diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/contrib/chatInputCompletions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/contrib/chatInputCompletions.ts
index c94042618c9db..647ac002a13a4 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/contrib/chatInputCompletions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/chat/browser/contrib/chatInputCompletions.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,16 @@ class AgentCompletions extends Disposable {
 				const agents = this.chatAgentService.getAgents()
 					.filter(a => a.locations.includes(widget.location));
 
+				// When the input is only `/`, items are sorted by sortText.
+				// When typing, filterText is used to score and sort.
+				// The same list is refiltered/ranked while typing.
+				const getFilterText = (agent: IChatAgentData, command: string) => {
+					// This is hacking the filter algorithm to make @terminal /explain match worse than @workspace /explain by making its match index later in the string.
+					// When I type `/exp`, the workspace one should be sorted over the terminal one.
+					const dummyPrefix = agent.id === 'github.copilot.terminal' ? `0000` : ``;
+					return `${chatSubcommandLeader}${dummyPrefix}${agent.name}.${command}`;
+				};
+
 				const justAgents: CompletionItem[] = agents
 					.filter(a => !a.isDefault)
 					.map(agent => {
@@ -218,7 +228,7 @@ class AgentCompletions extends Disposable {
 							insertText: `${agentLabel} `,
 							range: new Range(1, 1, 1, 1),
 							kind: CompletionItemKind.Text,
-							sortText: `${chatSubcommandLeader}${agent.id}`,
+							sortText: `${chatSubcommandLeader}${agent.name}`,
 							command: { id: AssignSelectedAgentAction.ID, title: AssignSelectedAgentAction.ID, arguments: [{ agent, widget } satisfies AssignSelectedAgentActionArgs] },
 						};
 					});
@@ -230,13 +240,13 @@ class AgentCompletions extends Disposable {
 							const withSlash = `${chatSubcommandLeader}${c.name}`;
 							return {
 								label: { label: withSlash, description: agentLabel, detail: isDupe ? ` (${agent.publisherDisplayName})` : undefined },
-								filterText: `${chatSubcommandLeader}${agent.name}${c.name}`,
+								filterText: getFilterText(agent, c.name),
 								commitCharacters: [' '],
 								insertText: `${agentLabel} ${withSlash} `,
 								detail: `(${agentLabel}) ${c.description ?? ''}`,
 								range: new Range(1, 1, 1, 1),
 								kind: CompletionItemKind.Text, // The icons are disabled here anyway
-								sortText: `${chatSubcommandLeader}${agent.id}${c.name}`,
+								sortText: `${chatSubcommandLeader}${agent.name}${c.name}`,
 								command: { id: AssignSelectedAgentAction.ID, title: AssignSelectedAgentAction.ID, arguments: [{ agent, widget } satisfies AssignSelectedAgentActionArgs] },
 							} satisfies CompletionItem;
 						})))