diff --git a/source/ui/Select.js b/source/ui/Select.js
index 888024826..b39ee021e 100644
--- a/source/ui/Select.js
+++ b/source/ui/Select.js
@@ -12,12 +12,16 @@ enyo.kind({
 		this.inherited(arguments);
 		this.selectedChanged();
 	},
+	getSelected: function() {
+		return Number(this.getNodeProperty("selectedIndex", this.selected));
+	},
+	setSelected: function(inIndex) {
+		// default property mechanism can't track changed correctly for virtual properties
+		this.setPropertyValue("selected", Number(inIndex), "selectedChanged");
+	},
 	selectedChanged: function() {
 		this.setNodeProperty("selectedIndex", this.selected);
 	},
-	getSelected: function() {
-		return this.getNodeProperty("selectedIndex", this.selected);
-	},
 	change: function() {
 		this.selected = this.getSelected();
 	},