diff --git a/src/browser/js/bridge.zig b/src/browser/js/bridge.zig
index 099e57d02..df82f400f 100644
--- a/src/browser/js/bridge.zig
+++ b/src/browser/js/bridge.zig
@@ -443,6 +443,14 @@ fn GetterQuery(comptime getter: anytype, comptime attrs: u32) type {
     const params = @typeInfo(@TypeOf(getter)).@"fn".params;
     const Self = params[0].type.?;
     const Index = params[1].type.?;
+
+    // A getter that can return neither null nor error.NotHandled would report
+    // every index as present.
+    switch (@typeInfo(@typeInfo(@TypeOf(getter)).@"fn".return_type.?)) {
+        .optional, .error_union => {},
+        else => @compileError(@typeName(Self) ++ ": an indexed getter that can't return null or error.NotHandled needs an explicit query"),
+    }
+
     return struct {
         const query = if (params.len == 3) withGlobal else plain;
 
diff --git a/src/browser/tests/element/html/select.html b/src/browser/tests/element/html/select.html
index 811a48350..c6f378158 100644
--- a/src/browser/tests/element/html/select.html
+++ b/src/browser/tests/element/html/select.html
@@ -313,6 +313,25 @@
   }
 </script>
 
+<script id="options_indexed_setter_padding">
+  {
+    const sel = document.createElement('select')
+    const make = (v) => { const o = document.createElement('option'); o.value = v; return o }
+    const records = []
+    new MutationObserver((r) => records.push(...r)).observe(sel, { childList: true })
+
+    // The spec pads with one DocumentFragment (we do, so 2 records); Chrome
+    // appends each blank option on its own. Only what was added is common.
+    sel.options[3] = make('d')
+    testing.expectEqual(4, sel.options.length)
+
+    testing.onload(() => {
+      const added = records.flatMap((r) => Array.from(r.addedNodes, (n) => n.value))
+      testing.expectEqual(['', '', '', 'd'], added)
+    })
+  }
+</script>
+
 <script id="select_add">
   {
     const sel = document.createElement('select')
diff --git a/src/browser/webapi/collections/HTMLOptionsCollection.zig b/src/browser/webapi/collections/HTMLOptionsCollection.zig
index d3c3baaeb..9a05f06d4 100644
--- a/src/browser/webapi/collections/HTMLOptionsCollection.zig
+++ b/src/browser/webapi/collections/HTMLOptionsCollection.zig
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 // You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
 // along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+const lp = @import("lightpanda");
+
 const js = @import("../../js/js.zig");
 const Page = @import("../../Page.zig");
 const Frame = @import("../../Frame.zig");
@@ -105,7 +107,8 @@ pub fn remove(self: *HTMLOptionsCollection, index: i32, frame: *Frame) void {
 }
 
 // Chrome's cap (kMaxListItems): padding up to a huge index would otherwise
-// create that many options.
+// create that many options. Past it, Chrome ignores the set (with a console
+// warning); Firefox has no cap.
 const max_list_items = 100_000;
 
 // The indexed setter: null removes the option at index; an index past the
@@ -127,14 +130,22 @@ fn setAtIndex(self: *HTMLOptionsCollection, index: u32, option_: ?*Option, frame
     }
 
     if (index >= max_list_items) {
+        lp.log.warn(.js, "select overflow", .{ .max_list_items = max_list_items, .request = index });
         return;
     }
 
     const select_node = self._select.asNode();
-    const doc = select_node.ownerDocument(frame).?;
-    for (self.length(frame)..index) |_| {
-        const blank = try doc.createElementNS("http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml", "option", frame);
-        _ = try select_node.appendChild(blank.asNode(), frame);
+    const len = self.length(frame);
+    if (index > len) {
+        // Per spec, the padding goes in as one DocumentFragment, so observers
+        // get one record rather than one per blank option.
+        const doc = select_node.ownerDocument(frame).?;
+        const fragment = (try Node.DocumentFragment.init(doc, frame)).asNode();
+        for (len..index) |_| {
+            const blank = try doc.createElementNS("http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml", "option", frame);
+            _ = try fragment.appendChild(blank.asNode(), frame);
+        }
+        _ = try select_node.appendChild(fragment, frame);
     }
     _ = try select_node.appendChild(option, frame);
 }