diff --git a/frontend/src/metabase/components/ListField/ListField.tsx b/frontend/src/metabase/components/ListField/ListField.tsx
index 36789b077c87bfe7d7e3b1350c88c275da483adb..bb91e9679b9b29492d173a1972648d2d7163cf9a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/metabase/components/ListField/ListField.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/metabase/components/ListField/ListField.tsx
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export const ListField = ({
       option[0]
         .toString()
         .toLowerCase()
-        .startsWith(trimmedFilter),
+        .includes(trimmedFilter),
     );
   }, [augmentedOptions, debouncedFilter, sortedOptions]);
 
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ export const ListField = ({
         onChange={setFilter}
         onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
         hasClearButton
+        autoFocus
       />
 
       {shouldShowEmptyState && (