diff --git a/apps/www/src/content/docs/components/filter-chip/index.mdx b/apps/www/src/content/docs/components/filter-chip/index.mdx
index 7558ac6eb..0a1f1fccd 100644
--- a/apps/www/src/content/docs/components/filter-chip/index.mdx
+++ b/apps/www/src/content/docs/components/filter-chip/index.mdx
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ FilterChip supports custom filter operations through the `operations` prop. When
 - When a single operation is provided, it is displayed as static text
 - If no operations are specified, default operations are used based on the column type
 
+The chip starts on the first operation. Pass `operation` with the active value to
+start on another one, for example when you restore a filter from a saved query.
+A value the list does not have falls back to the first one.
+
 <Demo data={operationsDemo} />
 
 ### Controlled
diff --git a/apps/www/src/content/docs/components/filter-chip/props.ts b/apps/www/src/content/docs/components/filter-chip/props.ts
index bbd8d2d6b..482e8aea9 100644
--- a/apps/www/src/content/docs/components/filter-chip/props.ts
+++ b/apps/www/src/content/docs/components/filter-chip/props.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ export interface FilterChipProps {
   /** Optional array of operations for the type of filter operation */
   operations?: { label: string; value: string }[];
 
+  /** Active operation, by its `value`. A value `operations` does not have falls back to the first one.
+   * @default the first entry of `operations`
+   */
+  operation?: string;
+
   /** Callback when the filter value changes; receives the value and the active
    * operation. For `select` and `multiselect`, the value is the picked
    * option's `value`, with its type kept. For `number`, non-numeric input is
diff --git a/packages/react/components/data-table/__tests__/data-table.test.tsx b/packages/react/components/data-table/__tests__/data-table.test.tsx
index a006720d9..737a77052 100644
--- a/packages/react/components/data-table/__tests__/data-table.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/components/data-table/__tests__/data-table.test.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { act, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import { beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { getSlot } from '~/test-utils/data-slots';
 import { DataTable } from '../data-table';
 import styles from '../data-table.module.css';
 import { DataTableColumnDef, DataTableQuery } from '../data-table.types';
@@ -669,6 +670,37 @@ describe('DataTable', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('Restored filter chips', () => {
+    const chipColumns: DataTableColumnDef<TestData, unknown>[] = [
+      {
+        accessorKey: 'name',
+        header: 'Name',
+        enableColumnFilter: true,
+        filterType: 'string'
+      }
+    ];
+
+    it('shows the operator the query carries', async () => {
+      const { container } = render(
+        <DataTable
+          data={mockData}
+          columns={chipColumns}
+          defaultSort={{ name: 'name', order: 'asc' }}
+          query={{
+            filters: [{ name: 'name', operator: 'neq', value: 'John Doe' }]
+          }}
+        >
+          <DataTable.Toolbar />
+        </DataTable>
+      );
+      await act(() => new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 0)));
+
+      expect(getSlot(container, 'filter-chip-operation')).toHaveTextContent(
+        'is not'
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('Restored date filters', () => {
     type Dated = { id: string; when?: string };
     const dated: Dated[] = [
diff --git a/packages/react/components/data-table/components/filters.tsx b/packages/react/components/data-table/components/filters.tsx
index b120f22df..a79dc5637 100644
--- a/packages/react/components/data-table/components/filters.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/components/data-table/components/filters.tsx
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ export function Filters<TData, TValue>({
             )
           }
           columnType={filter.filterType}
+          operation={filter.operator}
           options={filter.options}
           selectProps={filter.selectProps}
           calendarProps={filter.calendarProps}
diff --git a/packages/react/components/data-view/__tests__/data-view.test.tsx b/packages/react/components/data-view/__tests__/data-view.test.tsx
index 0592c7d8c..07b7bf551 100644
--- a/packages/react/components/data-view/__tests__/data-view.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/components/data-view/__tests__/data-view.test.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   it,
   vi
 } from 'vitest';
-
+import { getSlot } from '~/test-utils/data-slots';
 // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noShadowRestrictedNames: legitimate export name
 import { DataView } from '../data-view';
 import type {
@@ -562,6 +562,31 @@ describe('DataView', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('Restored filter chips', () => {
+    it('shows the operator the query carries', async () => {
+      const { container } = render(
+        <DataView
+          data={mockData}
+          fields={mockFields}
+          defaultSort={defaultSort}
+          query={{
+            filters: [{ name: 'name', operator: 'neq', value: 'John Doe' }]
+          }}
+        >
+          <DataView.Toolbar>
+            <DataView.Filters />
+          </DataView.Toolbar>
+          <DataView.List variant='table' columns={mockColumns} />
+        </DataView>
+      );
+      await act(() => new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 0)));
+
+      expect(getSlot(container, 'filter-chip-operation')).toHaveTextContent(
+        'is not'
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('Multi-view', () => {
     const views: ViewSpec[] = [
       { value: 'table', label: 'Table' },
diff --git a/packages/react/components/data-view/components/filters.tsx b/packages/react/components/data-view/components/filters.tsx
index 28f6a5cdc..ab36936e0 100644
--- a/packages/react/components/data-view/components/filters.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/components/data-view/components/filters.tsx
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ export function Filters<TData>({
             )
           }
           columnType={filter.filterType}
+          operation={filter.operator}
           options={filter.options}
           selectProps={filter.selectProps}
           className={classNames?.filterChips}
diff --git a/packages/react/components/filter-chip/__tests__/filter-chip.test.tsx b/packages/react/components/filter-chip/__tests__/filter-chip.test.tsx
index c82920a60..391d9a2d8 100644
--- a/packages/react/components/filter-chip/__tests__/filter-chip.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/components/filter-chip/__tests__/filter-chip.test.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,48 @@ describe('FilterChip', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('Operation', () => {
+    const flushMicrotasks = async () =>
+      await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 0));
+
+    const operationText = async (ui: React.ReactElement) => {
+      const { container } = render(ui);
+      await act(flushMicrotasks);
+      return getSlot(container, 'filter-chip-operation')?.textContent;
+    };
+
+    it('shows the operation named by the prop', async () => {
+      expect(
+        await operationText(<FilterChip label='Name' operation='neq' />)
+      ).toBe('is not');
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to the first operation when the type does not have it', async () => {
+      expect(
+        await operationText(<FilterChip label='Name' operation='in' />)
+      ).toBe('is');
+    });
+
+    it('shows the first operation when the prop is absent', async () => {
+      expect(await operationText(<FilterChip label='Name' />)).toBe('is');
+    });
+
+    it('reads the operation from a custom list', async () => {
+      expect(
+        await operationText(
+          <FilterChip
+            label='Name'
+            operations={[
+              { value: 'eq', label: 'is' },
+              { value: 'neq', label: 'is not' }
+            ]}
+            operation='neq'
+          />
+        )
+      ).toBe('is not');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('Remove Functionality', () => {
     it('shows remove button when onRemove is provided', () => {
       const onRemove = vi.fn();
diff --git a/packages/react/components/filter-chip/filter-chip.tsx b/packages/react/components/filter-chip/filter-chip.tsx
index 4afe7aeff..b3f5a8acb 100644
--- a/packages/react/components/filter-chip/filter-chip.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/components/filter-chip/filter-chip.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 'use client';
 
+import { useControlled } from '@base-ui/utils/useControlled';
 import { TZDate } from '@date-fns/tz';
 import { cva, cx, VariantProps } from 'class-variance-authority';
 import { parseISO } from 'date-fns';
@@ -103,6 +104,12 @@ export interface FilterChipProps
   onOperationChange?: (operation: string) => void;
   leadingIcon?: ReactNode;
   operations?: FilterOperator<string>[];
+  /**
+   * Active operation, by its `value`. A value `operations` does not have falls
+   * back to the first one.
+   * @default the first entry of `operations`
+   */
+  operation?: string;
   selectProps?: BaseSelectProps;
   /** Props forwarded to the `CalendarPreview` for `columnType="date"`. */
   calendarProps?: FilterChipCalendarProps;
@@ -129,6 +136,7 @@ export const FilterChip = ({
   leadingIcon,
   variant,
   operations,
+  operation: operationProp,
   selectProps,
   calendarProps,
   ...props
@@ -137,9 +145,18 @@ export const FilterChip = ({
     ? operations
     : filterOperators[columnType];
 
-  const [operation, setOperation] = useState<FilterOperation | undefined>(
-    computedOperations?.[0]
-  );
+  const selectedOperation =
+    operationProp === undefined
+      ? undefined
+      : (computedOperations?.find(option => option.value === operationProp) ??
+        computedOperations?.[0]);
+
+  const [operation, setOperation] = useControlled<FilterOperation | undefined>({
+    controlled: selectedOperation,
+    default: computedOperations?.[0],
+    name: 'FilterChip',
+    state: 'operation'
+  });
   const isNumberColumn = columnType === FilterType.number;
   // `??` not `||`, since a falsy option value like `0` is a real selection.
   // For `number`, the value is shown without an exponent (`1e-7`), and a
@@ -183,7 +200,7 @@ export const FilterChip = ({
       setOperation(operation);
       if (operation?.value) onOperationChange?.(operation.value);
     },
-    [onOperationChange]
+    [onOperationChange, setOperation]
   );
 
   const handleFilterValueChange = useCallback(