diff --git a/ui/lobby/src/setupCtrl.ts b/ui/lobby/src/setupCtrl.ts
index f8ac2c19d0523..e42f7905389d8 100644
--- a/ui/lobby/src/setupCtrl.ts
+++ b/ui/lobby/src/setupCtrl.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ export default class SetupController {
   constructor(ctrl: LobbyController) {
     this.root = ctrl;
     this.blindModeColor = propWithEffect('random', this.onPropChange);
-
     // Initialize stores with default props as necessary
     this.store = {
       hook: this.makeSetupStore('hook'),
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ export default class SetupController {
   private loadPropsFromStore = (forceOptions?: ForceSetupOptions) => {
     const storeProps = this.store[this.gameType!]();
     // Load props from the store, but override any store values with values found in forceOptions
-    this.variant = this.propWithApply(forceOptions?.variant || storeProps.variant);
+    this.variant = propWithEffect(forceOptions?.variant || storeProps.variant, this.onVariantChange);
     this.fen = this.propWithApply(forceOptions?.fen || storeProps.fen);
     this.timeMode = this.propWithApply(forceOptions?.timeMode || storeProps.timeMode);
     this.timeV = this.propWithApply(sliderInitVal(storeProps.time, timeVToTime, 100)!);
@@ -136,7 +135,7 @@ export default class SetupController {
     }
   };
 
-  private savePropsToStore = () =>
+  private savePropsToStore = (override: Partial<SetupStore> = {}) =>
     this.gameType &&
     this.store[this.gameType]({
       variant: this.variant(),
@@ -149,11 +148,41 @@ export default class SetupController {
       ratingMin: this.ratingMin(),
       ratingMax: this.ratingMax(),
       aiLevel: this.aiLevel(),
+      ...override,
+    });
+
+  private savePropsToStoreExceptRating = () =>
+    this.gameType &&
+    this.savePropsToStore({
+      ratingMin: this.store[this.gameType]().ratingMin,
+      ratingMax: this.store[this.gameType]().ratingMax,
     });
 
+  private isProvisional = () => {
+    const rating = this.root.data.ratingMap && this.root.data.ratingMap[this.selectedPerf()];
+    return rating ? !!rating.prov : true;
+  };
+
   private onPropChange = () => {
+    if (this.isProvisional()) this.savePropsToStoreExceptRating();
+    else this.savePropsToStore();
+    this.root.redraw();
+  };
+
+  private onVariantChange = () => {
+    // Handle rating update here
     this.enforcePropRules();
-    this.savePropsToStore();
+    if (this.isProvisional()) {
+      this.ratingMin(-500);
+      this.ratingMax(500);
+      this.savePropsToStoreExceptRating();
+    } else {
+      if (this.gameType) {
+        this.ratingMin(this.store[this.gameType]().ratingMin);
+        this.ratingMax(this.store[this.gameType]().ratingMax);
+      }
+      this.savePropsToStore();
+    }
     this.root.redraw();
   };
 
@@ -177,17 +206,24 @@ export default class SetupController {
   validateFen = debounce(() => {
     const fen = this.fen();
     if (!fen) return;
-    xhr.text(xhr.url('/setup/validate-fen', { fen, strict: this.gameType === 'ai' ? 1 : undefined })).then(
-      () => {
-        this.fenError = false;
-        this.lastValidFen = fen;
-        this.root.redraw();
-      },
-      () => {
-        this.fenError = true;
-        this.root.redraw();
-      }
-    );
+    xhr
+      .text(
+        xhr.url('/setup/validate-fen', {
+          fen,
+          strict: this.gameType === 'ai' ? 1 : undefined,
+        })
+      )
+      .then(
+        () => {
+          this.fenError = false;
+          this.lastValidFen = fen;
+          this.root.redraw();
+        },
+        () => {
+          this.fenError = true;
+          this.root.redraw();
+        }
+      );
   }, 300);
 
   ratedModeDisabled = (): boolean =>
diff --git a/ui/lobby/src/view/setup/components/ratingDifferenceSliders.ts b/ui/lobby/src/view/setup/components/ratingDifferenceSliders.ts
index 8e7dcd20da181..403f3696e07ae 100644
--- a/ui/lobby/src/view/setup/components/ratingDifferenceSliders.ts
+++ b/ui/lobby/src/view/setup/components/ratingDifferenceSliders.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ export const ratingDifferenceSliders = (ctrl: LobbyController) => {
   const isProvisional = !!ctrl.data.ratingMap[selectedPerf].prov;
   const disabled = isProvisional ? '.disabled' : '';
 
+  // Get current rating values or use default values if isProvisional
+  const currentRatingMin = isProvisional ? -500 : setupCtrl.ratingMin();
+  const currentRatingMax = isProvisional ? 500 : setupCtrl.ratingMax();
+
   return h(
     `div.rating-range-config.optional-config${disabled}`,
     {
@@ -27,7 +31,7 @@ export const ratingDifferenceSliders = (ctrl: LobbyController) => {
             min: '-500',
             max: '0',
             step: '50',
-            value: setupCtrl.ratingMin(),
+            value: currentRatingMin,
             disabled: isProvisional,
           },
           on: {
@@ -38,16 +42,16 @@ export const ratingDifferenceSliders = (ctrl: LobbyController) => {
             },
           },
         }),
-        h('span.rating-min', '-' + Math.abs(setupCtrl.ratingMin())),
+        h('span.rating-min', '-' + Math.abs(currentRatingMin)),
         '/',
-        h('span.rating-max', '+' + setupCtrl.ratingMax()),
+        h('span.rating-max', '+' + currentRatingMax),
         h('input.range.rating-range__max', {
           attrs: {
             type: 'range',
             min: '0',
             max: '500',
             step: '50',
-            value: setupCtrl.ratingMax(),
+            value: currentRatingMax,
             disabled: isProvisional,
           },
           on: {