diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.forms.select.custom.js b/js/jquery.mobile.forms.select.custom.js
index d94c8994..043cb282 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.forms.select.custom.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.forms.select.custom.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 			label = widget.label,
 			thisPage = widget.select.closest( ".ui-page" ),
 			screen = $( "<div>", {"class": "ui-selectmenu-screen ui-screen-hidden"} ).appendTo( thisPage ),
-			selectOptions = widget.select.find("option"),
+			selectOptions = widget._selectOptions(),
 			isMultiple = widget.isMultiple = widget.select[ 0 ].multiple,
 			buttonId = selectID + "-button",
 			menuId = selectID + "-menu",
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 						// index of option tag to be selected
 						var oldIndex = self.select[ 0 ].selectedIndex,
 							newIndex = self.list.find( "li:not(.ui-li-divider)" ).index( this ),
-							option = self.selectOptions.eq( newIndex )[ 0 ];
+							option = self._selectOptions().eq( newIndex )[ 0 ];
 
 						// toggle selected status on the tag for multi selects
 						option.selected = self.isMultiple ? !option.selected : true;
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@
 				var self = this,
 				select = this.element,
 				isMultiple = this.isMultiple,
-				options = this.selectOptions = select.find( "option" ),
+				options = this._selectOptions(),
 				selected = this.selected(),
 				// return an array of all selected index's
 				indicies = this.selectedIndices();
diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.forms.select.js b/js/jquery.mobile.forms.select.js
index 59d580bb..27dd0932 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.forms.select.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.forms.select.js
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ $.widget( "mobile.selectmenu", $.mobile.widget, {
 		}, 40);
 	},
 
+  _selectOptions: function() {
+    return this.select.find( "option" );
+  },
+
 	// setup items that are generally necessary for select menu extension
 	_preExtension: function(){
 		this.select = this.element.wrap( "<div class='ui-select'>" );
@@ -62,7 +66,6 @@ $.widget( "mobile.selectmenu", $.mobile.widget, {
 		this.label = $( "label[for='"+ this.selectID +"']" ).addClass( "ui-select" );
 		this.isMultiple = this.select[ 0 ].multiple;
 		this.options.theme = this._theme();
-		this.selectOptions = this.select.find( "option" );
 	},
 
 	_create: function() {
@@ -153,14 +156,14 @@ $.widget( "mobile.selectmenu", $.mobile.widget, {
 	},
 
 	selected: function() {
-		return this.selectOptions.filter( ":selected" );
+		return this._selectOptions().filter( ":selected" );
 	},
 
 	selectedIndices: function() {
 		var self = this;
 
 		return this.selected().map( function() {
-			return self.selectOptions.index( this );
+			return self._selectOptions().index( this );
 		}).get();
 	},