={listRef}
-                shouldShowOfflineMessage
-                wrapperStyle={[styles.border, styles.alignItemsCenter]}
-                outerWrapperStyle={[shouldUseNarrowLayout ? styles.mv3 : styles.mv2, shouldUseNarrowLayout ? styles.mh5 : styles.mh2]}
-                wrapperFocusedStyle={[styles.borderColorFocus]}
-                isSearchingForReports={isSearchingForReports}
-            />
-            <SearchRouterList
-                autocompleteQueryValue={autocompleteQueryValue}
-                searchQueryItem={searchQueryItem}
-                additionalSections={sections}
-                onListItemPress={onListItemPress}
-                onListItemFocus={onListItemFocus}
-                ref={listRef}
-            />
+            {(isDataLoaded || !!debouncedInputValue) && (
+                <>
+                    <SearchRouterInput
+                        value={textInputValue}
+                        isFullWidth={shouldUseNarrowLayout}
+                        onSearchQueryChange={onSearchQueryChange}
+                        onSubmit={() => {
+                            submitSearch(textInputValue);
+                        }}
+                        caretHidden={shouldHideInputCaret}
+                        routerListRef={listRef}
+                        shouldShowOfflineMessage
+                        wrapperStyle={[styles.border, styles.alignItemsCenter]}
+                        outerWrapperStyle={[shouldUseNarrowLayout ? styles.mv3 : styles.mv2, shouldUseNarrowLayout ? styles.mh5 : styles.mh2]}
+                        wrapperFocusedStyle={[styles.borderColorFocus]}
+                        isSearchingForReports={isSearchingForReports}
+                    />
+                    <SearchRouterList
+                        autocompleteQueryValue={autocompleteQueryValue}
+                        searchQueryItem={searchQueryItem}
+                        additionalSections={sections}
+                        onListItemPress={onListItemPress}
+                        onListItemFocus={onListItemFocus}
+                        initiallyFocusedOptionKey={isLargeScreenWidth ? styledRecentReports.at(0)?.keyForList : undefined}
+                        ref={listRef}
+                    />
+                </>
+            )}
         </View>
     );
 }
diff --git a/src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouterList.tsx b/src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouterList.tsx
index f626a3b34daf..3e7bae1e6661 100644
--- a/src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouterList.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouterList.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import {Str} from 'expensify-common';
-import React, {forwardRef, useMemo} from 'react';
+import React, {forwardRef, useMemo, useState} from 'react';
 import type {ForwardedRef} from 'react';
 import {useOnyx} from 'react-native-onyx';
 import * as Expensicons from '@components/Icon/Expensicons';
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ type SearchRouterListProps = {
 
     /** Callback to call when an item is focused via arrow buttons */
     onListItemFocus: (item: SearchQueryItem) => void;
+
+    /** Item `keyForList` to focus initially */
+    initiallyFocusedOptionKey?: string | null;
 };
 
 const defaultListOptions = {
@@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ function SearchRouterItem(props: UserListItemProps<OptionData> | SearchQueryList
 
 // Todo rename to SearchAutocompleteList once it's used in both Router and SearchPage
 function SearchRouterList(
-    {autocompleteQueryValue, searchQueryItem, additionalSections, shouldPreventDefault = true, onListItemFocus, onListItemPress}: SearchRouterListProps,
+    {autocompleteQueryValue, searchQueryItem, additionalSections, shouldPreventDefault = true, onListItemFocus, onListItemPress, initiallyFocusedOptionKey}: SearchRouterListProps,
     ref: ForwardedRef<SelectionListHandle>,
 ) {
     const styles = useThemeStyles();
@@ -345,6 +348,8 @@ function SearchRouterList(
 
     const sections: Array<SectionListDataType<OptionData | SearchQueryItem>> = [];
 
+    const [isInitialRender, setIsInitialRender] = useState(true);
+
     if (searchQueryItem) {
         sections.push({data: [searchQueryItem]});
     }
@@ -385,13 +390,18 @@ function SearchRouterList(
             sectionListStyle={[shouldUseNarrowLayout ? styles.ph5 : styles.ph2, styles.pb2]}
             listItemWrapperStyle={[styles.pr0, styles.pl0]}
             getItemHeight={getItemHeight}
-            onLayout={setPerformanceTimersEnd}
+            onLayout={() => {
+                setPerformanceTimersEnd();
+                setIsInitialRender(false);
+            }}
             showScrollIndicator={!shouldUseNarrowLayout}
             sectionTitleStyles={styles.mhn2}
             shouldSingleExecuteRowSelect
             onArrowFocus={onArrowFocus}
             shouldPreventDefault={shouldPreventDefault}
             ref={ref}
+            initiallyFocusedOptionKey={initiallyFocusedOptionKey}
+            shouldScrollToFocusedIndex={!isInitialRender}
         />
     );
 }
diff --git a/src/components/SelectionList/BaseSelectionList.tsx b/src/components/SelectionList/BaseSelectionList.tsx
index c621a4dc1820..58e1bc0e32fe 100644
--- a/src/components/SelectionList/BaseSelectionList.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SelectionList/BaseSelectionList.tsx
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ function BaseSelectionList<TItem extends ListItem>(
         shouldKeepFocusedItemAtTopOfViewableArea = false,
         shouldDebounceScrolling = false,
         shouldPreventActiveCellVirtualization = false,
+        shouldScrollToFocusedIndex = true,
     }: BaseSelectionListProps<TItem>,
     ref: ForwardedRef<SelectionListHandle>,
 ) {
@@ -323,7 +324,9 @@ function BaseSelectionList<TItem extends ListItem>(
             if (focusedItem) {
                 onArrowFocus(focusedItem);
             }
-            (shouldDebounceScrolling ? debouncedScrollToIndex : scrollToIndex)(index, true);
+            if (shouldScrollToFocusedIndex) {
+                (shouldDebounceScrolling ? debouncedScrollToIndex : scrollToIndex)(index, true);
+            }
         },
         isFocused,
     });
@@ -592,10 +595,12 @@ function BaseSelectionList<TItem extends ListItem>(
             if (!isInitialSectionListRender) {
                 return;
             }
-            scrollToIndex(focusedIndex, false);
+            if (shouldScrollToFocusedIndex) {
+                scrollToIndex(focusedIndex, false);
+            }
             setIsInitialSectionListRender(false);
         },
-        [focusedIndex, isInitialSectionListRender, scrollToIndex, shouldUseDynamicMaxToRenderPerBatch],
+        [focusedIndex, isInitialSectionListRender, scrollToIndex, shouldUseDynamicMaxToRenderPerBatch, shouldScrollToFocusedIndex],
     );
 
     const onSectionListLayout = useCallback(
diff --git a/src/components/SelectionList/types.ts b/src/components/SelectionList/types.ts
index 35cae42c89a6..1908bb47dc39 100644
--- a/src/components/SelectionList/types.ts
+++ b/src/components/SelectionList/types.ts
@@ -621,6 +621,9 @@ type BaseSelectionListProps<TItem extends ListItem> = Partial<ChildrenProps> & {
 
     /** Whether to prevent the active cell from being virtualized and losing focus in browsers */
     shouldPreventActiveCellVirtualization?: boolean;
+
+    /** Whether to scroll to the focused index */
+    shouldScrollToFocusedIndex?: boolean;
 } & TRightHandSideComponent<TItem>;
 
 type SelectionListHandle = {