diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e04ce55c..477a7f68 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -210,6 +210,13 @@ Default: false
 
 If true, options will still be rendered when there is no value.
 
+#### props.selectFirst
+
+Type: `boolean`
+Default: false
+
+If true, first option will be selected by default.
+
 ### Typeahead ([Exposed Component Functions][reactecf])
 
 #### typeahead.focus
diff --git a/dist/react-typeahead.js b/dist/react-typeahead.js
index 22ed056b..e2b885f0 100644
--- a/dist/react-typeahead.js
+++ b/dist/react-typeahead.js
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ fuzzy.match = function(pattern, string, opts) {
   pattern = opts.caseSensitive && pattern || pattern.toLowerCase();
 
   // For each character in the string, either add it to the result
-  // or wrap in template if its the next string in the pattern
+  // or wrap in template if it's the next string in the pattern
   for(var idx = 0; idx < len; idx++) {
     ch = string[idx];
     if(compareString[idx] === pattern[patternIdx]) {
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ fuzzy.match = function(pattern, string, opts) {
 //        // string to put after matching character
 //      , post:    '</b>'
 //
-//        // Optional function. Input is an element from the passed in
-//        // `arr`, output should be the string to test `pattern` against.
+//        // Optional function. Input is an entry in the given arr`,
+//        // output should be the string to test `pattern` against.
 //        // In this example, if `arr = [{crying: 'koala'}]` we would return
 //        // 'koala'.
 //      , extract: function(arg) { return arg.crying; }
@@ -150,31 +150,31 @@ fuzzy.match = function(pattern, string, opts) {
 fuzzy.filter = function(pattern, arr, opts) {
   opts = opts || {};
   return arr
-          .reduce(function(prev, element, idx, arr) {
-            var str = element;
-            if(opts.extract) {
-              str = opts.extract(element);
-            }
-            var rendered = fuzzy.match(pattern, str, opts);
-            if(rendered != null) {
-              prev[prev.length] = {
-                  string: rendered.rendered
-                , score: rendered.score
-                , index: idx
-                , original: element
-              };
-            }
-            return prev;
-          }, [])
-
-          // Sort by score. Browsers are inconsistent wrt stable/unstable
-          // sorting, so force stable by using the index in the case of tie.
-          // See http://ofb.net/~sethml/is-sort-stable.html
-          .sort(function(a,b) {
-            var compare = b.score - a.score;
-            if(compare) return compare;
-            return a.index - b.index;
-          });
+    .reduce(function(prev, element, idx, arr) {
+      var str = element;
+      if(opts.extract) {
+        str = opts.extract(element);
+      }
+      var rendered = fuzzy.match(pattern, str, opts);
+      if(rendered != null) {
+        prev[prev.length] = {
+            string: rendered.rendered
+          , score: rendered.score
+          , index: idx
+          , original: element
+        };
+      }
+      return prev;
+    }, [])
+
+    // Sort by score. Browsers are inconsistent wrt stable/unstable
+    // sorting, so force stable by using the index in the case of tie.
+    // See http://ofb.net/~sethml/is-sort-stable.html
+    .sort(function(a,b) {
+      var compare = b.score - a.score;
+      if(compare) return compare;
+      return a.index - b.index;
+    });
 };
 
 
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@ var Typeahead = React.createClass({
     formInputOption: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([React.PropTypes.string, React.PropTypes.func]),
     defaultClassNames: React.PropTypes.bool,
     customListComponent: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([React.PropTypes.element, React.PropTypes.func]),
+    selectFirst: React.PropTypes.bool,
     showOptionsWhenEmpty: React.PropTypes.bool
   },
 
@@ -578,6 +579,7 @@ var Typeahead = React.createClass({
       filterOption: null,
       defaultClassNames: true,
       customListComponent: TypeaheadSelector,
+      selectFirst: false,
       showOptionsWhenEmpty: false
     };
   },
@@ -791,9 +793,14 @@ var Typeahead = React.createClass({
   },
 
   componentWillReceiveProps: function (nextProps) {
-    this.setState({
+    var typeaheadOptionsState = {
       visible: this.getOptionsForValue(this.state.entryValue, nextProps.options)
-    });
+    };
+    if (this.props.selectFirst && nextProps.options.length) {
+      typeaheadOptionsState.selectionIndex = 0;
+    }
+
+    this.setState(typeaheadOptionsState);
   },
 
   render: function () {
diff --git a/src/typeahead/index.js b/src/typeahead/index.js
index a02eaf91..534cee38 100644
--- a/src/typeahead/index.js
+++ b/src/typeahead/index.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ var Typeahead = React.createClass({
       React.PropTypes.element,
       React.PropTypes.func
     ]),
+    selectFirst: React.PropTypes.bool,
     showOptionsWhenEmpty: React.PropTypes.bool
   },
 
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ var Typeahead = React.createClass({
       filterOption: null,
       defaultClassNames: true,
       customListComponent: TypeaheadSelector,
+      selectFirst: false,
       showOptionsWhenEmpty: false
     };
   },
@@ -288,9 +290,14 @@ var Typeahead = React.createClass({
   },
 
   componentWillReceiveProps: function(nextProps) {
-    this.setState({
+    var typeaheadOptionsState = {
       visible: this.getOptionsForValue(this.state.entryValue, nextProps.options)
-    });
+    }
+    if (this.props.selectFirst && nextProps.options.length) {
+      typeaheadOptionsState.selectionIndex = 0;
+    }
+
+    this.setState(typeaheadOptionsState);
   },
 
   render: function() {
diff --git a/test/typeahead-test.js b/test/typeahead-test.js
index d62c871c..87a46ae3 100644
--- a/test/typeahead-test.js
+++ b/test/typeahead-test.js
@@ -580,6 +580,28 @@ describe('Typeahead Component', function() {
       });
     });
 
+    context('selectFirst', function() {
+      context('options are present', function() {
+        it('sets the selectionIndex to 0 (first option) by default', function() {
+          var component = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<Typeahead
+            options={[]} selectFirst={true}
+          />);
+          component.componentWillReceiveProps({options: BEATLES})
+          assert.equal(0, component.state.selectionIndex);
+        });
+      });
+      context('options is empty', function() {
+        it('does not set selectionIndex', function() {
+          var component = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<Typeahead
+            options={[]}
+          />);
+          component.componentWillReceiveProps({options: []})
+          assert.equal(null, component.state.selectionIndex);
+        });
+      });
+
+    });
+
     context('showOptionsWhenEmpty', function() {
       it('do not render options when value is empty by default', function() {
         var component = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(