diff --git a/src/hci/commands/menu_cmd.c b/src/hci/commands/menu_cmd.c
index 8dac3cb8..ff3b76fa 100644
--- a/src/hci/commands/menu_cmd.c
+++ b/src/hci/commands/menu_cmd.c
@@ -194,6 +194,8 @@ struct choose_options {
 	const char *menu;
 	/** Timeout */
 	unsigned int timeout;
+	/** Default selection */
+	const char *select;
 	/** Keep menu */
 	int keep;
 };
@@ -202,6 +204,8 @@ struct choose_options {
 static struct option_descriptor choose_opts[] = {
 	OPTION_DESC ( "menu", 'm', required_argument,
 		      struct choose_options, menu, parse_string ),
+	OPTION_DESC ( "default", 'd', required_argument,
+		      struct choose_options, select, parse_string ),
 	OPTION_DESC ( "timeout", 't', required_argument,
 		      struct choose_options, timeout, parse_integer ),
 	OPTION_DESC ( "keep", 'k', no_argument,
@@ -211,8 +215,8 @@ static struct option_descriptor choose_opts[] = {
 /** "choose" command descriptor */
 static struct command_descriptor choose_cmd =
 	COMMAND_DESC ( struct choose_options, choose_opts, 1, 1,
-		       "[--menu <menu>] [--timeout <timeout>] [--keep] "
-		       "<setting>" );
+		       "[--menu <menu>] [--default <label>] "
+		       "[--timeout <timeout>] [--keep] <setting>" );
 
 /**
  * The "choose" command
@@ -240,7 +244,7 @@ static int choose_exec ( int argc, char **argv ) {
 		goto err_parse_menu;
 
 	/* Show menu */
-	if ( ( rc = show_menu ( menu, opts.timeout, &item ) ) != 0 )
+	if ( ( rc = show_menu ( menu, opts.timeout, opts.select, &item ) ) != 0)
 		goto err_show_menu;
 
 	/* Store setting */
diff --git a/src/hci/tui/menu_ui.c b/src/hci/tui/menu_ui.c
index 2457a825..30d93ad2 100644
--- a/src/hci/tui/menu_ui.c
+++ b/src/hci/tui/menu_ui.c
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ static int menu_loop ( struct menu_ui *ui, struct menu_item **selected ) {
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 int show_menu ( struct menu *menu, unsigned int timeout_ms,
-		struct menu_item **selected ) {
+		const char *select, struct menu_item **selected ) {
 	struct menu_item *item;
 	struct menu_ui ui;
 	int labelled_count = 0;
@@ -318,8 +318,13 @@ int show_menu ( struct menu *menu, unsigned int timeout_ms,
 			if ( ! labelled_count )
 				ui.selected = ui.count;
 			labelled_count++;
-			if ( item->is_default )
-				ui.selected = ui.count;
+			if ( select ) {
+				if ( strcmp ( select, item->label ) == 0 )
+					ui.selected = ui.count;
+			} else {
+				if ( item->is_default )
+					ui.selected = ui.count;
+			}
 		}
 		ui.count++;
 	}
diff --git a/src/include/ipxe/menu.h b/src/include/ipxe/menu.h
index 05bc1d45..993b027e 100644
--- a/src/include/ipxe/menu.h
+++ b/src/include/ipxe/menu.h
@@ -44,6 +44,6 @@ extern struct menu_item * add_menu_item ( struct menu *menu, const char *label,
 extern void destroy_menu ( struct menu *menu );
 extern struct menu * find_menu ( const char *name );
 extern int show_menu ( struct menu *menu, unsigned int timeout_ms,
-		       struct menu_item **selected );
+		       const char *select, struct menu_item **selected );
 
 #endif /* _IPXE_MENU_H */