diff --git a/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/InstrumentSelector.tsx b/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/InstrumentSelector.tsx
index f301f9d11..aefb9426b 100644
--- a/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/InstrumentSelector.tsx
+++ b/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/InstrumentSelector.tsx
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ export const InstrumentSelector = () => {
                 {instruments.map((instrument) => (
                   <Command.Item
                     key={instrument.id}
-                    value={instrument.id}
-                    onSelect={(id) => {
-                      setSelectedInstrument(id);
+                    value={instrument.label}
+                    onSelect={() => {
+                      setSelectedInstrument(instrument.id);
                       setOpen(false);
                     }}
                   >
diff --git a/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/__tests__/InstrumentSelector.test.tsx b/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/__tests__/InstrumentSelector.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5124f5b49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/playground/src/components/Header/InstrumentSelector/__tests__/InstrumentSelector.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+
+import { cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import type { InstrumentRepository } from '@/models/instrument-repository.model';
+
+import { InstrumentSelector } from '../InstrumentSelector';
+
+const store = vi.hoisted(() => {
+  const instruments: InstrumentRepository[] = [
+    {
+      category: 'Examples',
+      files: [],
+      id: '0b5d1c2e-7f3a-4c1d-9e8f-2a6b7c8d9e0f',
+      kind: 'FORM',
+      label: 'Form Reference'
+    },
+    {
+      category: 'Templates',
+      files: [],
+      id: 'c3e9a1b2-5d6f-4e7a-8b9c-0d1e2f3a4b5c',
+      kind: 'FORM',
+      label: 'Unilingual Form'
+    }
+  ];
+  return {
+    state: {
+      instruments,
+      selectedInstrument: instruments[1]!,
+      setSelectedInstrument: (_id: string) => undefined
+    }
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock('@/store', () => ({
+  useAppStore: <TSelected,>(selector: (state: typeof store.state) => TSelected) => selector(store.state)
+}));
+
+function openAndSearch(query: string) {
+  fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Load an instrument...' }));
+  fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText('Search...'), { target: { value: query } });
+}
+
+describe('InstrumentSelector', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    store.state.setSelectedInstrument = vi.fn();
+    render(<InstrumentSelector />);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    cleanup();
+  });
+
+  it('should list an instrument whose label matches the search', () => {
+    openAndSearch('Form Reference');
+    expect(screen.getByRole('option', { name: 'Form Reference' })).toBeDefined();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('option', { name: 'Unilingual Form' })).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('should list nothing for a query only an id matches, so the hidden UUIDs are never searched', () => {
+    openAndSearch('4');
+    expect(screen.queryAllByRole('option')).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(screen.getByText('No Instruments Found')).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('should select the chosen instrument by its id, though its label is what is searched', () => {
+    openAndSearch('Form Reference');
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('option', { name: 'Form Reference' }));
+    expect(store.state.setSelectedInstrument).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith('0b5d1c2e-7f3a-4c1d-9e8f-2a6b7c8d9e0f');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/testing/src/pages/playground/index.page.ts b/testing/src/pages/playground/index.page.ts
index 012ea8ad5..8ac721ed5 100644
--- a/testing/src/pages/playground/index.page.ts
+++ b/testing/src/pages/playground/index.page.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ import { playgroundURL } from '../../support/env';
 export class PlaygroundPage {
   readonly $ref: Page;
   readonly editorPane: Locator;
+  /** The instrument list's search box, inside the popover {@link instrumentSelector} opens. */
+  readonly instrumentSearch: Locator;
+  /** The header's button that opens the instrument list. */
+  readonly instrumentSelector: Locator;
   /** The handle between the editor and preview panes, which resizes them. */
   readonly paneSeparator: Locator;
   /** The instrument preview, which runs on another origin than the editor. */
@@ -19,6 +23,8 @@ export class PlaygroundPage {
   constructor(page: Page) {
     this.$ref = page;
     this.editorPane = page.getByTestId('editor-pane');
+    this.instrumentSelector = page.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Load an instrument...' });
+    this.instrumentSearch = page.getByPlaceholder('Search...');
     this.paneSeparator = page.getByRole('separator');
     this.previewFrame = page.getByTestId('preview-frame');
     this.preview = page.frameLocator('[data-testid="preview-frame"]');
@@ -46,12 +52,20 @@ export class PlaygroundPage {
     await this.$ref.goto(url);
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Picks an example or template from the header's instrument list by its label. The list's search
-   * box matches on instrument ids rather than labels, so the option is clicked without filtering.
-   */
+  /** The option for the instrument with this label in the header's instrument list. */
+  instrumentOption(label: string): Locator {
+    return this.$ref.getByRole('option', { exact: true, name: label });
+  }
+
+  /** Opens the header's instrument list and types `query` into its search box. */
+  async searchInstruments(query: string): Promise<void> {
+    await this.instrumentSelector.click();
+    await this.instrumentSearch.fill(query);
+  }
+
+  /** Picks an example or template from the header's instrument list by its label. */
   async selectInstrument(label: string): Promise<void> {
-    await this.$ref.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Load an instrument...' }).click();
-    await this.$ref.getByRole('option', { exact: true, name: label }).click();
+    await this.searchInstruments(label);
+    await this.instrumentOption(label).click();
   }
 }
diff --git a/testing/src/specs/playground.spec.ts b/testing/src/specs/playground.spec.ts
index 2a706b5a7..668ed59e2 100644
--- a/testing/src/specs/playground.spec.ts
+++ b/testing/src/specs/playground.spec.ts
@@ -164,6 +164,23 @@ test.describe('playground', () => {
   test.describe.configure({ mode: 'default' });
   test.slow();
 
+  test('should find an instrument by its visible label in the selector', async ({ page }) => {
+    const playground = new PlaygroundPage(page);
+    await playground.goto();
+
+    await playground.searchInstruments('Form Reference');
+    await expect(playground.instrumentOption('Form Reference')).toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  test('should find nothing for a query only the hidden instrument ids match', async ({ page }) => {
+    const playground = new PlaygroundPage(page);
+    await playground.goto();
+
+    // Every v4 UUID carries a 4 in its version digit, and no built-in label contains one.
+    await playground.searchInstruments('4');
+    await expect(page.getByText('No Instruments Found')).toBeVisible();
+  });
+
   test('should run the preview on an origin other than the editor and render the instrument there @smoke', async ({
     page
   }) => {