diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/lib/app_post/searchable_select.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/app/lib/app_post/searchable_select.coffee
index 50b2a2cb8..ab89960ee 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/lib/app_post/searchable_select.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/lib/app_post/searchable_select.coffee
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ class App.SearchableSelect extends Spine.Controller
     'blur .js-input':        'onBlur'
     'focus .js-input':       'onFocus'
     'focus .js-shadow':      'onShadowFocus'
+    'change .js-shadow':     'onShadowChange'
     'click .js-option':      'selectItem'
     'click .js-enter':       'navigateIn'
     'click .js-back':        'navigateOut'
@@ -35,15 +36,7 @@ class App.SearchableSelect extends Spine.Controller
     @render()
 
   render: ->
-    firstSelected = _.find @attribute.options, (option) -> option.selected
-
-    if firstSelected
-      @attribute.valueName = firstSelected.name
-      @attribute.value = firstSelected.value
-    else if @attribute.unknown && @attribute.value
-      @attribute.valueName = @attribute.value
-    else if @hasSubmenu @attribute.options
-      @attribute.valueName = @getName @attribute.value, @attribute.options
+    @updateAttributeValueName()
 
     @html App.view('generic/searchable_select')
       attribute: @attribute
@@ -68,6 +61,17 @@ class App.SearchableSelect extends Spine.Controller
             html += @renderSubmenus option.children
     html
 
+  updateAttributeValueName: ->
+    firstSelected = _.find @attribute.options, (option) -> option.selected
+
+    if firstSelected
+      @attribute.valueName = firstSelected.name
+      @attribute.value = firstSelected.value
+    else if @attribute.unknown && @attribute.value
+      @attribute.valueName = @attribute.value
+    else if @hasSubmenu @attribute.options
+      @attribute.valueName = @getName @attribute.value, @attribute.options
+
   hasSubmenu: (options) ->
     return false if !options
     for option in options
@@ -122,6 +126,10 @@ class App.SearchableSelect extends Spine.Controller
     $(document).off 'keydown.searchable_select'
     @isOpen = false
 
+    if !@input.val()
+      @updateAttributeValueName()
+      @input.val @attribute.valueName
+
   onKeyUp: =>
     return if @input.val().trim() isnt ''
     @shadowInput.val('')
@@ -361,6 +369,12 @@ class App.SearchableSelect extends Spine.Controller
   onShadowFocus: ->
     @input.focus()
 
+  onShadowChange: ->
+    value = @shadowInput.val()
+
+    for option in @attribute.options
+      option.selected = (option.value + '') == value # makes sure option value is always a string
+
   onInput: (event) =>
     @toggle() if not @isOpen