diff --git a/chosen/chosen.proto.js b/chosen/chosen.proto.js
index 8058b98..309e9d4 100644
--- a/chosen/chosen.proto.js
+++ b/chosen/chosen.proto.js
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@
         if (option.group_array_index != null) {
           classes.push("group-option");
         }
-        return '<li id="' + option.dom_id + '" class="' + classes.join(' ') + '">' + option.text.escapeHTML() + '</li>';
+        return '<li id="' + option.dom_id + '" class="' + classes.join(' ') + '">' + option.text + '</li>';
       } else {
         return "";
       }
@@ -726,7 +726,7 @@
     };
     SelectParser.prototype.add_option = function(option, group_position, group_disabled) {
       if (option.nodeName === "OPTION") {
-        if (option.text !== "") {
+        if (option.innerHTML !== "") {
           if (group_position != null) {
             this.parsed[group_position].children += 1;
           }
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@
             array_index: this.parsed.length,
             options_index: this.options_index,
             value: option.value,
-            text: option.text,
+            text: option.innerHTML,
             selected: option.selected,
             disabled: group_disabled === true ? group_disabled : option.disabled,
             group_array_index: group_position
diff --git a/coffee/chosen.proto.coffee b/coffee/chosen.proto.coffee
index da7b5b8..f484719 100644
--- a/coffee/chosen.proto.coffee
+++ b/coffee/chosen.proto.coffee
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class Chosen
       classes.push "result-selected" if option.selected
       classes.push "group-option" if option.group_array_index?
       
-      '<li id="' + option.dom_id + '" class="' + classes.join(' ') + '">' + option.text.escapeHTML() + '</li>'
+      '<li id="' + option.dom_id + '" class="' + classes.join(' ') + '">' + option.text + '</li>'
     else
       ""
 
@@ -603,14 +603,14 @@ class SelectParser
 
   add_option: (option, group_position, group_disabled) ->
     if option.nodeName is "OPTION"
-      if option.text != ""
+      if option.innerHTML != ""
         if group_position?
           @parsed[group_position].children += 1
         @parsed.push
           array_index: @parsed.length
           options_index: @options_index
           value: option.value
-          text: option.text
+          text: option.innerHTML
           selected: option.selected
           disabled: if group_disabled is true then group_disabled else option.disabled
           group_array_index: group_position
diff --git a/example.html b/example.html
index 970f1ce..3c3aa90 100644
--- a/example.html
+++ b/example.html
@@ -809,6 +809,7 @@
         <em>Into This</em>        
         <select title="Choose a Country..." class="chzn-select" multiple style="width:350px;" tabindex="4">
           <option value=""></option> 
+          <option value="hacked">Hackaroo &lt;script&gt;alert('hack');&lt;/script&gt;</option> 
           <option value="United States">United States</option> 
           <option value="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</option> 
           <option value="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</option>