diff --git a/example/example.html b/example/example.html
index 79b2de8..ec62237 100644
--- a/example/example.html
+++ b/example/example.html
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ <h3>Example 2</h3>
 	<select id="sel_2" style="width:8em">
 		<option value="1" class="l1 non-leaf">opt_1</option>
 		<option value="11" data-pup="1" class="l2 non-leaf">opt_11</option>
-		<option value="111" data-pup="11" class="l3">opt_111</option>
+		<option value="111" data-pup="11" class="l3" selected="selected">opt_111</option>
 		<option value="12" data-pup="2" class="l2">opt_12</option>
 		<option value="2" class="l1">opt_2</option>
 		<option value="3" class="l1">opt_3</option>
 	</select>
 	<script>
-		$("#sel_2").select2ToTree();
+		$("#sel_2").select2ToTree({expandSelectedItemParents:true});
 	</script>
 
 	<br>
diff --git a/src/select2totree.js b/src/select2totree.js
index 11dfa0d..03d1741 100644
--- a/src/select2totree.js
+++ b/src/select2totree.js
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
 			buildSelect(opts.treeData, this);
 		}
 
+		if (opts.expandSelectedItemParents) {
+			var selectionChain=updateSelectionChain(this);
+		}
+
 		opts._templateResult = opts.templateResult;
 		opts.templateResult = function (data, container) {
 			var label = data.text;
@@ -24,6 +28,12 @@
 				if (ele.getAttribute("data-pup")) {
 					container.setAttribute("data-pup", ele.getAttribute("data-pup"));
 				}
+				if (opts.expandSelectedItemParents && (selectionChain.indexOf(ele.value)>-1)) {
+					$(container).addClass("showme");
+					if ($(container).hasClass("non-leaf") && selectionChain.indexOf(ele.value)!==0) {
+						$(container).addClass("opened");
+					}
+				}
 				if ($(container).hasClass("non-leaf")) {
 					return $.merge($('<span class="expand-collapse" onmouseup="expColMouseupHandler(event);"></span>'), $iteme);
 				}
@@ -48,6 +58,10 @@
 			$allsch.off("input", inputHandler);
 			$allsch.on("input", inputHandler);
 		});
+		
+		s2inst.on("select2:select", function (evt) {
+			selectionChain=updateSelectionChain(this);
+		});
 
 		/* Show search result options even if they are collapsed */
 		function inputHandler(evt) {
@@ -161,4 +175,15 @@
 			showHideSub(this);
 		});
 	}
+	function updateSelectionChain(sl2) {
+
+		var values=[];
+		var currElm=$(sl2).find('option[value='+$(sl2).val()+']');
+		do
+		{
+			values.push(currElm.val());
+		}
+		while((currElm=$(sl2).find('option[value='+currElm.data('pup')+']')).length);
+		return values;
+	}
 })(jQuery);