diff --git a/OpenNest.WinForms.Tests/Forms/SetReleaseFormsTests.cs b/OpenNest.WinForms.Tests/Forms/SetReleaseFormsTests.cs
index 96d3045e..e487b9b3 100644
--- a/OpenNest.WinForms.Tests/Forms/SetReleaseFormsTests.cs
+++ b/OpenNest.WinForms.Tests/Forms/SetReleaseFormsTests.cs
@@ -639,6 +639,33 @@ public class SetReleaseFormsTests
             "The all-releases view test did not complete.");
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void Release_ListsTheFirstSetsInTheAddSetBox_BeforeAnythingIsTyped()
+    {
+        StaTestThread.Run(
+            () =>
+            {
+                var library = new PackageLibrary();
+                var a = library.Add("SYN-A", "Synthetic Steel");
+                var sets = new InMemoryDrawingSets();
+                CreateSet(sets, "Synthetic kit", (a, 1));
+                CreateSet(sets, "Synthetic frame", (a, 2));
+                var nests = new MemoryNests();
+
+                using var form = new ReleaseSetForm(sets, library, nests, Server, Array.Empty<DrawingSetRecord>(),
+                    Array.Empty<SetReleaseDrawingLine>(), (_, _) => { });
+                form.Show();
+                var combo = Field<ComboBox>(form, "addSetCombo");
+                PumpUntil(() => combo.Items.Count == 2, "the set list");
+
+                Assert.Equal(new[] { "Synthetic frame", "Synthetic kit" }, combo.Items.Cast<object>().Select(i => i.ToString()!.Split(" (")[0]));
+                Assert.Equal("", combo.Text);
+                Assert.False(combo.DroppedDown);
+            },
+            TestTimeout,
+            "The set list test did not complete.");
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public void Release_StartedEmpty_AddsASetAndReleasesIt()
     {
diff --git a/OpenNest/Forms/ReleaseSetForm.Designer.cs b/OpenNest/Forms/ReleaseSetForm.Designer.cs
index b001cd9e..f5716fc9 100644
--- a/OpenNest/Forms/ReleaseSetForm.Designer.cs
+++ b/OpenNest/Forms/ReleaseSetForm.Designer.cs
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ namespace OpenNest.Forms
             addSetCombo.Name = "addSetCombo";
             addSetCombo.TabIndex = 1;
             addSetCombo.TextUpdate += AddSetCombo_TextUpdate;
+            addSetCombo.DropDown += AddSetCombo_DropDown;
             addSetCombo.KeyDown += AddSetCombo_KeyDown;
             //
             // addSetButton
diff --git a/OpenNest/Forms/ReleaseSetForm.cs b/OpenNest/Forms/ReleaseSetForm.cs
index 1c16b1a6..26624472 100644
--- a/OpenNest/Forms/ReleaseSetForm.cs
+++ b/OpenNest/Forms/ReleaseSetForm.cs
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ namespace OpenNest.Forms
                 AddRow(line.Drawing, line.Drawing.Name, line.Drawing.Customer, line.Drawing.Revision, line.Quantity);
             populating = false;
             BuildPlan();
+            // The first sets by name are listed before anything is typed, so the arrow shows them.
+            Shown += async (_, _) => await SearchSetsAsync("", dropDown: false);
         }
 
         /// <summary>The sets listed, in order, with their kits.</summary>
@@ -282,6 +284,13 @@ namespace OpenNest.Forms
             BuildPlan();
         }
 
+        // Opening the empty list reads the first sets when the initial read failed or found none yet.
+        private async void AddSetCombo_DropDown(object sender, EventArgs e)
+        {
+            if (addSetCombo.Items.Count == 0 && string.IsNullOrEmpty(addSetCombo.Text) && addSetCombo.Enabled)
+                await SearchSetsAsync("", dropDown: false);
+        }
+
         // Type-ahead: the set list is queried once typing pauses.
         private void AddSetCombo_TextUpdate(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
@@ -305,8 +314,12 @@ namespace OpenNest.Forms
 
         private async void AddSetButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) => await AddTypedSetAsync();
 
-        /// <summary>Lists active sets whose name, customer or notes contain <paramref name="text"/>.</summary>
-        internal async Task SearchSetsAsync(string text)
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Lists the first active sets by name whose name, customer or notes contain
+        /// <paramref name="text"/> (all of them for an empty text); <paramref name="dropDown"/>
+        /// opens the list when the box has focus, as typing does.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal async Task SearchSetsAsync(string text, bool dropDown = true)
         {
             searchCancellation?.Cancel();
             searchCancellation?.Dispose();
@@ -340,7 +353,7 @@ namespace OpenNest.Forms
             addSetCombo.EndUpdate();
             addSetCombo.Text = typed;
             addSetCombo.SelectionStart = System.Math.Min(caret, typed.Length);
-            if (addSetCombo.Focused && page.Items.Count > 0)
+            if (dropDown && addSetCombo.Focused && page.Items.Count > 0)
                 addSetCombo.DroppedDown = true;
         }
 
diff --git a/docs/nest-storage.md b/docs/nest-storage.md
index 1147bc89..ef5407c2 100644
--- a/docs/nest-storage.md
+++ b/docs/nest-storage.md
@@ -408,9 +408,9 @@ review and Save; nothing is stored before then.
 
 **Release...** (in the drawing sets window) reads the
 selected active set with its members and opens the release dialog with it listed.
-More sets are added by typing in **Add a set** (the list of matching active sets
-fills as you type; Enter or **Add** takes the picked set, or the one set whose
-name is exactly what was typed). **Add Drawings...** adds library drawings on
+More sets are added from **Add a set**: the list opens with the first active sets
+by name and narrows as you type; Enter or **Add** takes the picked set, or the one
+set whose name is exactly what was typed. **Add Drawings...** adds library drawings on
 their own, outside any set: it browses every active drawing as the set editor's
 library pane does (search, server-side sort, pages, several selected at once),
 and **Add to Release**, a double-click or Enter adds the selection at the