diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/ui/inline-combobox.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/ui/inline-combobox.tsx
index cf056d3d8..bc2ce1a3d 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/ui/inline-combobox.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/ui/inline-combobox.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@ import { useComposedRef, useEditorRef } from 'platejs/react';
 
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 
+function useRequiredComboboxContext() {
+  const context = useComboboxContext();
+
+  if (!context) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'InlineCombobox compound components must be rendered within InlineCombobox'
+    );
+  }
+
+  return context;
+}
+
 type FilterFn = (
   item: { value: string; group?: string; keywords?: string[]; label?: string },
   search: string
@@ -56,7 +68,7 @@ const defaultFilter: FilterFn = (
   );
 
   return Array.from(uniqueTerms).some((keyword) =>
-    filterWords(keyword!, search)
+    filterWords(keyword as string, search)
   );
 };
 
@@ -91,7 +103,7 @@ const InlineCombobox = ({
 
   // Check if current user is the creator of this element (for Yjs collaboration)
   const isCreator = React.useMemo(() => {
-    const elementUserId = (element as any).userId;
+    const elementUserId = (element as Record<string, unknown>).userId;
     const currentUserId = editor.meta.userId;
 
     // If no userId (backwards compatibility or non-Yjs), allow
@@ -170,10 +182,8 @@ const InlineCombobox = ({
       trigger,
       showTrigger,
       filter,
-      inputRef,
       inputProps,
       removeInput,
-      setHasEmpty,
     ]
   );
 
@@ -189,6 +199,8 @@ const InlineCombobox = ({
    * item.
    */
   React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (items.length === 0) return;
+
     if (!store.getState().activeId) {
       store.setActiveId(store.first());
     }
@@ -225,7 +237,7 @@ const InlineComboboxInput = ({
     trigger,
   } = React.useContext(InlineComboboxContext);
 
-  const store = useComboboxContext()!;
+  const store = useRequiredComboboxContext();
   const value = store.useState('value');
 
   const ref = useComposedRef(propRef, contextRef);
@@ -341,14 +353,15 @@ const InlineComboboxItem = ({
 
   const { filter, removeInput } = React.useContext(InlineComboboxContext);
 
-  const store = useComboboxContext()!;
+  const store = useRequiredComboboxContext();
 
-  // Optimization: Do not subscribe to value if filter is false
-  const search = filter && store.useState('value');
+  // Always call hook unconditionally; only use value if filter is active
+  const storeValue = store.useState('value');
+  const search = filter ? storeValue : '';
 
   const visible = React.useMemo(
     () =>
-      !filter || filter({ group, keywords, label, value }, search as string),
+      !filter || filter({ group, keywords, label, value }, search),
     [filter, group, keywords, label, value, search]
   );
 
@@ -371,7 +384,7 @@ const InlineComboboxEmpty = ({
   className,
 }: React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>) => {
   const { setHasEmpty } = React.useContext(InlineComboboxContext);
-  const store = useComboboxContext()!;
+  const store = useRequiredComboboxContext();
   const items = store.useState('items');
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/ui/slash-node.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/ui/slash-node.tsx
index 7bd3c0969..09df86e86 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/ui/slash-node.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/ui/slash-node.tsx
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ export function SlashInputElement({
       >
         <InlineComboboxInput />
 
-        <InlineComboboxContent>
+        <InlineComboboxContent className="dark:bg-neutral-800 dark:border dark:border-neutral-700">
           <InlineComboboxEmpty>No results found.</InlineComboboxEmpty>
 
           {slashCommandGroups.map(({ heading, items }) => (