diff --git a/.changeset/chubby-wombats-start.md b/.changeset/chubby-wombats-start.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d6ab8790547
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/chubby-wombats-start.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@primer/react': minor
+---
+
+FilteredActionList: Adds new prop `setInitialFocus` which will prevent `aria-activedescendant` from being set until user action
diff --git a/.changeset/many-planets-take.md b/.changeset/many-planets-take.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..034ee5b2755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/many-planets-take.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@primer/react': minor
+---
+
+FilteredActionList: Add prop `disableSelectOnHover` which will disable the ability where hovering over an item sets it as the `aria-activedescendant` value
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 57ec80f12e4..e74f2438e9a 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -6480,9 +6480,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@primer/behaviors": {
-      "version": "1.8.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@primer/behaviors/-/behaviors-1.8.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-qIiMXxJQImuV4CFHhzDvnjBThtZue7LsJ03fLDSG7FuTcm1CSYkNnCLfJqnyDqY9LmVz7WJ6rvCGhOVEW8fLcA==",
+      "version": "1.9.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@primer/behaviors/-/behaviors-1.9.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-MIVSZlQGJzas44DZDwo4Dqiev289K918oDl/AcA+zTpQAjp+PrJ0LUxEnrSOapyivLYpRpmSCeF0XPh7NgXpCA==",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
     "node_modules/@primer/css": {
@@ -27224,7 +27224,7 @@
         "@github/tab-container-element": "^4.8.2",
         "@lit-labs/react": "1.2.1",
         "@oddbird/popover-polyfill": "^0.5.2",
-        "@primer/behaviors": "^1.8.2",
+        "@primer/behaviors": "1.9.0",
         "@primer/live-region-element": "^0.7.1",
         "@primer/octicons-react": "^19.13.0",
         "@primer/primitives": "10.x || 11.x",
diff --git a/packages/react/package.json b/packages/react/package.json
index 2e8cf2c50ca..f27f072d510 100644
--- a/packages/react/package.json
+++ b/packages/react/package.json
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
     "@github/tab-container-element": "^4.8.2",
     "@lit-labs/react": "1.2.1",
     "@oddbird/popover-polyfill": "^0.5.2",
-    "@primer/behaviors": "^1.8.2",
+    "@primer/behaviors": "^1.9.0",
     "@primer/live-region-element": "^0.7.1",
     "@primer/octicons-react": "^19.13.0",
     "@primer/primitives": "10.x || 11.x",
diff --git a/packages/react/src/FilteredActionList/FilteredActionList.tsx b/packages/react/src/FilteredActionList/FilteredActionList.tsx
index f5f1275bd7c..6589e9eb983 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/FilteredActionList/FilteredActionList.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/FilteredActionList/FilteredActionList.tsx
@@ -80,6 +80,15 @@ export interface FilteredActionListProps extends Partial<Omit<GroupedListProps,
    * @default 'active-descendant'
    */
   _PrivateFocusManagement?: 'roving-tabindex' | 'active-descendant'
+  /**
+   * If true, disables selecting items when hovering over them with the mouse.
+   */
+  disableSelectOnHover?: boolean
+  /**
+   * If true, focus remains where it was and the user must interact to move focus.
+   * If false, sets initial focus to the first item in the list when rendered, enabling keyboard navigation immediately.
+   */
+  setInitialFocus?: boolean
 }
 
 export function FilteredActionList({
@@ -106,6 +115,8 @@ export function FilteredActionList({
   actionListProps,
   focusOutBehavior = 'wrap',
   _PrivateFocusManagement = 'active-descendant',
+  disableSelectOnHover = false,
+  setInitialFocus = false,
   ...listProps
 }: FilteredActionListProps): JSX.Element {
   const [filterValue, setInternalFilterValue] = useProvidedStateOrCreate(externalFilterValue, undefined, '')
@@ -233,6 +244,8 @@ export function FilteredActionList({
               scrollIntoView(current, scrollContainerRef.current, menuScrollMargins)
             }
           },
+          focusInStrategy: setInitialFocus ? 'initial' : 'previous',
+          ignoreHoverEvents: disableSelectOnHover,
         }
       : undefined,
     [listContainerElement, usingRovingTabindex],
diff --git a/packages/react/src/SelectPanel/SelectPanel.dev.stories.tsx b/packages/react/src/SelectPanel/SelectPanel.dev.stories.tsx
index 5db418a413a..e9f07bf1f94 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/SelectPanel/SelectPanel.dev.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/SelectPanel/SelectPanel.dev.stories.tsx
@@ -381,3 +381,65 @@ export const LotsOfItems = () => {
     </>
   )
 }
+
+export const WithDisableOnHover = ({onCancel, secondaryAction}: ParamProps) => {
+  const [selected, setSelected] = useState<ItemInput[]>(simpleItems.slice(1, 3))
+  const [filter, setFilter] = useState('')
+  const filteredItems = simpleItems.filter(item => item.text.toLowerCase().startsWith(filter.toLowerCase()))
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
+
+  return (
+    <SelectPanel
+      title="Select labels"
+      placeholder="Select labels"
+      subtitle="Use labels to organize issues and pull requests"
+      renderAnchor={({children, ...anchorProps}) => (
+        <Button trailingAction={TriangleDownIcon} {...anchorProps} aria-haspopup="dialog">
+          {children}
+        </Button>
+      )}
+      open={open}
+      onOpenChange={setOpen}
+      items={filteredItems}
+      selected={selected}
+      onSelectedChange={setSelected}
+      onFilterChange={setFilter}
+      width="medium"
+      message={filteredItems.length === 0 ? NoResultsMessage(filter) : undefined}
+      onCancel={onCancel}
+      secondaryAction={secondaryAction}
+      disableSelectOnHover
+    />
+  )
+}
+
+export const WithInitialFocusEnabled = ({onCancel, secondaryAction}: ParamProps) => {
+  const [selected, setSelected] = useState<ItemInput[]>(simpleItems.slice(1, 3))
+  const [filter, setFilter] = useState('')
+  const filteredItems = simpleItems.filter(item => item.text.toLowerCase().startsWith(filter.toLowerCase()))
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
+
+  return (
+    <SelectPanel
+      title="Select labels"
+      placeholder="Select labels"
+      subtitle="Use labels to organize issues and pull requests"
+      renderAnchor={({children, ...anchorProps}) => (
+        <Button trailingAction={TriangleDownIcon} {...anchorProps} aria-haspopup="dialog">
+          {children}
+        </Button>
+      )}
+      open={open}
+      onOpenChange={setOpen}
+      items={filteredItems}
+      selected={selected}
+      onSelectedChange={setSelected}
+      onFilterChange={setFilter}
+      width="medium"
+      message={filteredItems.length === 0 ? NoResultsMessage(filter) : undefined}
+      onCancel={onCancel}
+      secondaryAction={secondaryAction}
+      setInitialFocus={true}
+    />
+  )
+}
diff --git a/packages/react/src/SelectPanel/SelectPanel.test.tsx b/packages/react/src/SelectPanel/SelectPanel.test.tsx
index 522dae058a7..47ee19a457d 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/SelectPanel/SelectPanel.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/SelectPanel/SelectPanel.test.tsx
@@ -1519,6 +1519,122 @@ for (const usingRemoveActiveDescendant of [false, true]) {
         expect(selectAllCheckbox).toHaveProperty('indeterminate', true)
       })
     })
+
+    describe('disableSelectOnHover', () => {
+      it('should not update aria-activedescendant when hovering over items when disableSelectOnHover is true', async () => {
+        const user = userEvent.setup()
+
+        render(<BasicSelectPanel disableSelectOnHover={true} />)
+
+        await user.click(screen.getByText('Select items'))
+
+        const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText('Filter items')
+        const options = screen.getAllByRole('option')
+
+        // Initially, aria-activedescendant should not be set if setInitialFocus is false (default)
+        const initialActiveDescendant = input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')
+
+        // Hover over the first item
+        await user.hover(options[0])
+
+        // aria-activedescendant should not change when disableSelectOnHover is true
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(initialActiveDescendant)
+
+        // Hover over the second item
+        await user.hover(options[1])
+
+        // aria-activedescendant should still not change
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(initialActiveDescendant)
+      })
+
+      it('should update aria-activedescendant when hovering over items when disableSelectOnHover is false (default)', async () => {
+        const user = userEvent.setup()
+
+        render(<BasicSelectPanel />)
+
+        await user.click(screen.getByText('Select items'))
+
+        const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText('Filter items')
+        const options = screen.getAllByRole('option')
+
+        // Hover over the first item
+        await user.hover(options[0])
+
+        // aria-activedescendant should be set to the first item
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(options[0].id)
+
+        // Hover over the second item
+        await user.hover(options[1])
+
+        // aria-activedescendant should be updated to the second item
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(options[1].id)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('setInitialFocus', () => {
+      it('should not set aria-activedescendant until user interaction when setInitialFocus is true', async () => {
+        const user = userEvent.setup()
+
+        render(<BasicSelectPanel setInitialFocus={true} />)
+
+        await user.click(screen.getByText('Select items'))
+
+        const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText('Filter items')
+        const options = screen.getAllByRole('option')
+
+        // Initially, aria-activedescendant should not be set
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBeFalsy()
+
+        // User interacts with keyboard
+        await user.keyboard('{ArrowDown}')
+
+        // Now aria-activedescendant should be set to the first item
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(options[0].id)
+      })
+
+      it('should set aria-activedescendant to the first item on mount when setInitialFocus is false (default)', async () => {
+        const user = userEvent.setup()
+
+        render(<BasicSelectPanel />)
+
+        await user.click(screen.getByText('Select items'))
+
+        const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText('Filter items')
+        const options = screen.getAllByRole('option')
+
+        // Wait a tick for the effect to run
+        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 0))
+
+        // aria-activedescendant should be set to the first item
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(options[0].id)
+      })
+
+      it('should not set aria-activedescendant on mouse hover until after first interaction when setInitialFocus is true', async () => {
+        const user = userEvent.setup()
+
+        render(<BasicSelectPanel setInitialFocus={true} />)
+
+        await user.click(screen.getByText('Select items'))
+
+        const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText('Filter items')
+        const options = screen.getAllByRole('option')
+
+        // Initially, aria-activedescendant should not be set
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBeFalsy()
+
+        // Hover over the first item (this is the first interaction)
+        await user.hover(options[0])
+
+        // Now aria-activedescendant should be set to the first item
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(options[0].id)
+
+        // Hover over the second item
+        await user.hover(options[1])
+
+        // aria-activedescendant should update to the second item
+        expect(input.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(options[1].id)
+      })
+    })
   })
 
   describe('Event propagation', () => {