diff --git a/templates/listing-form/custom-fields/select.php b/templates/listing-form/custom-fields/select.php
index ac8d2b9fc1..8df27290ff 100644
--- a/templates/listing-form/custom-fields/select.php
+++ b/templates/listing-form/custom-fields/select.php
@@ -2,24 +2,34 @@
 /**
  * @author  wpWax
  * @since   6.6
- * @version 8.6
+ * @version 8.9.4
  */
 
 if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) exit;
 
 // Get conditional logic attributes using centralized method
 $conditional_logic_attr = $listing_form->get_conditional_logic_attributes( $data );
+$options                = ! empty( $data['options'] ) && is_array( $data['options'] ) ? $data['options'] : [];
+$has_empty_option       = in_array( '', wp_list_pluck( $options, 'option_value' ), true );
+$show_empty_option      = empty( $data['required'] ) && ! $has_empty_option;
+$placeholder            = ! empty( $data['placeholder'] ) ? $data['placeholder'] : __( 'Select...', 'directorist' );
 ?>
 
 <div class="directorist-form-group directorist-custom-field-select"<?php echo $conditional_logic_attr; // phpcs:ignore WordPress.Security.EscapeOutput.OutputNotEscaped -- Already escaped in get_conditional_logic_attributes() ?>>
 
     <?php $listing_form->field_label_template( $data );?>
 
-    <?php if ( ! empty( $data['options'] ) ) : ?>
+    <?php if ( ! empty( $options ) ) : ?>
 
         <select name="<?php echo esc_attr( $data['field_key'] ); ?>" id="<?php echo esc_attr( $data['field_key'] ); ?>" class="directorist-form-element" <?php $listing_form->required( $data ); ?>>
 
-            <?php foreach ( $data['options'] as $key => $value ) : ?>
+            <?php if ( $show_empty_option ) : ?>
+
+                <option value="" <?php selected( '', $data['value'] ); ?>><?php echo esc_html( $placeholder ); ?></option>
+
+            <?php endif; ?>
+
+            <?php foreach ( $options as $value ) : ?>
 
                 <option value="<?php echo esc_attr( $value['option_value'] )?>" <?php selected( $value['option_value'], $data['value'] ); ?>><?php echo esc_attr( $value['option_label'] )?></option>