diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/components/settings.css b/app/assets/stylesheets/components/settings.css
index 864037d0..2856ed86 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/components/settings.css
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/components/settings.css
@@ -313,6 +313,14 @@
   background-color: var(--color-bg-hover);
 }
 
+.settings-page .email-table tbody tr.saved-search-hidden td:not(:last-child) {
+  opacity: 0.55;
+}
+
+.settings-page .email-table tbody tr.saved-search-hidden td:first-child {
+  font-style: italic;
+}
+
 .settings-page .email-table td:last-child {
   display: flex;
   gap: var(--spacing-2);
@@ -732,6 +740,12 @@
   color: var(--color-text-secondary);
 }
 
+.settings-page .badge-default {
+  background: var(--color-primary-100);
+  color: var(--color-primary-700);
+  margin-left: var(--spacing-2);
+}
+
 .sent-header {
   margin-bottom: var(--spacing-6);
 }
diff --git a/app/controllers/settings/saved_search_preferences_controller.rb b/app/controllers/settings/saved_search_preferences_controller.rb
index 11bc741e..d519ac8e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/settings/saved_search_preferences_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/settings/saved_search_preferences_controller.rb
@@ -15,5 +15,19 @@ def create
 
       redirect_back fallback_location: settings_saved_searches_path, notice: hidden ? "Search hidden" : "Search shown"
     end
+
+    def set_default
+      saved_search = SavedSearch.visible_to(current_user).find(params[:saved_search_id])
+      default = ActiveModel::Type::Boolean.new.cast(params[:default])
+
+      pref = SavedSearchPreference.find_or_initialize_by(
+        saved_search: saved_search,
+        user: current_user
+      )
+      pref.default = default
+      pref.save!
+
+      redirect_back fallback_location: settings_saved_searches_path, notice: default ? "Default search set" : "Default search cleared"
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/controllers/settings/saved_searches_controller.rb b/app/controllers/settings/saved_searches_controller.rb
index f941cdc3..e21c43e5 100644
--- a/app/controllers/settings/saved_searches_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/settings/saved_searches_controller.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 module Settings
   class SavedSearchesController < Settings::BaseController
     before_action :set_saved_search, only: [ :edit, :update, :destroy ]
+    before_action :set_default_saved_search_id, only: [ :index ]
 
     def index
       @saved_searches = current_user.saved_searches.order(:position, :name)
@@ -66,6 +67,10 @@ def set_saved_search
       @saved_search = current_user.saved_searches.find(params[:id])
     end
 
+    def set_default_saved_search_id
+      @default_saved_search_id = current_user.default_saved_search_preference&.saved_search_id
+    end
+
     def saved_search_params
       params.require(:saved_search).permit(:name, :query)
     end
diff --git a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
index fc9f4361..286fd5ff 100644
--- a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
   ROW_STATES_LIMIT = 50
 
   def index
+    if user_signed_in? && request.format.html? && params[:cursor].blank? && params[:commit].blank?
+      default_search = current_user.default_saved_search
+      return redirect_to search_topics_path(saved_search_id: default_search.id) if default_search
+    end
+
     @search_query = nil
     base_query = Topic.includes(*TOPIC_LIST_PRELOADS)
     base_query = apply_default_ignore_filter(base_query) if user_signed_in?
diff --git a/app/models/saved_search_preference.rb b/app/models/saved_search_preference.rb
index 79f84232..cb3557fc 100644
--- a/app/models/saved_search_preference.rb
+++ b/app/models/saved_search_preference.rb
@@ -3,4 +3,12 @@ class SavedSearchPreference < ApplicationRecord
   belongs_to :user
 
   validates :saved_search_id, uniqueness: { scope: :user_id }
+
+  before_save :clear_other_defaults, if: -> { default? && will_save_change_to_default? }
+
+  private
+
+  def clear_other_defaults
+    self.class.where(user_id: user_id, default: true).where.not(id: id).update_all(default: false)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 15a5aad1..e878f641 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
   has_many :starred_topics, through: :topic_stars, source: :topic
   has_many :saved_searches
   has_many :saved_search_preferences
+  has_one :default_saved_search_preference, -> { where(default: true) }, class_name: "SavedSearchPreference"
+  has_one :default_saved_search, through: :default_saved_search_preference, source: :saved_search
   has_many :outgoing_drafts, dependent: :destroy
   has_many :user_features, dependent: :destroy
 
diff --git a/app/views/settings/saved_searches/index.html.slim b/app/views/settings/saved_searches/index.html.slim
index 733e030f..d9d599fd 100644
--- a/app/views/settings/saved_searches/index.html.slim
+++ b/app/views/settings/saved_searches/index.html.slim
@@ -18,8 +18,12 @@
               th Actions
           tbody
             - @saved_searches.each do |ss|
+              - is_default = @default_saved_search_id == ss.id
               tr
-                td = ss.name
+                td
+                  = ss.name
+                  - if is_default
+                    span.badge.badge-default Default
                 td
                   code = ss.query
                 td
@@ -28,6 +32,7 @@
                       i.fa-solid.fa-ellipsis-vertical
                     .row-actions-menu
                       = link_to "Edit", edit_settings_saved_search_path(ss), class: "row-actions-item"
+                      = button_to is_default ? "Remove default" : "Set as default", set_default_settings_saved_search_preferences_path(saved_search_id: ss.id, default: !is_default), method: :post, class: "row-actions-item"
                       = button_to "Delete", settings_saved_search_path(ss), method: :delete, class: "row-actions-item row-actions-item-danger", data: { turbo_confirm: "Delete this saved search?" }
 
     - if @global_searches.any?
@@ -39,16 +44,25 @@
             tr
               th Name
               th Query
-              th Visible
+              th Actions
           tbody
             - @global_searches.each do |ss|
-              tr
-                td = ss.name
+              - hidden = @hidden_ids.include?(ss.id)
+              - is_default = @default_saved_search_id == ss.id
+              tr class=("saved-search-hidden" if hidden)
+                td
+                  = ss.name
+                  - if is_default
+                    span.badge.badge-default Default
                 td
                   code = ss.query
                 td
-                  - hidden = @hidden_ids.include?(ss.id)
-                  = button_to hidden ? "Show" : "Hide", settings_saved_search_preferences_path(saved_search_id: ss.id, hidden: !hidden), method: :post, class: "button-secondary button-small"
+                  details.row-actions data-controller="nav-dropdown"
+                    summary.row-actions-toggle aria-label="Actions"
+                      i.fa-solid.fa-ellipsis-vertical
+                    .row-actions-menu
+                      = button_to hidden ? "Show" : "Hide", settings_saved_search_preferences_path(saved_search_id: ss.id, hidden: !hidden), method: :post, class: "row-actions-item"
+                      = button_to is_default ? "Remove default" : "Set as default", set_default_settings_saved_search_preferences_path(saved_search_id: ss.id, default: !is_default), method: :post, class: "row-actions-item"
 
     - if @system_searches.any?
       h2 Default Searches
@@ -59,13 +73,22 @@
             tr
               th Name
               th Query
-              th Visible
+              th Actions
           tbody
             - @system_searches.each do |ss|
-              tr
-                td = ss.name
+              - hidden = @hidden_ids.include?(ss.id)
+              - is_default = @default_saved_search_id == ss.id
+              tr class=("saved-search-hidden" if hidden)
+                td
+                  = ss.name
+                  - if is_default
+                    span.badge.badge-default Default
                 td
                   code = ss.query
                 td
-                  - hidden = @hidden_ids.include?(ss.id)
-                  = button_to hidden ? "Show" : "Hide", settings_saved_search_preferences_path(saved_search_id: ss.id, hidden: !hidden), method: :post, class: "button-secondary button-small"
+                  details.row-actions data-controller="nav-dropdown"
+                    summary.row-actions-toggle aria-label="Actions"
+                      i.fa-solid.fa-ellipsis-vertical
+                    .row-actions-menu
+                      = button_to hidden ? "Show" : "Hide", settings_saved_search_preferences_path(saved_search_id: ss.id, hidden: !hidden), method: :post, class: "row-actions-item"
+                      = button_to is_default ? "Remove default" : "Set as default", set_default_settings_saved_search_preferences_path(saved_search_id: ss.id, default: !is_default), method: :post, class: "row-actions-item"
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index c7bb766f..624f03aa 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@
     resource :import, only: [ :show, :create ]
     resource :deletion, only: [ :show, :create ]
     resources :saved_searches
-    resources :saved_search_preferences, only: [ :create ]
+    resources :saved_search_preferences, only: [ :create ] do
+      post :set_default, on: :collection
+    end
 
     resources :teams, only: [ :index, :show, :create, :update, :destroy ] do
       resources :team_members, only: [ :create, :update, :destroy ]
diff --git a/db/migrate/20260819090534_add_default_to_saved_search_preferences.rb b/db/migrate/20260819090534_add_default_to_saved_search_preferences.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..12418b7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20260819090534_add_default_to_saved_search_preferences.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+class AddDefaultToSavedSearchPreferences < ActiveRecord::Migration[8.0]
+  def change
+    add_column :saved_search_preferences, :default, :boolean, default: false, null: false
+
+    add_index :saved_search_preferences, :user_id,
+      unique: true,
+      where: '"default" = true',
+      name: "idx_one_default_saved_search_per_user"
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 2a97de37..807601e7 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema[8.0].define(version: 2026_08_18_120000) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema[8.0].define(version: 2026_08_19_090534) do
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "pg_catalog.plpgsql"
   enable_extension "pg_stat_statements"
@@ -570,8 +570,10 @@
     t.boolean "hidden", default: false, null: false
     t.datetime "created_at", null: false
     t.datetime "updated_at", null: false
+    t.boolean "default", default: false, null: false
     t.index ["saved_search_id", "user_id"], name: "idx_saved_search_prefs_unique", unique: true
     t.index ["saved_search_id"], name: "index_saved_search_preferences_on_saved_search_id"
+    t.index ["user_id"], name: "idx_one_default_saved_search_per_user", unique: true, where: "(\"default\" = true)"
     t.index ["user_id"], name: "index_saved_search_preferences_on_user_id"
   end