diff --git a/packages/components/inputs/selectable-search-input/src/selectable-search-input.story.js b/packages/components/inputs/selectable-search-input/src/selectable-search-input.story.js
index cbaae086e2..87d98cb5e2 100644
--- a/packages/components/inputs/selectable-search-input/src/selectable-search-input.story.js
+++ b/packages/components/inputs/selectable-search-input/src/selectable-search-input.story.js
@@ -96,6 +96,11 @@ storiesOf('Components|Inputs', module)
       option: dropdownValue,
     };
 
+    const defaultValue = {
+      text: '',
+      options: [],
+    };
+
     return (
       <Section
         backgroundColor={select(
@@ -112,6 +117,7 @@ storiesOf('Components|Inputs', module)
             id={text('id', '')}
             name={name}
             value={value}
+            defaultValue={defaultValue}
             onChange={(event) => {
               action('onChange')(event);
               if (event.target.name.endsWith('.textInput')) {
diff --git a/packages/components/inputs/selectable-search-input/src/selectable-search-input.tsx b/packages/components/inputs/selectable-search-input/src/selectable-search-input.tsx
index 8e9b8cedec..1338e994b4 100644
--- a/packages/components/inputs/selectable-search-input/src/selectable-search-input.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/inputs/selectable-search-input/src/selectable-search-input.tsx
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ export type TSelectableSearchInputProps = {
    * Value of the input. Consists of text input and selected option.
    */
   value: TValue;
+  /**
+   * Default value of the input. Consists of text input and selected option.
+   */
+  defaultValue: TValue;
   /**
    * Called with the event of the input or dropdown when either the selectable dropdown or the text input have changed.
    * The change event from the text input has a suffix of `.textInput` and the change event from the dropdown has a suffix of `.dropdown`.
@@ -254,7 +258,7 @@ const transformDataProps = (dataProps?: Record<string, string>) =>
 
 const SelectableSearchInput = (props: TSelectableSearchInputProps) => {
   const [dropdownHasFocus, toggleDropdownHasFocus] = useToggleState(false);
-  const [searchValue, setSearchValue] = useState(props.value.text || '');
+  const [searchValue, setSearchValue] = useState(props.defaultValue.text || '');
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const textInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
 
@@ -264,7 +268,9 @@ const SelectableSearchInput = (props: TSelectableSearchInputProps) => {
 
   // Ensure input state is always updated when the input changes
   useEffect(() => {
-    setSearchValue(props.value.text);
+    if (props.value.text) {
+      setSearchValue(props.value.text);
+    }
   }, [props.value.text]);
 
   const optionsWithoutGroups = props.options.flatMap((option) => {