diff --git a/src/plugins/controls/common/options_list/types.ts b/src/plugins/controls/common/options_list/types.ts
index 8835c7f5767f6..1c9555bdc8d90 100644
--- a/src/plugins/controls/common/options_list/types.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/controls/common/options_list/types.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ export interface OptionsListEmbeddableInput extends DataControlInput {
   hideExclude?: boolean;
   hideExists?: boolean;
   hideSort?: boolean;
+  hideActionBar?: boolean;
   exclude?: boolean;
+  placeholder?: string;
 }
 
 export type OptionsListField = FieldSpec & {
diff --git a/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_control.tsx b/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_control.tsx
index 3035eada20caf..98f545718efc6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_control.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_control.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ export const OptionsListControl = ({ typeaheadSubject }: { typeaheadSubject: Sub
   const exclude = select((state) => state.explicitInput.exclude);
   const id = select((state) => state.explicitInput.id);
 
+  const placeholder = select((state) => state.explicitInput.placeholder);
+
   const loading = select((state) => state.output.loading);
 
   // debounce loading state so loading doesn't flash when user types
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ export const OptionsListControl = ({ typeaheadSubject }: { typeaheadSubject: Sub
       >
         {hasSelections || existsSelected
           ? selectionDisplayNode
-          : OptionsListStrings.control.getPlaceholder()}
+          : placeholder ?? OptionsListStrings.control.getPlaceholder()}
       </EuiFilterButton>
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_popover.test.tsx b/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_popover.test.tsx
index acb5d24d80659..a8504aba372c8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_popover.test.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_popover.test.tsx
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ describe('Options list popover', () => {
   test('available options list width responds to container size', async () => {
     let popover = await mountComponent({ popoverProps: { width: 301 } });
     let popoverDiv = findTestSubject(popover, 'optionsList-control-popover');
-    expect(popoverDiv.getDOMNode().getAttribute('style')).toBe('width: 301px;');
+    expect(popoverDiv.getDOMNode().getAttribute('style')).toBe('width: 301px; min-width: 300px;');
 
     // the div cannot be smaller than 301 pixels wide
     popover = await mountComponent({ popoverProps: { width: 300 } });
diff --git a/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_popover.tsx b/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_popover.tsx
index 70353524068cd..b5562c43f3be2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_popover.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/components/options_list_popover.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export const OptionsListPopover = ({
   const field = select((state) => state.componentState.field);
 
   const hideExclude = select((state) => state.explicitInput.hideExclude);
+  const hideActionBar = select((state) => state.explicitInput.hideActionBar);
   const fieldName = select((state) => state.explicitInput.fieldName);
   const title = select((state) => state.explicitInput.title);
   const id = select((state) => state.explicitInput.id);
@@ -52,12 +53,12 @@ export const OptionsListPopover = ({
   return (
     <div
       id={`control-popover-${id}`}
-      style={{ width: width > 300 ? width : undefined }}
+      style={{ width, minWidth: 300 }}
       data-test-subj={`optionsList-control-popover`}
       aria-label={OptionsListStrings.popover.getAriaLabel(fieldName)}
     >
       <EuiPopoverTitle paddingSize="s">{title}</EuiPopoverTitle>
-      {field?.type !== 'boolean' && (
+      {field?.type !== 'boolean' && !hideActionBar && (
         <OptionsListPopoverActionBar
           showOnlySelected={showOnlySelected}
           setShowOnlySelected={setShowOnlySelected}
diff --git a/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/embeddable/options_list_embeddable.tsx b/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/embeddable/options_list_embeddable.tsx
index 2f710a56c4f87..8d8fb505b5cdd 100644
--- a/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/embeddable/options_list_embeddable.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/controls/public/options_list/embeddable/options_list_embeddable.tsx
@@ -406,6 +406,8 @@ export class OptionsListEmbeddable extends Embeddable<OptionsListEmbeddableInput
   };
 
   reload = () => {
+    // clear cache when reload is requested
+    this.optionsListService.clearOptionsListCache();
     this.runOptionsListQuery();
   };
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/options_list.story.ts b/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/options_list.story.ts
index 62686feee7495..c641e9ee8834a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/options_list.story.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/options_list.story.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ let optionsListRequestMethod = async (request: OptionsListRequest, abortSignal:
     )
   );
 
+const clearOptionsListCacheMock = () => {};
+
 export const replaceOptionsListMethod = (
   newMethod: (request: OptionsListRequest, abortSignal: AbortSignal) => Promise<OptionsListResponse>
 ) => (optionsListRequestMethod = newMethod);
@@ -33,5 +35,6 @@ export const replaceOptionsListMethod = (
 export const optionsListServiceFactory: OptionsListServiceFactory = () => {
   return {
     runOptionsListRequest: optionsListRequestMethod,
+    clearOptionsListCache: clearOptionsListCacheMock,
   };
 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/options_list_service.ts b/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/options_list_service.ts
index ab8e67666140b..888d2e2efb837 100644
--- a/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/options_list_service.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/options_list_service.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ class OptionsListService implements ControlsOptionsListService {
       return { rejected: true } as OptionsListResponse;
     }
   };
+
+  public clearOptionsListCache = () => {
+    this.cachedOptionsListRequest.cache = new memoize.Cache();
+  };
 }
 
 export interface OptionsListServiceRequiredServices {
diff --git a/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/types.ts b/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/types.ts
index d493207df591c..569042b136419 100644
--- a/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/types.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/controls/public/services/options_list/types.ts
@@ -13,4 +13,6 @@ export interface ControlsOptionsListService {
     request: OptionsListRequest,
     abortSignal: AbortSignal
   ) => Promise<OptionsListResponse>;
+
+  clearOptionsListCache: () => void;
 }