diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexSidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexSidebar.tsx
index c16933ba..a4f7e2e7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlexSidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexSidebar.tsx
@@ -65,21 +65,10 @@ export default function PlexSidebar({ layout, setLayout, collapsed, onToggleColl
   // the header search box); this rail is the primary editor of them. Opening a playlist is a
   // hand-off to PlexBrowse via the shared `playlistOpen` slot.
   const { scope, show, filters } = usePlex();
-  const { setFilters, setPlaylistOpen: onOpenPlaylist } = usePlexActions();
-  const playlistsQ = useQuery({ queryKey: qk.plexPlaylists(), queryFn: () => api.plexPlaylists() });
-  const [newPlaylist, setNewPlaylist] = useState("");
+  const { setFilters } = usePlexActions();
   // This rail's media source (the Plex library) — names the abstraction the feed and Plex rails
   // share; drives the panel layout key. `FilterRail` owns the customize `editing` state now.
   const source: MediaSourceKind = "plex";
-  const qc = useQueryClient();
-  async function createPlaylist() {
-    const title = newPlaylist.trim();
-    if (!title) return;
-    const pl = await api.plexCreatePlaylist(title);
-    setNewPlaylist("");
-    qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.plexPlaylists() });
-    onOpenPlaylist(pl.id);
-  }
   const { collectionTitle: _ct, ...facetKey } = filters;
   const lang = plexLang(); // HU/EN genre vocabulary — refetch facets on a language switch
   const facetsQ = useQuery({
@@ -111,44 +100,7 @@ export default function PlexSidebar({ layout, setLayout, collapsed, onToggleColl
     {
       id: "playlists",
       title: t("plex.playlist.section"),
-      body: (
-        <>
-          <div className="mb-1.5 flex gap-1.5">
-            <input
-              value={newPlaylist}
-              onChange={(e) => setNewPlaylist(e.target.value)}
-              onKeyDown={(e) => e.key === "Enter" && createPlaylist()}
-              placeholder={t("plex.playlist.newPlaceholder")}
-              className="glass-card min-w-0 flex-1 rounded-lg px-2 py-1 text-xs focus:outline-hidden focus:ring-2 focus:ring-accent/40"
-            />
-            <button
-              onClick={createPlaylist}
-              disabled={!newPlaylist.trim()}
-              title={t("plex.playlist.create")}
-              className="glass-card glass-hover shrink-0 rounded-lg p-1.5 disabled:opacity-50"
-            >
-              <Plus className="h-3.5 w-3.5" />
-            </button>
-          </div>
-          {(playlistsQ.data?.playlists ?? []).length === 0 ? (
-            <p className="text-xs text-muted">{t("plex.playlist.none")}</p>
-          ) : (
-            <div className="space-y-0.5">
-              {playlistsQ.data!.playlists.map((p) => (
-                <button
-                  key={p.id}
-                  onClick={() => onOpenPlaylist(p.id)}
-                  className="glass-hover flex w-full items-center gap-2 rounded-sm px-1.5 py-1 text-left text-sm"
-                >
-                  <ListMusic className="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0 text-muted" />
-                  <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate">{p.title}</span>
-                  <span className="shrink-0 text-xs text-muted">{p.item_count}</span>
-                </button>
-              ))}
-            </div>
-          )}
-        </>
-      ),
+      body: <PlaylistPicker />,
     },
     ...(peopleActive
       ? [
@@ -352,6 +304,75 @@ export default function PlexSidebar({ layout, setLayout, collapsed, onToggleColl
   );
 }
 
+// The playlists section: a combobox that stays compact (just a field + chevron) until opened, instead
+// of an always-expanded list that grew the rail with every playlist. Picking a playlist opens it (the
+// PlexBrowse `playlistOpen` hand-off); typing a name that doesn't exist yet offers a "Create …" row so
+// you can still add one — the same reuse-the-Combobox idea as the feed's "Your tags" widget. `selected`
+// stays empty: this picks an action (open / create), it doesn't hold a persistent selection.
+const CREATE_PLAYLIST = "__create__";
+function PlaylistPicker() {
+  const { t } = useTranslation();
+  const { setPlaylistOpen: onOpenPlaylist } = usePlexActions();
+  const qc = useQueryClient();
+  const [query, setQuery] = useState("");
+  const playlistsQ = useQuery({ queryKey: qk.plexPlaylists(), queryFn: () => api.plexPlaylists() });
+  const playlists = playlistsQ.data?.playlists ?? [];
+
+  const q = query.trim();
+  const ql = q.toLowerCase();
+  const matches = ql ? playlists.filter((p) => p.title.toLowerCase().includes(ql)) : playlists;
+  const exact = playlists.some((p) => p.title.toLowerCase() === ql);
+  const options: ComboboxOption[] = [
+    ...matches.map((p) => ({ value: `pl:${p.id}`, label: p.title, count: p.item_count })),
+    // Offer to create only when the typed name isn't already a playlist.
+    ...(q && !exact ? [{ value: CREATE_PLAYLIST, label: q }] : []),
+  ];
+
+  async function createPlaylist(title: string) {
+    const pl = await api.plexCreatePlaylist(title);
+    qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.plexPlaylists() });
+    onOpenPlaylist(pl.id);
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Combobox
+      label={t("plex.playlist.section")}
+      multiple={false}
+      clientFilter={false} // we build `options` (incl. the create row) against the query ourselves
+      options={options}
+      selected={[]}
+      query={query}
+      onQueryChange={setQuery}
+      placeholder={t("plex.playlist.pickerPlaceholder")}
+      emptyText={t("plex.playlist.none")}
+      renderOption={(o) =>
+        o.value === CREATE_PLAYLIST ? (
+          <>
+            <Plus className="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0 text-accent" />
+            <span className="flex-1 truncate">
+              {t("plex.playlist.createNamed", { name: o.label })}
+            </span>
+          </>
+        ) : (
+          <>
+            <ListMusic className="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0 text-muted" />
+            <span className="flex-1 truncate">{o.label}</span>
+            {o.count != null && (
+              <span className="shrink-0 text-2xs tabular-nums text-muted">{o.count}</span>
+            )}
+          </>
+        )
+      }
+      onChange={(next) => {
+        const v = next[0];
+        if (!v) return;
+        if (v === CREATE_PLAYLIST) createPlaylist(q);
+        else onOpenPlaylist(Number(v.slice(3)));
+      }}
+    />
+  );
+}
+
 // The collection filter (E5 S7 → combobox rework): a single-select combi-input matching the
 // genre/studio pickers, its vocabulary searched SERVER-side (the union can run to hundreds). The
 // generic <Combobox> owns the field/keyboard/ARIA; this wrapper only owns the query→fetch (gated on
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/plex.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/plex.json
index 1949c832..4feda835 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/plex.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/plex.json
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@
   "playlist": {
     "section": "Playlists",
     "newPlaceholder": "New playlist…",
+    "pickerPlaceholder": "Find or create a playlist…",
+    "createNamed": "Create \"{{name}}\"",
     "create": "Create playlist",
     "none": "No playlists yet.",
     "deleteConfirm": "Delete the playlist \"{{title}}\"?",
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/plex.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/plex.json
index 40f19229..e4d41545 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/plex.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/plex.json
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@
   "playlist": {
     "section": "Lejátszási listák",
     "newPlaceholder": "Új lista…",
+    "pickerPlaceholder": "Lista keresése vagy létrehozása…",
+    "createNamed": "„{{name}}” létrehozása",
     "create": "Lista létrehozása",
     "none": "Még nincs lista.",
     "deleteConfirm": "Törlöd a(z) „{{title}}” listát?",