diff --git a/src/definitions/modules/dropdown.js b/src/definitions/modules/dropdown.js
index 878982931..b67b7fb4a 100644
--- a/src/definitions/modules/dropdown.js
+++ b/src/definitions/modules/dropdown.js
@@ -161,7 +161,34 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
             elementNamespace = '.' + id;
             module.verbose('Creating unique id for element', id);
           },
-          userLabels: function() {
+          userChoice: function(values) {
+            var
+              $userChoices,
+              $userChoice,
+              html
+            ;
+            values = values || module.get.userValues();
+            values = $.isArray(values)
+              ? values
+              : [values]
+            ;
+            module.debug('Creating user choices for each value', values);
+            $.each(values, function(index, value) {
+              html         = settings.templates.addition(value);
+              $userChoice  = $('<div />')
+                .html(html)
+                .data(metadata.value, value)
+                .addClass(className.addition)
+                .addClass(className.item)
+              ;
+              $userChoices = ($userChoices === undefined)
+                ? $userChoice
+                : $userChoices.add($userChoice)
+              ;
+            });
+            return $userChoices;
+          },
+          userLabels: function(value) {
             var
               userValues = module.get.userValues()
             ;
@@ -532,7 +559,7 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
                 module.remove.message();
               }
               if(settings.allowAdditions) {
-                module.add.userChoice(query);
+                module.add.userSuggestion(query);
               }
               if(module.is.searchSelection() && module.can.show() && module.is.focusedOnSearch() ) {
                 module.show();
@@ -2001,7 +2028,8 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
           },
           selected: function(value, $selectedItem) {
             var
-              isMultiple = module.is.multiple()
+              isMultiple = module.is.multiple(),
+              $userSelectedItem
             ;
             $selectedItem = $selectedItem || module.get.item(value);
             if(!$selectedItem) {
@@ -2015,6 +2043,11 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
             else if(settings.useLabels) {
               module.remove.selectedItem();
             }
+            if(settings.allowAdditions) {
+              $userSelectedItem = module.create.userChoice(value);
+              $selectedItem     = $selectedItem.add($userSelectedItem);
+            }
+            // select each item
             $selectedItem
               .each(function() {
                 var
@@ -2144,10 +2177,11 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
               });
             }
           },
-          userChoice: function(value) {
+          userSuggestion: function(value) {
             var
-              alreadyHasValue = module.get.item(value),
-              $addition = $menu.children(selector.addition),
+              $addition         = $menu.children(selector.addition),
+              alreadyHasValue   = module.get.item(value),
+              hasUserSuggestion = $addition.length > 0,
               html
             ;
             if(module.has.maxSelections()) {
@@ -2157,27 +2191,26 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
               $addition.remove();
               return;
             }
-            html = settings.templates.addition(value);
             $item
               .removeClass(className.selected)
             ;
-            if($addition.length > 0) {
+            if(hasUserSuggestion) {
+              html = settings.templates.addition(value);
               $addition
                 .html(html)
                 .data(metadata.value, value)
                 .removeClass(className.filtered)
                 .addClass(className.selected)
               ;
+              module.verbose('Replacing user suggestion with new value', $addition);
             }
             else {
-              $addition = $('<div/>')
-                .html(html)
-                .data(metadata.value, value)
-                .addClass(className.addition)
-                .addClass(className.item)
+              $addition = module.create.userChoice(value);
+              $addition
                 .prependTo($menu)
                 .addClass(className.selected)
               ;
+              module.verbose('Adding item choice to menu corresponding with user choice addition', $addition);
             }
           },
           variables: function(message) {
@@ -2189,6 +2222,7 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
               count,
               query
             ;
+            module.verbose('Adding templated variables to message', message);
             if(hasCount) {
               count  = module.get.selectionCount();
               message = message.replace('{count}', count);