diff --git a/app/client/src/widgets/DropdownWidget.tsx b/app/client/src/widgets/DropdownWidget.tsx
index 71221e3d20..88b87441ee 100644
--- a/app/client/src/widgets/DropdownWidget.tsx
+++ b/app/client/src/widgets/DropdownWidget.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class DropdownWidget extends BaseWidget<DropdownWidgetProps, WidgetState> {
       selectionType: VALIDATION_TYPES.TEXT,
       selectedIndexArr: VALIDATION_TYPES.ARRAY,
       isRequired: VALIDATION_TYPES.BOOLEAN,
+      defaultOptionValue: VALIDATION_TYPES.TEXT,
     };
   }
   static getDerivedPropertiesMap() {
@@ -64,18 +65,21 @@ class DropdownWidget extends BaseWidget<DropdownWidgetProps, WidgetState> {
     ) {
       this.updateWidgetMetaProperty("selectedIndex", undefined);
       this.updateWidgetMetaProperty("selectedIndexArr", []);
-    } else if (
-      (this.props.selectedIndex !== prevProps.selectedIndex &&
-        this.props.selectedIndex === undefined) ||
-      this.props.defaultOptionValue !== prevProps.defaultOptionValue
-    ) {
-      const selectedIndex = _.findIndex(this.props.options, option => {
-        return option.value === this.props.defaultOptionValue;
-      });
-      if (selectedIndex > -1) {
-        this.updateWidgetMetaProperty("selectedIndex", selectedIndex);
-      } else {
-        this.updateWidgetMetaProperty("selectedIndex", undefined);
+    }
+    if (this.props.defaultOptionValue) {
+      if (
+        (this.props.selectedIndex !== prevProps.selectedIndex &&
+          this.props.selectedIndex === undefined) ||
+        this.props.defaultOptionValue !== prevProps.defaultOptionValue
+      ) {
+        const selectedIndex = _.findIndex(this.props.options, option => {
+          return option.value === this.props.defaultOptionValue;
+        });
+        if (selectedIndex > -1) {
+          this.updateWidgetMetaProperty("selectedIndex", selectedIndex);
+        } else {
+          this.updateWidgetMetaProperty("selectedIndex", undefined);
+        }
       }
     }
   }