diff --git a/holoviews/plotting/widgets/__init__.py b/holoviews/plotting/widgets/__init__.py
index 2fa21f311d..049a1e5a04 100644
--- a/holoviews/plotting/widgets/__init__.py
+++ b/holoviews/plotting/widgets/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import os, uuid, json, math
 
 import param
@@ -18,6 +20,17 @@ def isnumeric(val):
     except:
         return False
 
+
+def escape_list(vals):
+    """
+    Escapes a list of values to a string, converting to
+    unicode for safety.
+    """
+    vals = [safe_unicode(v) if isinstance(v, basestring) else str(v)
+            for v in vals if v is not None]
+    return "['" + "', '".join(vals) + "']"
+
+
 subdirs = [p[0] for p in os.walk(os.path.join(os.path.split(__file__)[0], '..'))]
 
 class NdWidget(param.Parameterized):
@@ -244,6 +257,7 @@ def get_widgets(self):
                     if not isinstance(dim_range, int) or int_type:
                         step = 10**(round(math.log10(dim_range))-3)
                 init_dim_vals.append(dim_vals[0])
+                dim_vals = escape_list(dim_vals)
             else:
                 if next_vals:
                     dim_vals = next_vals[init_dim_vals[idx-1]]
@@ -266,7 +280,7 @@ def get_widgets(self):
                     widget_type = 'dropdown'
                 visible = len(dim_vals) > 1
                 init_dim_vals.append(dim_vals[0])
-                dim_vals = repr([v for v in dim_vals if v is not None])
+                dim_vals = escape_list(dim_vals)
             dim_str = safe_unicode(dim.name)
             visibility = 'visibility: visible' if visible else 'visibility: hidden; height: 0;'
             widget_data = dict(dim=dimension_sanitizer(dim_str), dim_label=dim_str,
@@ -275,6 +289,7 @@ def get_widgets(self):
                                next_vals=next_vals)
             widgets.append(widget_data)
             dimensions.append(dim_str)
+        init_dim_vals = escape_list(init_dim_vals)
         return widgets, dimensions, init_dim_vals
 
 
@@ -283,8 +298,8 @@ def get_key_data(self):
         key_data = OrderedDict()
         for i, k in enumerate(self.mock_obj.data.keys()):
             key = [("%.1f" % v if v % 1 == 0 else "%.10f" % v)
-                   if isnumeric(v) else v for v in k]
-            key = str(tuple(key))
+                   if isnumeric(v) else safe_unicode(v) for v in k]
+            key = "('" + "', '".join(key) + ("',)" if len(key) == 1 else "')")
             key_data[key] = i
         return json.dumps(key_data)
 
diff --git a/holoviews/plotting/widgets/jsslider.jinja b/holoviews/plotting/widgets/jsslider.jinja
index 7d00afc07b..f4bf72f188 100644
--- a/holoviews/plotting/widgets/jsslider.jinja
+++ b/holoviews/plotting/widgets/jsslider.jinja
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@
                     </script>
                 {% elif widget_data['type']=='dropdown' %}
                     <div class="form-group control-group" style='{{ widget_data['visibility'] }}'>
-                        <label for="textInput{{ id }}_{{ widget_data['dim'] }}"><strong>{{ widget_data['dim'] }}:</strong></label>
+                        <label for="textInput{{ id }}_{{ widget_data['dim'] }}"><strong>{{ widget_data['dim_label'] }}:</strong></label>
                         <select class="holoselect form-control" id="_anim_widget{{ id }}_{{ widget_data['dim'] }}" >
                         </select>
                     </div>