diff --git a/src/attributes/val.js b/src/attributes/val.js
index caf0126d4..5f0b73e00 100644
--- a/src/attributes/val.js
+++ b/src/attributes/val.js
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ jQuery.extend( {
 				var value, option,
 					options = elem.options,
 					index = elem.selectedIndex,
-					one = elem.type === "select-one" || index < 0,
+					one = elem.type === "select-one",
 					values = one ? null : [],
 					max = one ? index + 1 : options.length,
 					i = index < 0 ?
diff --git a/test/unit/attributes.js b/test/unit/attributes.js
index 9ea29a105..9bf287688 100644
--- a/test/unit/attributes.js
+++ b/test/unit/attributes.js
@@ -903,10 +903,10 @@ QUnit.test( "val() with non-matching values on dropdown list", function( assert
 
 	var select6 = jQuery( "<select multiple id=\"select6\"><option value=\"1\">A</option><option value=\"2\">B</option></select>" ).appendTo( "#form" );
 	jQuery( select6 ).val( "nothing" );
-	assert.equal( jQuery( select6 ).val(), null, "Non-matching set (single value) on select-multiple" );
+	assert.deepEqual( jQuery( select6 ).val(), [], "Non-matching set (single value) on select-multiple" );
 
 	jQuery( select6 ).val( [ "nothing1", "nothing2" ] );
-	assert.equal( jQuery( select6 ).val(), null, "Non-matching set (array of values) on select-multiple" );
+	assert.deepEqual( jQuery( select6 ).val(), [], "Non-matching set (array of values) on select-multiple" );
 
 	select6.remove();
 } );