diff --git a/src/routes/showcase/index.tsx b/src/routes/showcase/index.tsx
index ebd432b65..063b52f59 100644
--- a/src/routes/showcase/index.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/showcase/index.tsx
@@ -1,27 +1,18 @@
-import { createFileRoute } from '@tanstack/react-router'
+import { createFileRoute, stripSearchParams } from '@tanstack/react-router'
 import * as v from 'valibot'
 import { seo } from '~/utils/seo'
 import { ShowcaseGallery } from '~/components/ShowcaseGallery'
 import { getApprovedShowcasesQueryOptions } from '~/queries/showcases'
 import {
-  libraryIdSchema,
-  showcaseUseCaseSchema,
-  pageNumberSchema,
-  pageSizeSchema,
-} from '~/utils/schemas'
-
-const searchSchema = v.object({
-  page: v.optional(pageNumberSchema, 1),
-  pageSize: v.optional(pageSizeSchema, 24),
-  libraryIds: v.optional(v.pipe(v.array(libraryIdSchema), v.maxLength(16))),
-  useCases: v.optional(v.pipe(v.array(showcaseUseCaseSchema), v.maxLength(12))),
-  hasSourceCode: v.optional(v.boolean()),
-  q: v.optional(v.pipe(v.string(), v.maxLength(120))),
-})
+  showcaseSearchSchema,
+  defaultShowcaseSearch,
+} from '~/utils/showcase-search'
 
 export const PAGE_SIZE_OPTIONS = [24, 48, 96] as const
 
-function hasNonCanonicalSearch(search: v.InferOutput<typeof searchSchema>) {
+function hasNonCanonicalSearch(
+  search: v.InferOutput<typeof showcaseSearchSchema>,
+) {
   return Boolean(
     search.page > 1 ||
     search.pageSize !== PAGE_SIZE_OPTIONS[0] ||
@@ -33,7 +24,8 @@ function hasNonCanonicalSearch(search: v.InferOutput<typeof searchSchema>) {
 }
 
 export const Route = createFileRoute('/showcase/')({
-  validateSearch: searchSchema,
+  validateSearch: showcaseSearchSchema,
+  search: { middlewares: [stripSearchParams(defaultShowcaseSearch)] },
   loaderDeps: ({ search }) => ({
     page: search.page,
     pageSize: search.pageSize,
diff --git a/src/utils/showcase-search.ts b/src/utils/showcase-search.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d729a61fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/showcase-search.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import * as v from 'valibot'
+import {
+  libraryIdSchema,
+  showcaseUseCaseSchema,
+  pageNumberSchema,
+  pageSizeSchema,
+} from '~/utils/schemas'
+
+export const showcaseSearchSchema = v.object({
+  page: v.optional(pageNumberSchema, 1),
+  pageSize: v.optional(pageSizeSchema, 24),
+  libraryIds: v.optional(v.pipe(v.array(libraryIdSchema), v.maxLength(16))),
+  useCases: v.optional(v.pipe(v.array(showcaseUseCaseSchema), v.maxLength(12))),
+  hasSourceCode: v.optional(v.boolean()),
+  q: v.optional(v.pipe(v.string(), v.maxLength(120))),
+})
+
+export const defaultShowcaseSearch = v.parse(showcaseSearchSchema, {})
diff --git a/tests/showcase-search.test.ts b/tests/showcase-search.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..faa7c8aac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/showcase-search.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+import test from 'node:test'
+import * as v from 'valibot'
+import {
+  createRootRoute,
+  createRoute,
+  createRouter,
+  createMemoryHistory,
+  stripSearchParams,
+} from '@tanstack/react-router'
+import {
+  showcaseSearchSchema,
+  defaultShowcaseSearch,
+} from '../src/utils/showcase-search'
+
+test('showcase defaults stay available to loaders without entering the URL', async () => {
+  const root = createRootRoute()
+  const showcase = createRoute({
+    getParentRoute: () => root,
+    path: '/showcase',
+    validateSearch: showcaseSearchSchema,
+    search: { middlewares: [stripSearchParams(defaultShowcaseSearch)] },
+  })
+  const router = createRouter({
+    routeTree: root.addChildren([showcase]),
+    history: createMemoryHistory({ initialEntries: ['/showcase'] }),
+  })
+  await router.load()
+  assert.deepEqual(v.parse(showcaseSearchSchema, {}), { page: 1, pageSize: 24 })
+  assert.equal(
+    router.buildLocation({ to: '/showcase', search: { page: 1, pageSize: 24 } })
+      .href,
+    '/showcase',
+  )
+  const filtered = {
+    page: 2,
+    pageSize: 48,
+    libraryIds: ['query'],
+    hasSourceCode: true,
+    q: 'dashboard',
+  }
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    router.buildLocation({ to: '/showcase', search: filtered }).search,
+    filtered,
+  )
+})