diff --git a/includes/form.inc b/includes/form.inc
index 846bcb5..81656d7 100644
--- a/includes/form.inc
+++ b/includes/form.inc
@@ -2719,6 +2719,8 @@ function form_select_options($element, $choices = NULL) {
   // isset() fails in this situation.
   $value_valid = isset($element['#value']) || array_key_exists('#value', $element);
   $value_is_array = $value_valid && is_array($element['#value']);
+  // Check if the element is multiple select and no value has been selected.
+  $empty_value = (empty($element['#value']) && !empty($element['#multiple']));
   $options = '';
   foreach ($choices as $key => $choice) {
     if (is_array($choice)) {
@@ -2731,7 +2733,8 @@ function form_select_options($element, $choices = NULL) {
     }
     else {
       $key = (string) $key;
-      if ($value_valid && (!$value_is_array && (string) $element['#value'] === $key || ($value_is_array && in_array($key, $element['#value'])))) {
+      $empty_choice = $empty_value && $key == '_none';
+      if ($value_valid && ((!$value_is_array && (string) $element['#value'] === $key || ($value_is_array && in_array($key, $element['#value']))) || $empty_choice)) {
         $selected = ' selected="selected"';
       }
       else {
diff --git a/modules/field/modules/options/options.test b/modules/field/modules/options/options.test
index 7183311..cab4e08 100644
--- a/modules/field/modules/options/options.test
+++ b/modules/field/modules/options/options.test
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ class OptionsWidgetsTestCase extends FieldTestCase {
 
     // Display form: with no field data, nothing is selected.
     $this->drupalGet('test-entity/manage/' . $entity->ftid . '/edit');
+    $this->assertOptionSelected("edit-card-2", '_none');
     $this->assertNoOptionSelected("edit-card-2-$langcode", 0);
     $this->assertNoOptionSelected("edit-card-2-$langcode", 1);
     $this->assertNoOptionSelected("edit-card-2-$langcode", 2);
diff --git a/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test b/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
index 665f9ae..4f63ab4 100644
--- a/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
+++ b/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
@@ -1679,7 +1679,9 @@ class TaxonomyTermFieldMultipleVocabularyTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
     // Submit an entity with both terms.
     $langcode = LANGUAGE_NONE;
     $this->drupalGet('test-entity/add/test-bundle');
-    $this->assertFieldByName("{$this->field_name}[$langcode][]", '', 'Widget is displayed.');
+    // Just check if the widget for the select is displayed, the NULL value is
+    // used to ignore the value check.
+    $this->assertFieldByName("{$this->field_name}[$langcode][]", NULL, 'Widget is displayed.');
     $edit = array(
       "{$this->field_name}[$langcode][]" => array($term1->tid, $term2->tid),
     );
@@ -1718,7 +1720,9 @@ class TaxonomyTermFieldMultipleVocabularyTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
 
     // The widget should still be displayed.
     $this->drupalGet('test-entity/add/test-bundle');
-    $this->assertFieldByName("{$this->field_name}[$langcode][]", '', 'Widget is still displayed.');
+    // Just check if the widget for the select is displayed, the NULL value is
+    // used to ignore the value check.
+    $this->assertFieldByName("{$this->field_name}[$langcode][]", NULL, 'Widget is still displayed.');
 
     // Term 1 should still pass validation.
     $edit = array(