diff --git a/RELEASE-NOTES.md b/RELEASE-NOTES.md
index fc8a82ee5..86da326c6 100644
--- a/RELEASE-NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE-NOTES.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 - **Accordion** - Added missing notation for accordion docs #2812
 - **Container** - Fix issue with `fluid container` being `100% + gutter` at mobile resolution (causing overflow)
 - **Dropdown** - Remove use of `trim` which causes issues IE 11 and below #2806
+- **Dropdown** - Fixes issues with setting "" (empty quote) values when `placeholder: false` is used. Fixes issues with using `clear` and `restore defaults` without placeholders. #2637
 - **Embed** - Remove accidental `console.log` statements in js #2760
 - **Form / Input** - Fixes `::placeholder` text color for `ui error input`, modifies form error placeholder color to distinguish from form value error color #2786
 - **Form** - Date input and other special input in chrome now are the same height as normal input (adds custom vendor shadow dom styling) #2704
diff --git a/src/definitions/modules/dropdown.js b/src/definitions/modules/dropdown.js
index b4680dfbc..0c6e1019d 100644
--- a/src/definitions/modules/dropdown.js
+++ b/src/definitions/modules/dropdown.js
@@ -1372,6 +1372,15 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
           id: function() {
             return id;
           },
+          defaultText: function() {
+            return $module.data(metadata.defaultText);
+          },
+          defaultValue: function() {
+            return $module.data(metadata.defaultValue);
+          },
+          placeholderText: function() {
+            return $module.data(metadata.placeholderText) || '';
+          },
           text: function() {
             return $text.text();
           },
@@ -1637,7 +1646,7 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
             ;
             shouldSearch = (isMultiple)
               ? (value.length > 0)
-              : (value !== undefined && value !== '' && value !== null)
+              : (value !== undefined && value !== null)
             ;
             isMultiple = (module.is.multiple() && $.isArray(value));
             strict     = (value === '' || value === 0)
@@ -1722,15 +1731,21 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
           },
           defaultText: function() {
             var
-              defaultText = $module.data(metadata.defaultText)
+              defaultText     = module.get.defaultText(),
+              placeholderText = module.get.placeholderText
             ;
-            module.debug('Restoring default text', defaultText);
-            module.set.text(defaultText);
-            $text.addClass(className.placeholder);
+            if(defaultText === placeholderText) {
+              module.debug('Restoring default placeholder text', defaultText);
+              module.set.placeholderText(defaultText);
+            }
+            else {
+              module.debug('Restoring default text', defaultText);
+              module.set.text(defaultText);
+            }
           },
           defaultValue: function() {
             var
-              defaultValue = $module.data(metadata.defaultValue)
+              defaultValue = module.get.defaultValue()
             ;
             if(defaultValue !== undefined) {
               module.debug('Restoring default value', defaultValue);
@@ -1842,7 +1857,7 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
             var
               text
             ;
-            if($text.hasClass(className.placeholder)) {
+            if(settings.placeholder !== false && $text.hasClass(className.placeholder)) {
               text = module.get.text();
               module.verbose('Saving placeholder text as', text);
               $module.data(metadata.placeholderText, text);
@@ -1876,8 +1891,8 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
 
         scrollPage: function(direction, $selectedItem) {
           var
-            $selectedItem = $selectedItem || module.get.selectedItem(),
-            $menu         = $selectedItem.closest(selector.menu),
+            $currentItem  = $selectedItem || module.get.selectedItem(),
+            $menu         = $currentItem.closest(selector.menu),
             menuHeight    = $menu.outerHeight(),
             currentScroll = $menu.scrollTop(),
             itemHeight    = $item.eq(0).outerHeight(),
@@ -1892,8 +1907,8 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
             elementIndex
           ;
           elementIndex      = (direction == 'up')
-            ? $selectableItem.index($selectedItem) - itemsPerPage
-            : $selectableItem.index($selectedItem) + itemsPerPage
+            ? $selectableItem.index($currentItem) - itemsPerPage
+            : $selectableItem.index($currentItem) + itemsPerPage
           ;
           isWithinRange = (direction == 'up')
             ? (elementIndex >= 0)
@@ -1907,7 +1922,7 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
           ;
           if($nextSelectedItem.length > 0) {
             module.debug('Scrolling page', direction, $nextSelectedItem);
-            $selectedItem
+            $currentItem
               .removeClass(className.selected)
             ;
             $nextSelectedItem
@@ -1949,12 +1964,10 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
             $module.addClass(className.loading);
           },
           placeholderText: function(text) {
-            text = text || $module.data(metadata.placeholderText);
-            if(text) {
-              module.debug('Restoring placeholder text');
-              module.set.text(text);
-              $text.addClass(className.placeholder);
-            }
+            text = text || module.get.placeholderText();
+            module.debug('Setting placeholder text', text);
+            module.set.text(text);
+            $text.addClass(className.placeholder);
           },
           tabbable: function() {
             if( module.has.search() ) {
@@ -2037,10 +2050,12 @@ $.fn.dropdown = function(parameters) {
                 }
               }
               else {
+                if(text !== module.get.placeholderText()) {
+                  $text.removeClass(className.placeholder);
+                }
                 module.debug('Changing text', text, $text);
                 $text
                   .removeClass(className.filtered)
-                  .removeClass(className.placeholder)
                 ;
                 if(settings.preserveHTML) {
                   $text.html(text);