diff --git a/app/pods/components/x-select/component.js b/app/pods/components/x-select/component.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c5ce421
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/pods/components/x-select/component.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import Ember from 'ember';
+
+const { Component } = Ember;
+
+export default Component.extend({
+  tagName: 'select',
+  attributeBindings: [
+    'multiple',
+  ],
+
+  options: null,
+  selected: null,
+  nameAttr: null,
+
+  change: function() {
+    this.attrs.update(this.$().select2('val'));
+  },
+
+  didInsertElement: function() {
+    if (this.get('placeholder')) {
+      this.$().select2({
+        placeholder: this.get('placeholder'),
+      });
+    } else {
+      this.$().select2();
+    }
+  },
+
+  didRender: function() {
+    Ember.run.schedule('afterRender', this, function() {
+      this.$().select2('val', this.get('selected'));
+    });
+  },
+
+});
diff --git a/app/pods/components/x-select/template.hbs b/app/pods/components/x-select/template.hbs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..131449b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/pods/components/x-select/template.hbs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{{#each options as |option|}}
+  <option value={{option.id}}>{{get-property option nameAttr}}</option>
+{{/each}}
diff --git a/app/pods/protected/compare/controller.js b/app/pods/protected/compare/controller.js
index 0ba05a4..378407e 100644
--- a/app/pods/protected/compare/controller.js
+++ b/app/pods/protected/compare/controller.js
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import Ember from 'ember';
 const { Controller } = Ember;
 
 export default Controller.extend({
-  selectedStrains: null,
-  selectedCharacteristics: null,
+  selectedStrains: [],
+  selectedCharacteristics: [],
 
   actions: {
     search: function(query) {
diff --git a/app/pods/protected/compare/results/route.js b/app/pods/protected/compare/results/route.js
index 4ae7fd0..6848827 100644
--- a/app/pods/protected/compare/results/route.js
+++ b/app/pods/protected/compare/results/route.js
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ export default Route.extend({
     }
 
     const compare = this.controllerFor('protected.compare');
-    compare.set('selectedStrains', params.strain_ids);
-    compare.set('selectedCharacteristics', params.characteristic_ids);
+    compare.set('selectedStrains', params.strain_ids.split(","));
+    compare.set('selectedCharacteristics', params.characteristic_ids.split(","));
 
     return this.get('ajax').request('/compare', { data: params });
   },
@@ -45,14 +45,14 @@ export default Route.extend({
     const compare = this.controllerFor('protected.compare');
 
     const strains = [];
-    const strain_ids = compare.get('selectedStrains').split(',');
+    const strain_ids = compare.get('selectedStrains');
     strain_ids.forEach((id) => {
       strains.push(this.store.peekRecord('strain', id));
     });
     controller.set('strains', strains);
 
     const characteristics = [];
-    const characteristic_ids = compare.get('selectedCharacteristics').split(',');
+    const characteristic_ids = compare.get('selectedCharacteristics');
     characteristic_ids.forEach((id) => {
       characteristics.push(this.store.peekRecord('characteristic', id));
     });
diff --git a/app/pods/protected/compare/select-form/component.js b/app/pods/protected/compare/select-form/component.js
index db58626..4801506 100644
--- a/app/pods/protected/compare/select-form/component.js
+++ b/app/pods/protected/compare/select-form/component.js
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ export default Component.extend({
   "update-strains": null,
   "update-characteristics": null,
 
-  selectedStrains: null,
-  selectedCharacteristics: null,
+  selectedStrains: [],
+  selectedCharacteristics: [],
 
   updateStrains: function(selection) {
     this.set('selectedStrains', selection);
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ export default Component.extend({
       strains.forEach((strain) => {
         strain_ids.push(strain.get('id'));
       });
-      this.updateStrains(strain_ids.join(","));
+      this.updateStrains(strain_ids);
     },
 
     deselectAllStrains: function() {
-      this.updateStrains("");
+      this.updateStrains([]);
     },
 
     selectAllCharacteristics: function() {
@@ -51,11 +51,19 @@ export default Component.extend({
       chars.forEach((char) => {
         char_ids.push(char.get('id'));
       });
-      this.updateCharacteristics(char_ids.join(","));
+      this.updateCharacteristics(char_ids);
     },
 
     deselectAllCharacteristics: function() {
-      this.updateCharacteristics("");
+      this.updateCharacteristics([]);
+    },
+
+    updateStrainSelection: function(selection) {
+      this.updateStrains(selection);
+    },
+
+    updateCharacteristicsSelection: function(selection) {
+      this.updateCharacteristics(selection);
     },
   },
 });
diff --git a/app/pods/protected/compare/select-form/template.hbs b/app/pods/protected/compare/select-form/template.hbs
index 61a07a5..eaa7713 100644
--- a/app/pods/protected/compare/select-form/template.hbs
+++ b/app/pods/protected/compare/select-form/template.hbs
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@
         <li>
           <label>Strains</label>
           {{
-            select-2
+            x-select
+            options=strains
+            nameAttr='fullNameMU'
             multiple=true
-            content=strains
-            value=selectedStrains
-            optionValuePath="id"
-            optionLabelPath="fullNameMU"
+            selected=selectedStrains
+            update=(action "updateStrainSelection")
             placeholder="Select one or more strains"
           }}
         </li>
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@
         <li>
           <label>Characteristics</label>
           {{
-            select-2
+            x-select
+            options=characteristics
+            nameAttr='characteristicName'
             multiple=true
-            content=characteristics
-            value=selectedCharacteristics
-            optionValuePath="id"
-            optionLabelPath="characteristicName"
+            selected=selectedCharacteristics
+            update=(action "updateCharacteristicsSelection")
             placeholder="Select one or more characteristics"
           }}
         </li>
diff --git a/app/pods/protected/strains/strain-form/template.hbs b/app/pods/protected/strains/strain-form/template.hbs
index 47c5112..dabfd7c 100644
--- a/app/pods/protected/strains/strain-form/template.hbs
+++ b/app/pods/protected/strains/strain-form/template.hbs
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@
     <div data-row-span="2">
       <div data-field-span="2">
         <label>Species</label>
-        <select onchange={{action "speciesDidChange" value="target.value"}}>
-          {{#each speciesList as |speciesChoice|}}
-            <option value={{speciesChoice.id}} selected={{equal species.id speciesChoice.id}}>{{speciesChoice.speciesName}}</option>
-          {{/each}}
-        </select>
+        {{
+          x-select
+          options=speciesList
+          nameAttr='speciesName'
+          selected=species.id
+          update=(action "speciesDidChange")
+        }}
       </div>
     </div>
     <div data-row-span="2">
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f3c6b6c..4bd7f08 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
     "ember-disable-proxy-controllers": "^1.0.1",
     "ember-export-application-global": "^1.0.4",
     "ember-one-way-input": "0.1.3",
-    "ember-select-2": "1.3.0",
     "ember-simple-auth": "1.0.0"
   }
 }