diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 93ce750..1e4e28f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Default:
     $("#time2").timePicker({
       startTime: "02.00", // Using string. Can take string or Date object.
       endTime: new Date(0, 0, 0, 15, 30, 0), // Using Date object here.
+      defaultSelected: "11.30", // defaults to startTime if not specified
       show24Hours: false,
       separator: '.',
       step: 15});
@@ -53,4 +54,4 @@ The example:
       else {
         $(this).removeClass("error");
       }
-    });
\ No newline at end of file
+    });
diff --git a/jquery.timePicker.js b/jquery.timePicker.js
index 41b35c1..19fbc8b 100644
--- a/jquery.timePicker.js
+++ b/jquery.timePicker.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  *   step: # of minutes to step the time by
  *   startTime: beginning of the range of acceptable times
  *   endTime: end of the range of acceptable times
+ *   defaultSelected: if the user has not yet selected a time, select this by default
  *   separator: separator string to use between hours and minutes (e.g. ':')
  *   show24Hours: use a 24-hour scheme
  */
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@
     var keyDown = false;
     var startTime = timeToDate(settings.startTime, settings);
     var endTime = timeToDate(settings.endTime, settings);
+    var defaultSelected = settings.defaultSelected ? timeToDate(settings.defaultSelected, settings) : startTime;
     var selectedClass = "selected";
     var selectedSelector = "li." + selectedClass;
 
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@
       $tpDiv.show();
 
       // Try to find a time in the list that matches the entered time.
-      var time = elm.value ? timeStringToDate(elm.value, settings) : startTime;
+      var time = elm.value ? timeStringToDate(elm.value, settings) : defaultSelected;
       var startMin = startTime.getHours() * 60 + startTime.getMinutes();
       var min = (time.getHours() * 60 + time.getMinutes()) - startMin;
       var steps = Math.round(min / settings.step);
@@ -211,6 +213,7 @@
     step:30,
     startTime: new Date(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0),
     endTime: new Date(0, 0, 0, 23, 30, 0),
+    defaultSelected: null,
     separator: ':',
     show24Hours: true
   };