diff --git a/Src/xWorks/Avalonia/Composer/DetailComposer.cs b/Src/xWorks/Avalonia/Composer/DetailComposer.cs
index 94b0fd63d6..1f94cca718 100644
--- a/Src/xWorks/Avalonia/Composer/DetailComposer.cs
+++ b/Src/xWorks/Avalonia/Composer/DetailComposer.cs
@@ -789,8 +789,16 @@ private ViewNode MakeCustomFieldNode(ViewNode placeholder, int flid)
 						break;
 					case CellarPropertyType.MultiUnicode:
 					case CellarPropertyType.MultiString:
-						rawEditor = EditorKindMap.MultiStringEditor;
-						wsSpec = WritingSystemServices.GetMagicWsNameFromId(_mdc.GetFieldWs(flid));
+						var fieldWs = _mdc.GetFieldWs(flid);
+						// A multi-alternative field with a singular (or unset) selector (LIFT
+						// import mints these) shows one fixed alternative, so it composes a
+						// plain string row without the Writing Systems menu.
+						rawEditor = fieldWs == WritingSystemServices.kwsAnal
+							|| fieldWs == WritingSystemServices.kwsVern
+							|| fieldWs == 0
+							? EditorKindMap.StringEditor
+							: EditorKindMap.MultiStringEditor;
+						wsSpec = WritingSystemServices.GetMagicWsNameFromId(fieldWs);
 						break;
 					default:
 						// Resolved by CellarPropertyType in WalkOtherField, like autoCustom.
diff --git a/Src/xWorks/xWorksTests/Avalonia/Composer/DetailEditContextEditingTests.cs b/Src/xWorks/xWorksTests/Avalonia/Composer/DetailEditContextEditingTests.cs
index edbe9f0aa5..920649e40b 100644
--- a/Src/xWorks/xWorksTests/Avalonia/Composer/DetailEditContextEditingTests.cs
+++ b/Src/xWorks/xWorksTests/Avalonia/Composer/DetailEditContextEditingTests.cs
@@ -1857,6 +1857,7 @@ public class DetailComposerCustomFieldTests : MemoryOnlyBackendProviderTestBase
 		private IMoMorphType m_secondListItem;
 		private bool m_fieldsCreated;
 		private int m_flidEntryMulti;
+		private int m_flidEntryMultiSingleWs;
 		private int m_flidEntrySingle;
 		private int m_flidEntryDate;
 		private int m_flidEntryListRef;
@@ -1948,6 +1949,8 @@ public override void TestSetup()
 					TsStringUtils.MakeString("alto-bajo", Cache.DefaultVernWs));
 				sda.SetString(m_entry.Hvo, m_flidEntrySingle,
 					TsStringUtils.MakeString("from Smith", Cache.DefaultAnalWs));
+				sda.SetMultiStringAlt(m_entry.Hvo, m_flidEntryMultiSingleWs, Cache.DefaultAnalWs,
+					TsStringUtils.MakeString("imported note", Cache.DefaultAnalWs));
 				m_genDate = new GenDate(GenDate.PrecisionType.Approximate, 3, 14, 2020, true);
 				((ISilDataAccessManaged)sda).SetGenDate(m_entry.Hvo, m_flidEntryDate, m_genDate);
 				m_listItem = Cache.LangProject.LexDbOA.MorphTypesOA.ReallyReallyAllPossibilities
@@ -2053,6 +2056,10 @@ private void EnsureCustomFields()
 				CellarPropertyType.String, WritingSystemServices.kwsAnal);
 			m_flidSenseSingle = MakeCustomField("Sense Source", LexSenseTags.kClassId,
 				CellarPropertyType.String, WritingSystemServices.kwsAnal);
+			// A multi-alternative type paired with a SINGULAR selector: the current dialog
+			// cannot mint this combination, but LIFT import and older projects can.
+			m_flidEntryMultiSingleWs = MakeCustomField("Import Note", LexEntryTags.kClassId,
+				CellarPropertyType.MultiString, WritingSystemServices.kwsAnal);
 		}
 
 		private ICmPossibility CreateExtendedNoteType(string name)
@@ -2142,6 +2149,24 @@ public void Compose_CustomFields_ExpandAtThePlaceholder_WithLegacyLabelsAndValue
 				"the sense placeholder sits after the authored sense fields");
 		}
 
+		[Test]
+		public void Compose_CustomMultiStringWithSingularWsSelector_ComposesAPlainStringRow()
+		{
+			var fields = Compose();
+
+			var singleWs = fields.FirstOrDefault(f => f.Label == "Import Note");
+			Assert.That(singleWs, Is.Not.Null, "the singular-selector custom field composes a row");
+			Assert.That(singleWs.Kind, Is.EqualTo(DetailFieldKind.Text));
+			Assert.That(singleWs.IsMultiStringRow, Is.False,
+				"a singular WsSelector composes a plain string row, like the legacy StringSlice, "
+				+ "so its menus must not gain the mnuDataTree-MultiStringSlice group");
+			Assert.That(singleWs.Values.Single().Value, Is.EqualTo("imported note"));
+
+			var multi = fields.First(f => f.Label == "Tone Pattern");
+			Assert.That(multi.IsMultiStringRow, Is.True,
+				"a plural WsSelector keeps the multistring row and its Writing Systems menu");
+		}
+
 		[Test]
 		public void Compose_CustomFields_SitAtTheLegacyPlaceholderPosition()
 		{