diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/active_admin/searchable_select/init.js b/app/assets/javascripts/active_admin/searchable_select/init.js
index f0eaa32..c51e3a0 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/active_admin/searchable_select/init.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/active_admin/searchable_select/init.js
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@
       // reading from data allows <input data-searchable_select='{"tags": ['some']}'>
       // to be passed to select2
       var options = $.extend(extra || {}, item.data('searchableSelect'));
+
+      // default option allow clear (must have placeholder and allowClear to options)
+      if (options.placeholder == undefined)
+        options.placeholder = '';
+
+      if (options.allowClear == undefined)
+        options.allowClear = true;
+
       var url = item.data('ajaxUrl');
 
       if (url) {
@@ -43,4 +51,4 @@
   $(function() {
     initSearchableSelects($(".searchable-select-input"));
   });
-}());
\ No newline at end of file
+}());