diff --git a/packages/react/src/select/item/SelectItem.test.tsx b/packages/react/src/select/item/SelectItem.test.tsx
index 44e7bc203de..2dbe08aa357 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/select/item/SelectItem.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/select/item/SelectItem.test.tsx
@@ -203,6 +203,37 @@ describe('<Select.Item />', () => {
     expect(handleClick).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
   });
 
+  it('should select an unhighlighted item with the mouse', async () => {
+    await render(
+      <Select.Root defaultOpen highlightItemOnHover={false}>
+        <Select.Trigger data-testid="trigger">
+          <Select.Value data-testid="value" />
+        </Select.Trigger>
+        <Select.Portal>
+          <Select.Positioner>
+            <Select.Popup>
+              <Select.Item value="one">one</Select.Item>
+              <Select.Item value="two">two</Select.Item>
+            </Select.Popup>
+          </Select.Positioner>
+        </Select.Portal>
+      </Select.Root>,
+    );
+
+    const option = screen.getByRole('option', { name: 'two' });
+
+    expect(option).not.toHaveAttribute('data-highlighted');
+
+    fireEvent.pointerDown(option, { pointerType: 'mouse' });
+    fireEvent.mouseDown(option);
+    fireEvent.mouseUp(option);
+    fireEvent.click(option, { detail: 1 });
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.getByTestId('value').textContent).toBe('two');
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should focus the selected item upon opening the popup', async () => {
     const { user } = await render(
       <Select.Root>
@@ -372,6 +403,73 @@ describe('<Select.Item />', () => {
       expect(handleClick).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
     });
 
+    it('should select via drag-to-select when hover highlighting is disabled', async () => {
+      ignoreActWarnings();
+
+      await renderFakeTimers(
+        <Select.Root highlightItemOnHover={false}>
+          <Select.Trigger data-testid="trigger">
+            <Select.Value data-testid="value" placeholder="Select font" />
+          </Select.Trigger>
+          <Select.Portal>
+            <Select.Positioner>
+              <Select.Popup>
+                <Select.Item value="one">one</Select.Item>
+                <Select.Item value="two">two</Select.Item>
+              </Select.Popup>
+            </Select.Positioner>
+          </Select.Portal>
+        </Select.Root>,
+      );
+
+      const trigger = screen.getByTestId('trigger');
+      fireEvent.mouseDown(trigger);
+      await waitFor(() => expect(screen.queryByRole('listbox')).not.toBe(null));
+
+      const option = screen.getByRole('option', { name: 'two' });
+      fireEvent.pointerEnter(option, { pointerType: 'mouse' });
+      fireEvent.pointerMove(option, { pointerType: 'mouse' });
+
+      expect(option).not.toHaveAttribute('data-highlighted');
+
+      await act(async () => {
+        await clock.tickAsync(500);
+      });
+      fireEvent.mouseUp(option);
+
+      await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByTestId('value').textContent).toBe('two'));
+    });
+
+    it('should ignore an opening click that did not start on the item', async () => {
+      ignoreActWarnings();
+
+      await renderFakeTimers(
+        <Select.Root highlightItemOnHover={false}>
+          <Select.Trigger data-testid="trigger">
+            <Select.Value data-testid="value" placeholder="Select font" />
+          </Select.Trigger>
+          <Select.Portal>
+            <Select.Positioner>
+              <Select.Popup>
+                <Select.Item value="one">one</Select.Item>
+                <Select.Item value="two">two</Select.Item>
+              </Select.Popup>
+            </Select.Positioner>
+          </Select.Portal>
+        </Select.Root>,
+      );
+
+      const trigger = screen.getByTestId('trigger');
+      fireEvent.pointerDown(trigger, { pointerType: 'mouse' });
+      fireEvent.mouseDown(trigger);
+      await waitFor(() => expect(screen.queryByRole('listbox')).not.toBe(null));
+
+      const option = screen.getByRole('option', { name: 'one' });
+      fireEvent.click(option, { detail: 1 });
+
+      expect(screen.getByTestId('value').textContent).toBe('Select font');
+    });
+
     it('should not select item when onClick calls preventBaseUIHandler during drag-to-select', async () => {
       ignoreActWarnings();
       const handleClick = vi.fn((event) => event.preventBaseUIHandler());
diff --git a/packages/react/src/select/item/SelectItem.tsx b/packages/react/src/select/item/SelectItem.tsx
index be719665685..5e2cc43cc3d 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/select/item/SelectItem.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/select/item/SelectItem.tsx
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ export const SelectItem = React.memo(
 
     const lastKeyRef = React.useRef<string | null>(null);
     const pointerTypeRef = React.useRef<'mouse' | 'touch' | 'pen'>('mouse');
-    const didPointerDownRef = React.useRef(false);
+    const allowMouseSelectionRef = React.useRef(false);
 
     const { getButtonProps, buttonRef } = useButton({
       disabled,
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ export const SelectItem = React.memo(
       'aria-selected': selected,
       tabIndex: highlighted ? 0 : -1,
       onTouchStart() {
+        allowMouseSelectionRef.current = false;
         selectionRef.current = {
           allowSelectedMouseUp: false,
           allowUnselectedMouseUp: false,
@@ -165,7 +166,14 @@ export const SelectItem = React.memo(
         }
       },
       onClick(event) {
-        didPointerDownRef.current = false;
+        const isMouseClick = event.type === 'click' && pointerTypeRef.current !== 'touch';
+        const isVirtualClick = isMouseClick && event.nativeEvent.detail === 0;
+        // With alignItemWithTrigger, opening can place an item under the cursor. Real mouse
+        // clicks must start on the item, while virtual clicks keep the highlighted-item guard.
+        const isInvalidMouseClick =
+          isMouseClick && !allowMouseSelectionRef.current && (isVirtualClick ? !highlighted : true);
+
+        allowMouseSelectionRef.current = false;
 
         // Prevent double commit on {Enter}
         if (event.type === 'keydown' && lastKeyRef.current === null) {
@@ -175,7 +183,7 @@ export const SelectItem = React.memo(
         if (
           disabled ||
           (event.type === 'keydown' && lastKeyRef.current === ' ' && typingRef.current) ||
-          (pointerTypeRef.current !== 'touch' && !highlighted)
+          isInvalidMouseClick
         ) {
           return;
         }
@@ -188,31 +196,28 @@ export const SelectItem = React.memo(
       },
       onPointerDown(event) {
         pointerTypeRef.current = event.pointerType;
-        didPointerDownRef.current = true;
+        allowMouseSelectionRef.current = true;
       },
       onMouseUp() {
         if (disabled) {
           return;
         }
 
-        // Regular click (pointerdown on this element) if didPointerDownRef is set, otherwise drag-to-select
-        if (didPointerDownRef.current) {
-          didPointerDownRef.current = false;
+        // Regular clicks are committed by the click event.
+        if (allowMouseSelectionRef.current) {
           return;
         }
 
         const disallowSelectedMouseUp = !selectionRef.current.allowSelectedMouseUp && selected;
         const disallowUnselectedMouseUp = !selectionRef.current.allowUnselectedMouseUp && !selected;
 
-        if (
-          disallowSelectedMouseUp ||
-          disallowUnselectedMouseUp ||
-          (pointerTypeRef.current !== 'touch' && !highlighted)
-        ) {
+        if (disallowSelectedMouseUp || disallowUnselectedMouseUp) {
           return;
         }
 
+        allowMouseSelectionRef.current = true;
         itemRef.current?.click();
+        allowMouseSelectionRef.current = false;
       },
     };