diff --git a/lib/js/bscomponents-common.js b/lib/js/bscomponents-common.js
index b75a614..58485fe 100644
--- a/lib/js/bscomponents-common.js
+++ b/lib/js/bscomponents-common.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 angular.module('bootstrapcomponentscommon',['servoy']).filter('showDisplayValue', function () { // filter that takes the realValue as an input and returns the displayValue
-	return function (input, valuelist) {
+	return function (input, valuelist, noEscape) {
 		var i = 0;
 		var realValue = input;
 		if (valuelist) {
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ angular.module('bootstrapcomponentscommon',['servoy']).filter('showDisplayValue'
 		
 		function getParsedDisplayValue(value) {
 			if (value === undefined || value === null || value === '') {
-				return ' '
+				return noEscape ? ' ' : ' '
 			} else {
 				return value;
 			}
diff --git a/list/list.html b/list/list.html
index c9cdf2d..4adab0e 100644
--- a/list/list.html
+++ b/list/list.html
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 	<datalist id="{{::model.svyMarkupId}}_datalist">
 		<option ng-selected="model.dataProviderID === value.realValue" ng-repeat="value in model.valuelistID" 
-			value="{{value.realValue | showDisplayValue:model.valuelistID}}">
+			value="{{value.realValue | showDisplayValue:model.valuelistID:true}}">
 		</option>
 	</datalist>
 </div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/list/list.js b/list/list.js
index 352bd7e..be634c1 100644
--- a/list/list.js
+++ b/list/list.js
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ angular.module('bootstrapcomponentsList',['servoy', 'bootstrapcomponentscommon']
 
 				if($scope.model.valuelistID) {
 					for (i = 0; i < $scope.model.valuelistID.length; i++) {
-						if (listValue === $scope.model.valuelistID[i].displayValue) {
+						var displayValue = $scope.model.valuelistID[i].displayValue;
+						if (displayValue === undefined || displayValue === null || displayValue === '') {
+							displayValue = ' ';
+						}
+						if (listValue === displayValue) {
 							listValue = $scope.model.valuelistID[i].realValue;
 							break;
 						}
@@ -38,10 +42,7 @@ angular.module('bootstrapcomponentsList',['servoy', 'bootstrapcomponentscommon']
 
 				if($scope.model.valuelistID) {
 					var showDisplayValueFilter = $filter("showDisplayValue");
-					var displayValue = showDisplayValueFilter(listValue, $scope.model.valuelistID);
-					if(displayValue !== '&nbsp;') {
-						listValue = displayValue;
-					}
+					listValue = showDisplayValueFilter(listValue, $scope.model.valuelistID, true);
 				}
 
 				inputEl.val(listValue);