diff --git a/demos/selectmenu/default.html b/demos/selectmenu/default.html
index e82ad7a952..eecc25d127 100644
--- a/demos/selectmenu/default.html
+++ b/demos/selectmenu/default.html
@@ -14,18 +14,18 @@
 	<link rel="stylesheet" href="../demos.css">
 	<script>
 	$(function() {
-		$('select#speedA').selectmenu({
+		$('select#speed').selectmenu({
 			dropdown: false
 		});
-		$('select#speedB').selectmenu({
+		$('select#number').selectmenu({
 			dropdown: false,			
 			wrapperElement: '<div class="overflow"/>'
 		});
-		$('select#filesC').selectmenu();
+		$('select#files').selectmenu();
 	});
 	</script>
 	<style>
-		form { margin: 200px 0 0 0; }
+		form { margin: 100px 0 0 0 }
 		fieldset { border: 0; }
 		select { width: 200px; }
 		.overflow ul { height: 200px; overflow: auto; }
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@
 
 <form action="#">
 	<fieldset>
-		<label for="speedA">Select a Speed:</label>
-		<select name="speedA" id="speedA">
+		<label for="speed">Select a speed:</label>
+		<select name="speed" id="speed">
 			<option value="Slower">Slower</option>
 			<option value="Slow">Slow</option>
 			<option value="Medium" selected="selected">Medium</option>
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
 		<br />
 		<br />
 		<br />
-		<label for="speedB">Select a Speed:</label>
-		<select name="speedB" id="speedB">
+		<label for="number">Select a number:</label>
+		<select name="number" id="number">
 			<option value="1">1</option>
 			<option value="2" selected="selected">2</option>
 			<option value="3">3</option>
@@ -73,14 +73,14 @@
 		<br />
 		<br />
 		<br />
-		<label for="filesC">Select a file:</label>
-		<select name="filesC" id="filesC">
-			<optgroup label="scripts">
+		<label for="files">Select a file:</label>
+		<select name="files" id="files">
+			<optgroup label="Scripts">
 				<option value="jquery">jQuery.js</option>
 				<option value="jqueryui">ui.jQuery.js</option>
 			</optgroup>
-			<optgroup label="Label with space">
-				<option disabled="disabled" value="somefile">Some unknown file</option>
+			<optgroup label="Other files">
+				<option value="somefile">Some unknown file</option>
 				<option value="someotherfile">Some other file</option>
 			</optgroup>
 		</select>
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@
 
 
 <div class="demo-description">
-<p>The Autocomplete widgets provides suggestions while you type into the field. Here the suggestions are tags for programming languages, give "ja" (for Java or JavaScript) a try.</p>
-<p>The datasource is a simple JavaScript array, provided to the widget using the source-option.</p>
+<p>The Selectmenu widgets provides a styleable select element replacement. It will act as a proxy back to the original select element, controlling its state for form submission or serialization </p>
+<p>The datasource is a native select element or a simple JavaScript array, provided to the widget using the source-option.</p>
 </div><!-- End demo-description -->
 
 </body>
diff --git a/tests/visual/selectmenu/disabled.html b/tests/visual/selectmenu/disabled.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..baf0dcf46c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/visual/selectmenu/disabled.html
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en">
+<head>
+	<meta charset="utf-8">
+	<title>jQuery UI Selectmenu - Default functionality</title>
+	<link rel="stylesheet" href="../../../themes/base/jquery.ui.all.css">
+	<script src="../../../jquery-1.6.2.js"></script>
+	<script src="../../../ui/jquery.ui.core.js"></script>
+	<script src="../../../ui/jquery.ui.widget.js"></script>
+	<script src="../../../ui/jquery.ui.position.js"></script>
+	<script src="../../../ui/jquery.ui.button.js"></script>
+	<script src="../../../ui/jquery.ui.menu.js"></script>
+	<script src="../../../ui/jquery.ui.selectmenu.js"></script>
+	<link rel="stylesheet" href="../../../demos/demos.css">
+	<script>
+	$(function() {
+		$('select#speed').selectmenu({
+			dropdown: false
+		});
+		$('select#number').selectmenu({
+			dropdown: false,			
+			wrapperElement: '<div class="overflow"/>'
+		});
+		$('select#files').selectmenu();		
+		var files2 = $('select#files2').selectmenu();
+		
+		$("#disable_select").toggle( function() {
+			files2.selectmenu("disable");
+		}, function() {
+			files2.removeAttr("disabled");
+			files2.selectmenu("refresh");
+		});
+		$("#disable_option").toggle( function() {
+			files2.find("option:eq(0)").attr("disabled", "disabled");
+			files2.selectmenu("refresh");
+		}, function() {
+			files2.find("option:eq(0)").removeAttr("disabled");
+			files2.selectmenu("refresh");
+		});
+		$("#disable_optgroup").toggle( function() {
+			files2.find("optgroup:eq(0)").attr("disabled", "disabled");
+			//files2.selectmenu("refresh");
+		}, function() {
+			files2.find("option:eq(0)").removeAttr("disabled");
+			//files2.selectmenu("refresh");
+		
+		});
+	});
+	</script>
+	<style>
+		form { margin: 100px 0 0 0 }
+		fieldset { border: 0; }
+		select { width: 200px; }
+		.overflow ul { height: 200px; overflow: auto; }
+	</style>
+</head>
+<body>
+	
+<div class="demo">
+
+<form action="#">
+	<fieldset>
+		<label for="speed">Select a speed:</label>
+		<select disabled="disabled" name="speed" id="speed">
+			<option value="Slower">Slower</option>
+			<option value="Slow">Slow</option>
+			<option value="Medium" selected="selected">Medium</option>
+			<option value="Fast">Fast</option>
+			<option value="Faster">Faster</option>
+		</select>
+		<br />
+		<br />
+		<br />
+		<label for="number">Select a number:</label>
+		<select name="number" id="number">
+			<option value="1">1</option>
+			<option value="2" selected="selected">2</option>
+			<option value="3">3</option>
+			<option disabled="disabled" value="4">4</option>
+			<option value="5">5</option>
+			<option value="6">6</option>
+			<option value="7">7</option>
+			<option disabled="disabled" value="8">8</option>
+			<option value="9">9</option>
+			<option value="10">10</option>
+			<option disabled="disabled" value="11">11</option>
+			<option value="12">12</option>
+			<option value="13">13</option>
+			<option disabled="disabled" value="14">14</option>
+			<option disabled="disabled" value="15">15</option>
+			<option value="16">16</option>
+			<option value="17">17</option>
+			<option value="18">18</option>
+			<option value="19">19</option>
+		</select>
+		<br />
+		<br />
+		<br />
+		<label for="files">Select a file:</label>
+		<select name="files" id="files">
+			<optgroup disabled="disabled" label="Scripts">
+				<option value="jquery">jQuery.js</option>
+				<option value="jqueryui">ui.jQuery.js</option>
+			</optgroup>
+			<optgroup label="Other files">
+				<option value="somefile">Some unknown file</option>
+				<option value="someotherfile">Some other file</option>
+			</optgroup>
+		</select>
+		<br />
+		<br />
+		<br />
+		<label for="files2">Select a file:</label>
+		<select name="files2" id="files2">
+			<optgroup label="Scripts">
+				<option value="jquery">jQuery.js</option>
+				<option value="jqueryui">ui.jQuery.js</option>
+			</optgroup>
+			<optgroup label="Other files">
+				<option value="somefile">Some unknown file</option>
+				<option value="someotherfile">Some other file</option>
+			</optgroup>
+		</select>
+		<br />
+		<button id="disable_select">Toggle disable select</button>
+		<button id="disable_option">Toggle disable option</button>
+		<button id="disable_optgroup">Toggle disable optgroup</button>
+	</fieldset>
+</form>
+
+</div><!-- End demo -->
+
+
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.selectmenu.js b/ui/jquery.ui.selectmenu.js
index 4cb72ae57b..6d54fa248b 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.selectmenu.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.selectmenu.js
@@ -351,6 +351,11 @@ $.widget( "ui.selectmenu", {
 		}
 		if ( key === "disabled" ) {
 			this.newelement.button( "option", "disabled", value );
+			if ( value ) {
+				this.element.attr( "disabled", "disabled" );
+			} else {
+				this.element.removeAttr( "disabled" );
+			}
 			this.list.attr( "aria-disabled", value );
 			this.close();
 		}
