diff --git a/docs/configuration/completion.md b/docs/configuration/completion.md
index a0d4eb74..13a42056 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/completion.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/completion.md
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ TODO: Find a case where this actually fires : )
 
 Manages the completion list and its behavior when selecting items. The most commonly changed option is `completion.list.selection`, which controls whether the list will automatically select the first item in the list, and whether selection shows a preview:
 
+To control the selection behavior per mode, pass a function to `completion.list.selection` that returns the selection mode:
+
+```lua
+completion.list.selection = function(ctx)
+  return ctx.mode == 'cmdline' and 'auto_insert' or 'preselect'
+end
+```
+
 :::tabs
 == Preselect
 Selects the first item automatically
diff --git a/docs/configuration/general.md b/docs/configuration/general.md
index b0a217e5..50ece7af 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/general.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/general.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ Blink cmp has *a lot* of configuration options, the following code block highlig
 
 For more common configurations, see the [recipes](../recipes.md).
 
+> [!IMPORTANT] Do not copy this entire configuration! It contains only non-default options
+
 ```lua
 {
   -- Disable for some filetypes
@@ -25,6 +27,8 @@ For more common configurations, see the [recipes](../recipes.md).
 
     -- Insert completion item on selection, don't select by default
     list = { selection = 'auto_insert' },
+    -- or set per mode
+    list = { selection = function(ctx) return ctx.mode == 'cmdline' and 'auto_insert' or 'preselect' end },
 
     menu = {
       -- Don't automatically show the completion menu
diff --git a/docs/configuration/reference.md b/docs/configuration/reference.md
index 9f9223bb..ea648301 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/reference.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/reference.md
@@ -92,9 +92,12 @@ completion.trigger = {
 completion.list = {
   -- Maximum number of items to display
   max_items = 200,
+
   -- Controls if completion items will be selected automatically,
   -- and whether selection automatically inserts
   selection = 'preselect',
+  -- selection = function(ctx) return ctx.mode == 'cmdline' and 'auto_insert' or 'preselect' end,
+
   -- Controls how the completion items are selected
   -- 'preselect' will automatically select the first item in the completion list
   -- 'manual' will not select any item by default
diff --git a/docs/recipes.md b/docs/recipes.md
index d3bb2dd4..d8075382 100644
--- a/docs/recipes.md
+++ b/docs/recipes.md
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # Recipes
 
-
 ## Disable per filetype
 
 ```lua
@@ -21,6 +20,18 @@ completion = {
 signature = { window = { border = 'single' } },
 ```
 
+## Change selection mode per mode
+
+```lua
+completion = { 
+  list = { 
+    selection = function(ctx)
+      return ctx.mode == 'cmdline' and 'auto_insert' or 'preselect'
+    end
+  }
+}
+```
+
 ## Select Nth item from the list
 
 Here's an example configuration that allows you to select the nth item from the list, based on [#382](https://github.com/Saghen/blink.cmp/issues/382):
diff --git a/lua/blink/cmp/completion/list.lua b/lua/blink/cmp/completion/list.lua
index d308bdd5..3604c431 100644
--- a/lua/blink/cmp/completion/list.lua
+++ b/lua/blink/cmp/completion/list.lua
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 --- @field hide fun()
 ---
 --- @field get_selected_item fun(): blink.cmp.CompletionItem?
+--- @field get_selection_mode fun(context: blink.cmp.Context): blink.cmp.CompletionListSelection
 --- @field select fun(idx?: number, opts?: { undo_preview?: boolean, is_explicit_selection?: boolean })
 --- @field select_next fun()
 --- @field select_prev fun()
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ local list = {
   config = require('blink.cmp.config').completion.list,
   context = nil,
   items = {},
-  selected_item_idx = nil,
+  selection_mode = nil,
   is_explicitly_selected = false,
   preview_undo = nil,
 }
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ function list.show(context, items_by_source)
   -- update the context/list and emit
   list.context = context
   list.items = list.fuzzy(context, items_by_source)
+  list.selection_mode = list.get_selection_mode(list.context)
 
   if #list.items == 0 then
     list.hide_emitter:emit({ context = context })
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ function list.show(context, items_by_source)
   -- otherwise, use the default selection
   else
     list.select(
-      list.config.selection == 'preselect' and 1 or nil,
+      list.selection_mode == 'preselect' and 1 or nil,
       { undo_preview = false, is_explicit_selection = false }
     )
   end
@@ -121,6 +123,13 @@ function list.hide() list.hide_emitter:emit({ context = list.context }) end
 
 function list.get_selected_item() return list.items[list.selected_item_idx] end
 
+function list.get_selection_mode(context)
+  assert(context ~= nil, 'Context must be set before getting selection mode')
+  if type(list.config.selection) == 'function' then return list.config.selection(context) end
+  --- @diagnostic disable-next-line: return-type-mismatch
+  return list.config.selection
+end
+
 function list.select(idx, opts)
   opts = opts or {}
   local item = list.items[idx]
@@ -128,7 +137,7 @@ function list.select(idx, opts)
   require('blink.cmp.completion.trigger').suppress_events_for_callback(function()
     -- default to undoing the preview
     if opts.undo_preview ~= false then list.undo_preview() end
-    if list.config.selection == 'auto_insert' and item then list.apply_preview(item) end
+    if list.selection_mode == 'auto_insert' and item then list.apply_preview(item) end
   end)
 
   --- @diagnostic disable-next-line: assign-type-mismatch
@@ -149,7 +158,7 @@ function list.select_next()
     if not list.config.cycle.from_bottom then return end
 
     -- preselect is not enabled, we go back to no selection
-    if list.config.selection ~= 'preselect' then return list.select(nil) end
+    if list.selection_mode ~= 'preselect' then return list.select(nil) end
 
     -- otherwise, we cycle around
     return list.select(1)
@@ -171,7 +180,7 @@ function list.select_prev()
     if not list.config.cycle.from_top then return end
 
     -- auto_insert is enabled, we go back to no selection
-    if list.config.selection == 'auto_insert' then return list.select(nil) end
+    if list.selection_mode == 'auto_insert' then return list.select(nil) end
 
     -- otherwise, we cycle around
     return list.select(#list.items)
diff --git a/lua/blink/cmp/config/completion/list.lua b/lua/blink/cmp/config/completion/list.lua
index ab2e25a4..c49c831f 100644
--- a/lua/blink/cmp/config/completion/list.lua
+++ b/lua/blink/cmp/config/completion/list.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 --- @class (exact) blink.cmp.CompletionListConfig
 --- @field max_items number Maximum number of items to display
---- @field selection blink.cmp.CompletionListSelection Controls if completion items will be selected automatically, and whether selection automatically inserts
+--- @field selection blink.cmp.CompletionListSelection | fun(ctx: blink.cmp.Context): blink.cmp.CompletionListSelection Controls if completion items will be selected automatically, and whether selection automatically inserts
 --- @field cycle blink.cmp.CompletionListCycleConfig
 
 --- @alias blink.cmp.CompletionListSelection
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ function list.validate(config)
     max_items = { config.max_items, 'number' },
     selection = {
       config.selection,
-      function() return vim.tbl_contains({ 'preselect', 'manual', 'auto_insert' }, config.selection) end,
+      function()
+        return vim.tbl_contains({ 'preselect', 'manual', 'auto_insert' }, config.selection)
+          or type(config.selection) == 'function'
+      end,
       'one of: preselect, manual, auto_insert',
     },
     cycle = { config.cycle, 'table' },