diff --git a/src/core/js/form_elements.js b/src/core/js/form_elements.js
index d01b45ee9148febc592d615a8fa947d0d53656d3..9fc47e5e85590a451df5ea7a1204da84a0258239 100644
--- a/src/core/js/form_elements.js
+++ b/src/core/js/form_elements.js
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ var form_elements = new function () {
          * @return {HTMLElement}
          */
         this._make_select = function (multiple, name) {
-            const ret = $(`<select class="selectpicker form-control" name="${name}" title="Nothing selected"/>`);
+            const ret = $(`<select class="form-select" name="${name}"/>`);
             if (typeof name !== "undefined") {
                 caosdb_utils.assert_string(name, "param `name`");
                 ret.attr("name", name);
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ var form_elements = new function () {
             if (multiple) {
                 ret.attr("multiple", "");
             } else {
-                ret.append('<option style="display: none" selected="selected" value="" disabled="disabled"></option>');
+                ret.append('<option selected>Nothing selected</option>');
             }
             return ret[0];
         }