diff --git a/backend/alembic/versions/35e6853a51d5_server_default_chosen_assistants.py b/backend/alembic/versions/35e6853a51d5_server_default_chosen_assistants.py
index 057931b27494..0db3ca849bf8 100644
--- a/backend/alembic/versions/35e6853a51d5_server_default_chosen_assistants.py
+++ b/backend/alembic/versions/35e6853a51d5_server_default_chosen_assistants.py
@@ -20,10 +20,23 @@ DEFAULT_ASSISTANTS = [-2, -1, 0]
 
 def upgrade() -> None:
     # Step 1: Update any NULL values to the default value
+    # This upgrades existing users without ordered assistant
+    # to have default assistants set to visible assistants which are
+    # accessible by them.
     op.execute(
-        f"""
-        UPDATE "user"
-        SET chosen_assistants = '{DEFAULT_ASSISTANTS}'
+        """
+        UPDATE "user" u
+        SET chosen_assistants = (
+            SELECT jsonb_agg(
+                p.id ORDER BY
+                    COALESCE(p.display_priority, 2147483647) ASC,
+                    p.id ASC
+            )
+            FROM persona p
+            LEFT JOIN persona__user pu ON p.id = pu.persona_id AND pu.user_id = u.id
+            WHERE p.is_visible = true
+            AND (p.is_public = true OR pu.user_id IS NOT NULL)
+        )
         WHERE chosen_assistants IS NULL
         OR chosen_assistants = 'null'
         OR jsonb_typeof(chosen_assistants) = 'null'
diff --git a/web/src/app/assistants/mine/AssistantsList.tsx b/web/src/app/assistants/mine/AssistantsList.tsx
index 76f76239b618..880dcad49bc5 100644
--- a/web/src/app/assistants/mine/AssistantsList.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/assistants/mine/AssistantsList.tsx
@@ -306,9 +306,11 @@ export function AssistantsList({
       user?.preferences?.chosen_assistants &&
       !user?.preferences?.chosen_assistants?.includes(assistant.id)
   );
+
   const allAssistantIds = assistants.map((assistant) =>
     assistant.id.toString()
   );
+
   const [deletingPersona, setDeletingPersona] = useState<Persona | null>(null);
   const [makePublicPersona, setMakePublicPersona] = useState<Persona | null>(
     null
diff --git a/web/src/lib/assistants/orderAssistants.ts b/web/src/lib/assistants/orderAssistants.ts
index 0ae9d8561d49..5d52b2086e9f 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/assistants/orderAssistants.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/assistants/orderAssistants.ts
@@ -14,15 +14,20 @@ export function orderAssistantsForUser(
       ])
     );
 
-    assistants = assistants.filter((assistant) =>
+    let filteredAssistants = assistants.filter((assistant) =>
       chosenAssistantsSet.has(assistant.id)
     );
 
-    assistants.sort((a, b) => {
+    if (filteredAssistants.length == 0) {
+      return assistants;
+    }
+
+    filteredAssistants.sort((a, b) => {
       const orderA = assistantOrderMap.get(a.id) ?? Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;
       const orderB = assistantOrderMap.get(b.id) ?? Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;
       return orderA - orderB;
     });
+    return filteredAssistants;
   }
 
   return assistants;