diff --git a/cmd/dbc/completions/dbc.fish b/cmd/dbc/completions/dbc.fish
index 3bebb347..57e029fd 100644
--- a/cmd/dbc/completions/dbc.fish
+++ b/cmd/dbc/completions/dbc.fish
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ complete -f -c dbc -n '__fish_dbc_using_subcommand search' -s h -d 'Help'
 complete -f -c dbc -n '__fish_dbc_using_subcommand search' -l help -d 'Help'
 complete -f -c dbc -n '__fish_dbc_using_subcommand search' -s v -d 'Verbose'
 complete -f -c dbc -n '__fish_dbc_using_subcommand search' -l json -d 'Print output as JSON instead of plaintext'
-complete -f -c dbc -n '__fish_dbc_using_subcommand search' -l pre -d 'Include pre-release drivers and versions (hidden by default)'
+complete -f -c dbc -n '__fish_dbc_using_subcommand search' -l pre -d 'Include pre-release drivers and versions (hidden by default unless already installed)'
 
 # remove subcommand
 complete -f -c dbc -n '__fish_dbc_using_subcommand remove' -s h -d 'Help'
diff --git a/cmd/dbc/completions/dbc.zsh b/cmd/dbc/completions/dbc.zsh
index 058e8d51..1446bccb 100644
--- a/cmd/dbc/completions/dbc.zsh
+++ b/cmd/dbc/completions/dbc.zsh
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ function _dbc_search_completions {
         '(-h)--help[Help]' \
         '-v[verbose]' \
         '--json[Print output as JSON instead of plaintext]' \
-        '--pre[Include pre-release drivers and versions (hidden by default)]' \
+        '--pre[Include pre-release drivers and versions (hidden by default unless already installed)]' \
         ':search term: '
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/dbc/search.go b/cmd/dbc/search.go
index 939d710f..bf0a10a0 100644
--- a/cmd/dbc/search.go
+++ b/cmd/dbc/search.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ type SearchCmd struct {
 	Verbose bool           `arg:"-v" help:"Enable verbose output"`
 	Json    bool           `help:"Print output as JSON instead of plaintext"`
 	Pattern *regexp.Regexp `arg:"positional" help:"Pattern to search for"`
-	Pre     bool           `arg:"--pre" help:"Include pre-release drivers and versions (hidden by default)"`
+	Pre     bool           `arg:"--pre" help:"Include pre-release drivers and versions (hidden by default unless already installed)"`
 }
 
 func (s SearchCmd) GetModelCustom(baseModel baseModel) tea.Model {
diff --git a/cmd/dbc/search_test.go b/cmd/dbc/search_test.go
index d9ed332b..f0376d2c 100644
--- a/cmd/dbc/search_test.go
+++ b/cmd/dbc/search_test.go
@@ -210,6 +210,75 @@ func (suite *SubcommandTestSuite) TestSearchCmdWithInstalledPre() {
 			"test-driver-docs-url         This is manifest-only with its docs_url key set                                                                                   ", suite.runCmd(m))
 }
 
+func (suite *SubcommandTestSuite) TestSearchCmdVerboseWithInstalledPre() {
+	searchModel := SearchCmd{Verbose: true}.GetModelCustom(
+		baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry,
+			downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	before := suite.runCmd(searchModel)
+	suite.NotContains(before, "test-driver-only-pre")
+
+	m := InstallCmd{Driver: "test-driver-only-pre", Level: config.ConfigEnv, Pre: true}.
+		GetModelCustom(baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry, downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	suite.runCmd(m)
+
+	searchModel = SearchCmd{Verbose: true}.GetModelCustom(
+		baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry,
+			downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	after := suite.runCmd(searchModel)
+
+	suite.Contains(after, "test-driver-only-pre")
+	suite.Contains(after, "Test Driver Only Prerelease")
+	suite.Contains(after, "Installed Versions:")
+	suite.Contains(after, "0.9.0-alpha.1")
+	suite.Contains(after, "test-driver-1")
+	suite.Contains(after, "test-driver-2")
+}
+
+func (suite *SubcommandTestSuite) TestSearchCmdNonVerboseWithInstalledPre() {
+	searchModel := SearchCmd{}.GetModelCustom(
+		baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry,
+			downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	before := suite.runCmd(searchModel)
+	suite.NotContains(before, "test-driver-only-pre")
+
+	m := InstallCmd{Driver: "test-driver-only-pre", Level: config.ConfigEnv, Pre: true}.
+		GetModelCustom(baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry, downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	suite.runCmd(m)
+
+	searchModel = SearchCmd{}.GetModelCustom(
+		baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry,
+			downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	after := suite.runCmd(searchModel)
+
+	suite.Contains(after, "test-driver-only-pre")
+	suite.Contains(after, "[installed: env=>0.9.0-alpha.1]")
+	suite.Contains(after, "test-driver-1")
+	suite.Contains(after, "test-driver-2")
+}
+
+func (suite *SubcommandTestSuite) TestSearchCmdWithInstalledPreJSON() {
+	searchModel := SearchCmd{Json: true}.GetModelCustom(
+		baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry,
+			downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	before := suite.runCmd(searchModel)
+	suite.NotContains(before, `"test-driver-only-pre"`)
+
+	m := InstallCmd{Driver: "test-driver-only-pre", Level: config.ConfigEnv, Pre: true}.
+		GetModelCustom(baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry, downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	suite.runCmd(m)
+
+	searchModel = SearchCmd{Json: true}.GetModelCustom(
+		baseModel{getDriverRegistry: getTestDriverRegistry,
+			downloadPkg: downloadTestPkg})
+	after := suite.runCmd(searchModel)
+
+	suite.Contains(after, `"test-driver-only-pre"`)
+	suite.Contains(after, `"installed"`)
+	suite.Contains(after, `0.9.0-alpha.1`)
+	suite.Contains(after, `"test-driver-1"`)
+	suite.Contains(after, `"test-driver-2"`)
+}
+
 func (suite *SubcommandTestSuite) TestSearchCmdPartialRegistryFailure() {
 	// Test that search command handles partial registry failure gracefully
 	// (one registry succeeds, another fails - returns both drivers and error)
diff --git a/docs/guides/finding_drivers.md b/docs/guides/finding_drivers.md
index 96a9a703..69f61bc8 100644
--- a/docs/guides/finding_drivers.md
+++ b/docs/guides/finding_drivers.md
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ $ dbc search --pre
 
 Without `--pre`, `dbc search` will:
 
-- Hide drivers that have exclusively pre-release versions (no stable versions)
+- Hide drivers that have exclusively pre-release versions (no stable versions), unless the driver is already installed
 - Exclude pre-release versions from the available versions list
 
 With `--pre`, `dbc search` will:
diff --git a/docs/reference/cli.md b/docs/reference/cli.md
index 70c70756..5652c7e3 100644
--- a/docs/reference/cli.md
+++ b/docs/reference/cli.md
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ $ dbc search [PATTERN]
 
 `--pre` {{ since_version('v0.2.0') }}
 
-:   Include pre-release drivers and versions (hidden by default)
+:   Include pre-release drivers and versions (hidden by default unless already installed)
 
 `--verbose`, `-v`