diff --git a/src/selectize.js b/src/selectize.js
index 194bc48e1..37f3d6f86 100644
--- a/src/selectize.js
+++ b/src/selectize.js
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ $.extend(Selectize.prototype, {
 	 */
 	getOption: function(value) {
 		value = hash_key(value);
-		return value ? this.$dropdown_content.find('[data-selectable]').filter('[data-value="' + value.replace(/(['"])/g, '\\$1') + '"]:first') : $();
+		return value ? this.$dropdown_content.find('[data-selectable]').filter('[data-value="' + escape_quotes(value) + '"]:first') : $();
 	},
 
 	/**
@@ -1238,15 +1238,7 @@ $.extend(Selectize.prototype, {
 	 * @returns {object}
 	 */
 	getItem: function(value) {
-		var i = this.items.indexOf(value);
-		if (i !== -1) {
-			if (i >= this.caretPos) i++;
-			var $el = $(this.$control[0].childNodes[i]);
-			if ($el.attr('data-value') === value) {
-				return $el;
-			}
-		}
-		return $();
+		return this.$control.children('[data-value="' + escape_quotes(hash_key(value)) + '"]');
 	},
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 162c0bc8d..449146f77 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -54,6 +54,17 @@ var escape_regex = function(str) {
 	return (str + '').replace(/([.?*+^$[\]\\(){}|-])/g, '\\$1');
 };
 
+/**
+ * Escapes quotation marks with backslashes. Useful
+ * for escaping values for use in CSS attribute selectors.
+ *
+ * @param {string} str
+ * @return {string}
+ */
+var escape_quotes = function(str) {
+	return str.replace(/(['"])/g, '\\$1');
+};
+
 var hook = {};
 
 /**
diff --git a/tests/api.js b/tests/api.js
index f5ab21a51..bb3ec19ab 100644
--- a/tests/api.js
+++ b/tests/api.js
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@
 						{value: 'null'},
 						{value: 'a'},
 						{value: 'b'},
+						{value: 'c'},
 						{value: '\''},
 						{value: '"'},
 						{value: '\\\''},
@@ -175,11 +176,15 @@
 				test.selectize.addItem(0);
 				expect(test.selectize.items.indexOf('0')).to.not.be.equal(-1);
 			});
+			it('should update DOM', function() {
+				test.selectize.addItem('c');
+				expect(test.selectize.$control.find('[data-value=c]').length).to.be.equal(1);
+			});
 		});
 
 		describe('updateOption()', function() {
 			before(function() {
-				test = setup_test('<select>', {
+				test = setup_test('<select multiple>', {
 					valueField: 'value',
 					labelField: 'value',
 					options: [
@@ -190,6 +195,7 @@
 						{value: 'c'},
 						{value: 'd'},
 						{value: 'e'},
+						{value: 'f'},
 						{value: 'null'},
 						{value: 'undefined'},
 						{value: '\''},
@@ -197,7 +203,7 @@
 						{value: '\\\''},
 						{value: '\\"'},
 					],
-					items: ['e']
+					items: ['e','f']
 				});
 			});
 			after(function() {
@@ -235,6 +241,11 @@
 				expect(test.selectize.options['undefined']).to.not.have.property('test');
 				expect(test.selectize.options['null']).to.not.have.property('test');
 			});
+			it('should update DOM', function() {
+				test.selectize.updateOption('f', {value: 'f_updated'});
+				expect(test.selectize.$control.find('[data-value=f]').length).to.be.equal(0);
+				expect(test.selectize.$control.find('[data-value=f_updated]').length).to.be.equal(1);
+			});
 		});
 
 		describe('getOption()', function() {
@@ -289,6 +300,96 @@
 				expect(test.selectize.getOption(undefined).length).to.be.equal(0);
 			});
 		});
+
+		describe('getItem()', function() {
+			before(function() {
+				test = setup_test('<select multiple>', {
+					valueField: 'value',
+					labelField: 'value',
+					options: [
+						{value: 0},
+						{value: 1},
+						{value: 'a'},
+						{value: 'b'},
+						{value: '\''},
+						{value: '"'},
+						{value: '\\\''},
+						{value: '\\"'},
+					],
+					items: ['0','1','a','b','\'','"','\\\'','\\"']
+				});
+			});
+			after(function() {
+				test.teardown();
+			});
+			it('should allow string values', function() {
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('a')).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('a').length).to.be.equal(1);
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('b')).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('b').length).to.be.equal(1);
+			});
+			it('should allow integer values', function() {
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem(0)).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem(0).length).to.be.equal(1);
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem(1)).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem(1).length).to.be.equal(1);
+			});
+			it('should allow values with quotation marks', function() {
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('\'')).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('\'').length).to.be.equal(1);
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('"')).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('"').length).to.be.equal(1);
+			});
+			it('should allow values with backslashes', function() {
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('\\\'')).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('\\\'').length).to.be.equal(1);
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('\\"')).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem('\\"').length).to.be.equal(1);
+			});
+			it('should not allow undefined / null values', function() {
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem(null)).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem(null).length).to.be.equal(0);
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem(undefined)).to.be.ok;
+				expect(test.selectize.getItem(undefined).length).to.be.equal(0);
+			});
+		});
+
+		describe('clear()', function() {
+			before(function() {
+				test = setup_test('<select multiple>', {
+					valueField: 'value',
+					labelField: 'value',
+					options: [
+						{value: 0},
+						{value: 1},
+						{value: 2},
+						{value: 3},
+					],
+					items: ['1','2','3']
+				});
+			});
+			after(function() {
+				test.teardown();
+			});
+			it('should empty "items" array', function() {
+				test.selectize.clear();
+				expect(test.selectize.items.length).to.be.equal(0);
+			});
+			it('should update DOM', function() {
+				test.selectize.clear();
+				expect(test.selectize.$control.find('[data-value=1]').length).to.be.equal(0);
+				expect(test.selectize.$control.find('[data-value=2]').length).to.be.equal(0);
+				expect(test.selectize.$control.find('[data-value=3]').length).to.be.equal(0);
+			});
+			it('should not give control focus', function(done) {
+				test.selectize.clear();
+				window.setTimeout(function() {
+					expect(test.selectize.isFocused).to.be.equal(false);
+					done();
+				}, 0);
+			});
+		});
+
 	});
 
 })();
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