diff --git a/gooey/gui/components/widgets/counter.py b/gooey/gui/components/widgets/counter.py
index 766d716..91f095b 100644
--- a/gooey/gui/components/widgets/counter.py
+++ b/gooey/gui/components/widgets/counter.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ from gooey.gui import formatters
 class Counter(Dropdown):
 
     def setValue(self, value):
-        self.widget.SetSelection(value)
+        index = self._meta['choices'].index(value) + 1
+        self.widget.SetSelection(index)
 
     def formatOutput(self, metadata, value):
         return formatters.counter(metadata, value)
diff --git a/gooey/python_bindings/argparse_to_json.py b/gooey/python_bindings/argparse_to_json.py
index c1dd7a7..5c763fa 100644
--- a/gooey/python_bindings/argparse_to_json.py
+++ b/gooey/python_bindings/argparse_to_json.py
@@ -331,6 +331,13 @@ def action_to_json(action, widget, options):
         },
     })
 
+    # Issue #321:
+    # Defaults for choice types must be coerced to strings
+    # to be able to match the stringified `choices` used by `wx.ComboBox`
+    default = (str(clean_default(action.default))
+               if widget in dropdown_types
+               else clean_default(action.default))
+
     return {
         'id': action.option_strings[0] if action.option_strings else action.dest,
         'type': widget,
@@ -343,7 +350,7 @@ def action_to_json(action, widget, options):
             'nargs': action.nargs or '',
             'commands': action.option_strings,
             'choices': list(map(str, action.choices)) if action.choices else [],
-            'default': clean_default(action.default),
+            'default': default,
             'dest': action.dest,
         },
         'options': merge(base, options.get(action.dest) or {})
@@ -355,6 +362,7 @@ def choose_cli_type(action):
             if action.required and not action.option_strings \
             else 'optional'
 
+
 def clean_default(default):
     '''
     Attemps to safely coalesce the default value down to
diff --git a/gooey/tests/test_argparse_to_json.py b/gooey/tests/test_argparse_to_json.py
index 978dbc1..ade8bcd 100644
--- a/gooey/tests/test_argparse_to_json.py
+++ b/gooey/tests/test_argparse_to_json.py
@@ -53,9 +53,11 @@ class TestArgparse(unittest.TestCase):
         Issue 321 - must coerce choice types to string to support wx.ComboBox
         """
         parser = ArgumentParser()
-        parser.add_argument('--foo', choices=[1, 2, 3])
+        parser.add_argument('--foo', default=1, choices=[1, 2, 3])
         choice_action = parser._actions[-1]
         result = argparse_to_json.action_to_json(choice_action, 'Dropdown', {})
         self.assertEqual(getin(result, ['data', 'choices']), ['1', '2', '3'])
+        # default value is also converted to a string type
+        self.assertEqual(getin(result, ['data', 'default']), '1')