diff --git a/frontend/src/app.css b/frontend/src/app.css
index 29877e8..2900609 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app.css
+++ b/frontend/src/app.css
@@ -5320,6 +5320,12 @@ html.modal-scroll-locked .app-main {
   line-height: 1.35;
 }
 
+.skill-tree__group-label--skill-group {
+  font-weight: 500;
+  color: var(--text2);
+  font-size: 0.84rem;
+}
+
 .multi-assoc-block {
   border: 1px solid var(--border);
   border-radius: 8px;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SkillTreeMultiSelect.jsx b/frontend/src/components/SkillTreeMultiSelect.jsx
index d6d6358..98dc4c0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SkillTreeMultiSelect.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SkillTreeMultiSelect.jsx
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ export default function SkillTreeMultiSelect({
               searchQuery={query}
               onPickSkill={(id) => addId(id)}
               pickMode="multi"
-              defaultCollapsed
             />
           ) : (
             <ul className="multiselect-combo__list" role="listbox">
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SkillTreePickerPanel.jsx b/frontend/src/components/SkillTreePickerPanel.jsx
index 3b55257..d6647fb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SkillTreePickerPanel.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SkillTreePickerPanel.jsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   allExpandableKeys,
   buildSkillCatalogTree,
   collectSkillLeavesFromTree,
+  defaultExpandedKeysForSkillTree,
   filterSkillTreeByQuery,
 } from '../utils/skillCatalogTree'
 
@@ -54,7 +55,13 @@ function SkillTreeNodes({ nodes, depth, expanded, exclude, onToggle, onPickSkill
           ) : (
             <span className="skill-tree__toggle-spacer" aria-hidden />
           )}
-          <span className={`skill-tree__group-label skill-tree__group-label--${node.type}`}>{node.label}</span>
+          <span
+            className={`skill-tree__group-label skill-tree__group-label--${node.type}${
+              node.type === 'skillGroup' ? ' skill-tree__group-label--skill-group' : ''
+            }`}
+          >
+            {node.label}
+          </span>
         </div>
         {hasKids && isOpen ? (
           <ul className="skill-tree__children" role={pickMode === 'multi' ? 'group' : 'tree'}>
@@ -75,7 +82,7 @@ function SkillTreeNodes({ nodes, depth, expanded, exclude, onToggle, onPickSkill
 }
 
 /**
- * Ausklappbare Baumliste für Fähigkeiten (Hauptgruppe → Kategorie → Fähigkeit).
+ * Ausklappbare Baumliste: Hauptgruppe → Kategorie (beide standard offen) → Fähigkeiten-Gruppe (standard zu).
  */
 export default function SkillTreePickerPanel({
   skills = [],
@@ -84,8 +91,6 @@ export default function SkillTreePickerPanel({
   onPickSkill,
   pickMode = 'single',
   className = '',
-  /** true: nur Hauptgruppen sichtbar, bis der Nutzer aufklappt (Filter) */
-  defaultCollapsed = true,
 }) {
   const exclude = useMemo(() => normExclude(excludeIds), [excludeIds])
   const fullTree = useMemo(() => buildSkillCatalogTree(skills), [skills])
@@ -98,16 +103,16 @@ export default function SkillTreePickerPanel({
   useEffect(() => {
     if (searchQuery.trim()) {
       setExpanded(new Set(allExpandableKeys(displayTree)))
-    } else if (defaultCollapsed) {
-      setExpanded(new Set())
+    } else {
+      setExpanded(new Set(defaultExpandedKeysForSkillTree(displayTree)))
     }
-  }, [searchQuery, displayTree, defaultCollapsed])
+  }, [searchQuery, displayTree])
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!defaultCollapsed) {
-      setExpanded(new Set(allExpandableKeys(fullTree)))
+    if (!searchQuery.trim()) {
+      setExpanded(new Set(defaultExpandedKeysForSkillTree(fullTree)))
     }
-  }, [fullTree, defaultCollapsed])
+  }, [fullTree, searchQuery])
 
   const onToggle = useCallback((key) => {
     setExpanded((prev) => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SkillTreeSelect.jsx b/frontend/src/components/SkillTreeSelect.jsx
index 728e93b..9ef6d1c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SkillTreeSelect.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SkillTreeSelect.jsx
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ export default function SkillTreeSelect({
               searchQuery={query}
               onPickSkill={pick}
               pickMode="single"
-              defaultCollapsed={false}
             />
           </div>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/skillCatalogTree.js b/frontend/src/utils/skillCatalogTree.js
index e4578c6..89e4664 100644
--- a/frontend/src/utils/skillCatalogTree.js
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/skillCatalogTree.js
@@ -80,18 +80,33 @@ export function buildSkillCatalogTree(skills) {
           if (a.sortOrder !== b.sortOrder) return a.sortOrder - b.sortOrder
           return a.label.localeCompare(b.label, 'de')
         })
-        .map((cat) => ({
-          key: cat.key,
-          type: cat.type,
-          label: cat.label,
-          children: [...cat.skills].sort(bySortThenName).map((skill) => ({
+        .map((cat) => {
+          const skillLeaves = [...cat.skills].sort(bySortThenName).map((skill) => ({
             key: `s-${skill.id}`,
             type: 'skill',
             label: (skill.name || '').trim() || `#${skill.id}`,
             skillId: Number(skill.id),
             skill,
-          })),
-        })),
+          }))
+          const n = skillLeaves.length
+          return {
+            key: cat.key,
+            type: cat.type,
+            label: cat.label,
+            children:
+              n > 0
+                ? [
+                    {
+                      key: `${cat.key}-skills`,
+                      type: 'skillGroup',
+                      label: n === 1 ? '1 Fähigkeit' : `${n} Fähigkeiten`,
+                      skillCount: n,
+                      children: skillLeaves,
+                    },
+                  ]
+                : [],
+          }
+        }),
     }))
 }
 
@@ -117,7 +132,8 @@ export function collectSkillLeavesFromTree(tree, excludeIds) {
           out.push({ id: n.skillId, label: n.label, pathLabel, skill: n.skill })
         }
       } else if (n.children?.length) {
-        walk(n.children, [...pathParts, n.label])
+        const nextPath = n.type === 'skillGroup' ? pathParts : [...pathParts, n.label]
+        walk(n.children, nextPath)
       }
     }
   }
@@ -137,6 +153,9 @@ export function filterSkillTreeByQuery(tree, query) {
       if (n.type === 'skill') {
         const hay = `${n.label} ${skillCatalogPathLabel(n.skill)}`.toLowerCase()
         if (hay.includes(q)) result.push(n)
+      } else if (n.type === 'skillGroup') {
+        const kids = filterNodes(n.children || [])
+        if (kids.length) result.push({ ...n, children: kids })
       } else {
         const kids = filterNodes(n.children || [])
         if (kids.length) result.push({ ...n, children: kids })
@@ -147,7 +166,7 @@ export function filterSkillTreeByQuery(tree, query) {
   return filterNodes(tree)
 }
 
-/** @param {ReturnType<typeof buildSkillCatalogTree>} tree */
+/** Alle aufklappbaren Knoten (inkl. Fähigkeiten-Gruppen unter Kategorien). */
 export function allExpandableKeys(tree) {
   const keys = []
   const walk = (nodes) => {
@@ -161,3 +180,18 @@ export function allExpandableKeys(tree) {
   walk(tree)
   return keys
 }
+
+/** Standard: Hauptgruppe + Kategorie offen, Fähigkeiten-Liste zugeklappt. */
+export function defaultExpandedKeysForSkillTree(tree) {
+  const keys = []
+  const walk = (nodes) => {
+    for (const n of nodes) {
+      if (n.type === 'main' || n.type === 'category') {
+        keys.push(n.key)
+        walk(n.children || [])
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  walk(tree)
+  return keys
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/skillCatalogTree.test.js b/frontend/src/utils/skillCatalogTree.test.js
index 6ddc8ff..c6477d7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/utils/skillCatalogTree.test.js
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/skillCatalogTree.test.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import {
   buildSkillCatalogTree,
   collectSkillLeavesFromTree,
+  defaultExpandedKeysForSkillTree,
   filterSkillTreeByQuery,
   skillCatalogPathLabel,
 } from './skillCatalogTree.js'
@@ -38,7 +39,17 @@ describe('skillCatalogTree', () => {
     expect(tree[0].label).toBe('Karate')
     expect(tree[0].children).toHaveLength(2)
     expect(tree[0].children[0].label).toBe('Kata')
-    expect(tree[0].children[0].children[0].skillId).toBe(2)
+    const kataSkills = tree[0].children[0].children[0]
+    expect(kataSkills.type).toBe('skillGroup')
+    expect(kataSkills.children[0].skillId).toBe(2)
+  })
+
+  it('defaultExpandedKeysForSkillTree opens main and category only', () => {
+    const tree = buildSkillCatalogTree(sample)
+    const keys = defaultExpandedKeysForSkillTree(tree)
+    expect(keys).toContain('m-10')
+    expect(keys.some((k) => k.includes('c-21'))).toBe(true)
+    expect(keys.some((k) => k.endsWith('-skills'))).toBe(false)
   })
 
   it('skillCatalogPathLabel', () => {
@@ -55,6 +66,8 @@ describe('skillCatalogTree', () => {
   it('filterSkillTreeByQuery', () => {
     const tree = buildSkillCatalogTree(sample)
     const filtered = filterSkillTreeByQuery(tree, 'dachi')
-    expect(filtered[0].children.some((c) => c.children?.some((s) => s.skillId === 1))).toBe(true)
+    const kihon = filtered[0].children.find((c) => c.label === 'Kihon')
+    const group = kihon?.children?.[0]
+    expect(group?.children?.some((s) => s.skillId === 1)).toBe(true)
   })
 })