diff --git a/framework/CHANGELOG.md b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
index 52c7f52510..feeab8d4e9 100644
--- a/framework/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Yii Framework 2 Change Log
 - Bug #10681: Fixed active form `beforeValidate` wasn't triggered in some cases (lynicidn)
 - Enh #11857: `yii\filters\AccessRule::$verbs` could not be configured with any case of request method names (DrDeath72, samdark)
 - Bug #11863: Fixed usage of `mb_substr` with PHP < 5.4.8 where length of NULL was treated the same as 0 (samdark)
+- Bug #11865: Fixed setting `selected` for dropdown list using options (samdark)
 
 2.0.8 April 28, 2016
 --------------------
diff --git a/framework/helpers/BaseHtml.php b/framework/helpers/BaseHtml.php
index c9975c4f62..914a0fb247 100644
--- a/framework/helpers/BaseHtml.php
+++ b/framework/helpers/BaseHtml.php
@@ -1702,9 +1702,11 @@ class BaseHtml
             } else {
                 $attrs = isset($options[$key]) ? $options[$key] : [];
                 $attrs['value'] = (string) $key;
-                $attrs['selected'] = $selection !== null &&
+                if (!array_key_exists('selected', $attrs)) {
+                    $attrs['selected'] = $selection !== null &&
                         (!ArrayHelper::isTraversable($selection) && !strcmp($key, $selection)
                         || ArrayHelper::isTraversable($selection) && ArrayHelper::isIn($key, $selection));
+                }
                 $text = $encode ? static::encode($value) : $value;
                 if ($encodeSpaces) {
                     $text = str_replace(' ', '&nbsp;', $text);
diff --git a/tests/framework/helpers/HtmlTest.php b/tests/framework/helpers/HtmlTest.php
index 33032956e5..edf6a53b85 100644
--- a/tests/framework/helpers/HtmlTest.php
+++ b/tests/framework/helpers/HtmlTest.php
@@ -280,6 +280,18 @@ EOD;
 </select>
 EOD;
         $this->assertEqualsWithoutLE($expected, Html::dropDownList('test', 'value2', $this->getDataItems()));
+
+        $expected = <<<EOD
+<select name="test">
+<option value="value1">text1</option>
+<option value="value2" selected>text2</option>
+</select>
+EOD;
+        $this->assertEqualsWithoutLE($expected, Html::dropDownList('test', null, $this->getDataItems(), [
+            'options' => [
+                'value2' => ['selected' => true]
+            ],
+        ]));
     }
 
     public function testListBox()