diff --git a/packages/core/src/Listbox/Listbox.test.ts b/packages/core/src/Listbox/Listbox.test.ts
index fb20c5fe8..758bf2eb7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/Listbox/Listbox.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/Listbox/Listbox.test.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import type { DOMWrapper, VueWrapper } from '@vue/test-utils'
 import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils'
-import { afterAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { axe } from 'vitest-axe'
 import { defineComponent, h, nextTick, ref } from 'vue'
 import { useKbd } from '@/shared'
 import { handleSubmit } from '@/test'
-import { ListboxItem, ListboxRoot } from '.'
+import { ListboxContent, ListboxItem, ListboxRoot, ListboxVirtualizer } from '.'
 import Listbox from './story/_Listbox.vue'
 
 describe('given default Listbox', () => {
@@ -167,6 +167,104 @@ describe('given a Listbox on initial mount', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('given a virtualized Listbox on initial mount', () => {
+  let scrollSpy: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>
+
+  window.HTMLElement.prototype.releasePointerCapture = vi.fn()
+  window.HTMLElement.prototype.hasPointerCapture = vi.fn()
+  window.HTMLElement.prototype.scrollTo = vi.fn()
+  globalThis.ResizeObserver = class ResizeObserver {
+    observe() {}
+    unobserve() {}
+    disconnect() {}
+  }
+
+  // jsdom reports zero-sized rects, so `@tanstack/virtual-core` would render no
+  // items. Give the virtualizer a non-zero viewport so items actually mount.
+  const originalGetBoundingClientRect = window.HTMLElement.prototype.getBoundingClientRect
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    window.HTMLElement.prototype.getBoundingClientRect = function () {
+      return { width: 200, height: 200, top: 0, left: 0, right: 200, bottom: 200, x: 0, y: 0, toJSON() {} }
+    }
+  })
+  afterAll(() => {
+    window.HTMLElement.prototype.getBoundingClientRect = originalGetBoundingClientRect
+  })
+
+  const VirtualListbox = defineComponent({
+    props: { multiple: Boolean, modelValue: { type: null, default: undefined } },
+    setup(props) {
+      const options = Array.from({ length: 100 }, (_, i) => ({ label: `Item ${i}`, value: i }))
+      return () => h(ListboxRoot, { multiple: props.multiple, modelValue: props.modelValue }, () =>
+        h(ListboxContent, { style: 'height: 200px; overflow: auto' }, () =>
+          h(ListboxVirtualizer, { options, textContent: (o: any) => o.label }, {
+            default: ({ option }: any) => h(ListboxItem, { value: option }, () => option.label),
+          })))
+    },
+  })
+
+  async function flush() {
+    // watcher → nextTick → highlightSelected (await nextTick) → virtualFocusHook → rAF
+    await nextTick()
+    await nextTick()
+    await new Promise(resolve => requestAnimationFrame(() => resolve(null)))
+    await nextTick()
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    scrollSpy = vi.fn()
+    window.HTMLElement.prototype.scrollIntoView = scrollSpy
+    document.body.innerHTML = ''
+  })
+
+  it('should highlight the first item without scrolling the page or stealing focus', async () => {
+    const wrapper = mount(VirtualListbox, { props: { multiple: true }, attachTo: document.body })
+    await flush()
+
+    const items = wrapper.findAll('[role=option]')
+    expect(items.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+    // the first item is highlighted for keyboard entry...
+    expect(items[0].attributes('data-highlighted')).toBe('')
+    // ...but the mount highlight must not focus it or scroll, otherwise a
+    // virtualized Listbox below the fold scrolls the whole page on load.
+    expect(scrollSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe(items[0].element)
+  })
+
+  it('should highlight a pre-selected item on mount without scrolling the page or stealing focus', async () => {
+    // A selected value below the fold must not pull the page to the listbox on
+    // mount. The checked item is brought into the internal scroll container
+    // (`scrollToIndex`) and made the roving-tabindex target, but it is neither
+    // focused nor scrolled into view at the document level.
+    // `modelValue` is the option object (items hold the whole option as value);
+    // it matches option #3 structurally via the default `isEqual` comparison.
+    const wrapper = mount(VirtualListbox, { props: { modelValue: { label: 'Item 3', value: 3 } }, attachTo: document.body })
+    await flush()
+
+    const checked = wrapper.find('[data-index="3"]')
+    expect(checked.exists()).toBe(true)
+    // the checked item (not the first item) becomes the highlight target...
+    expect(checked.attributes('data-highlighted')).toBe('')
+    expect(wrapper.find('[data-index="0"]').attributes('data-highlighted')).toBeUndefined()
+    // ...without focusing it or scrolling the page.
+    expect(scrollSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe(checked.element)
+  })
+
+  it('should focus and scroll the first item when the user enters the listbox', async () => {
+    // Entry focus (`onEnter`) is user-driven, so focusing and scrolling the
+    // first item into view is expected here — unlike the mount highlight above.
+    const wrapper = mount(VirtualListbox, { props: { multiple: true }, attachTo: document.body })
+    await flush()
+    scrollSpy.mockClear()
+
+    await wrapper.find('[role=listbox]').trigger('focus')
+    const items = wrapper.findAll('[role=option]')
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(items[0].element)
+    expect(scrollSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})
+
 describe('given multiple `true` Listbox', () => {
   const kbd = useKbd()
   let wrapper: VueWrapper<InstanceType<typeof Listbox>>
diff --git a/packages/core/src/Listbox/ListboxRoot.vue b/packages/core/src/Listbox/ListboxRoot.vue
index 4bedb355d..5eda1ff20 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/Listbox/ListboxRoot.vue
+++ b/packages/core/src/Listbox/ListboxRoot.vue
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ type ListboxRootContext<T> = {
   highlightOnHover: Ref<boolean>
   highlightedElement: Ref<HTMLElement | null>
   isVirtual: Ref<boolean>
-  virtualFocusHook: EventHook<Event | null | undefined>
+  virtualFocusHook: EventHook<{ event?: Event, scroll: boolean }>
   virtualKeydownHook: EventHook<KeyboardEvent>
   virtualHighlightHook: EventHook<any>
   by?: string | ((a: T, b: T) => boolean)
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ const highlightedElement = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
 const previousElement = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
 const isVirtual = ref(false)
 const isComposing = ref(false)
-const virtualFocusHook = createEventHook<Event | null | undefined>()
+const virtualFocusHook = createEventHook<{ event?: Event, scroll: boolean }>()
 const virtualKeydownHook = createEventHook<KeyboardEvent>()
 const virtualHighlightHook = createEventHook<T>()
 
@@ -333,8 +333,11 @@ async function highlightSelected(event?: Event, scroll = true) {
     return
   await nextTick()
   if (isVirtual.value) {
-    // Trigger on nextTick for Virtualizer to be mounted
-    virtualFocusHook.trigger(event)
+    // Trigger on nextTick for Virtualizer to be mounted.
+    // `scroll` is `false` on the initial mount highlight, so the virtualizer sets
+    // its roving-tabindex target without focusing/scrolling — otherwise a
+    // virtualized Listbox below the fold would pull the page to it on load.
+    virtualFocusHook.trigger({ event, scroll })
   }
   else {
     const collection = getCollectionItem()
diff --git a/packages/core/src/Listbox/ListboxVirtualizer.vue b/packages/core/src/Listbox/ListboxVirtualizer.vue
index 82aa31677..b7b045af9 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/Listbox/ListboxVirtualizer.vue
+++ b/packages/core/src/Listbox/ListboxVirtualizer.vue
@@ -104,7 +104,11 @@ const virtualizedItems = computed(() => virtualizer.value.getVirtualItems().map(
   }
 }))
 
-rootContext.virtualFocusHook.on((event) => {
+rootContext.virtualFocusHook.on(({ event, scroll }) => {
+  // `scroll` is `false` only for the initial mount highlight. There we set the
+  // roving-tabindex target without focusing or scrolling, so a virtualized
+  // Listbox below the fold doesn't pull the page to it on load. User-driven
+  // highlights (keyboard, typeahead, select) keep scrolling as before.
   const index = props.options.findIndex((option) => {
     if (Array.isArray(rootContext.modelValue.value))
       return compare(option, rootContext.modelValue.value[0], rootContext.by)
@@ -114,19 +118,31 @@ rootContext.virtualFocusHook.on((event) => {
   if (index !== -1) {
     event?.preventDefault()
 
+    // Bringing the checked item into the (internal) scroll viewport is safe — it
+    // only scrolls the listbox container, never the page.
     virtualizer.value.scrollToIndex(index, { align: 'start' })
     requestAnimationFrame(() => {
       const item = queryCheckedElement(parentEl.value)
       if (item) {
-        rootContext.changeHighlight(item)
+        rootContext.changeHighlight(item, scroll, scroll ? undefined : false)
         if (event)
           item?.focus()
       }
     })
   }
-  else {
+  else if (scroll) {
     rootContext.highlightFirstItem()
   }
+  else {
+    // Mount highlight with no checked item: highlight the first enabled item only,
+    // mirroring the non-virtual path. `highlightFirstItem` is reserved for
+    // user-driven PageUp/Home navigation, which focuses and scrolls.
+    requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      const item = getItems().find(i => i.ref.dataset.disabled !== '')?.ref
+      if (item)
+        rootContext.changeHighlight(item, false, false)
+    })
+  }
 })
 
 rootContext.virtualHighlightHook.on((value) => {